Temptations of Jesus: Part 1 Kathryn Kuhlman Spiritual Warfare

Today I am beginning a new series of messages on the temptations of Jesus. And I do hope that you will not miss one single one of these heart -to -heart talks in this series of messages. Because I believe that they will mean much to you. What? Really? were those temptations that Jesus had in the wilderness. Everybody talks about his temptations. I dare say there are very few people living today, whether they are a Christian or not, but what knows that Jesus had temptations in the wilderness? that there was actually a time when the enemy, Satan, confronted Jesus. They stood face to face, and the devil had the audacity to tempt the Son of the Living God. Much has been said, many words written, regarding the temptation of Jesus. In the wilderness. And yet, how many of you folk listening to me this very moment, some of you Bible teachers, some of you haven't gone to church all of your life, can actually tell me what those temptations were. What was that first temptation? What was it? Oh, somebody said, satan tempted jesus and challenged him to turn the stone into bread i know that we all know that but where was the temptation there had to be something in the turning of that stone into bread that had Jesus yielded, it would have caused him to sin. Wherein was the temptation? Pause a moment. Do you really know wherein was the temptation? We're going to take these temptations, the three of them, one at a time. Before we go very deeply into this first temptation, when Satan challenged Jesus to turn the stone into bread, I want to make something very clear to you, and that is the fact that Jesus could have sinned. Oh, I know immediately whenever I make that statement, there are those who feel as though I am almost blasphemous in making that statement. But consider with me. Had it not been possible for Jesus to have yielded to temptation, then his temptations would have been a farce. They would have been a mockery. I know you and I think of Jesus in the light of the Son of the Living God. Absolute perfection. which he is. We never think of him in the light of one who could have yielded to temptation. But it's true. Those temptations, when Jesus was in the wilderness, confronted by Satan, tempted of Satan, if it were not possible for him to have yielded to any one of these three temptations, then, beloved, those temptations were a farce. They were nothing more or less than a mockery. But I am telling you upon the authority of God's word that when they stood face to face, When Jesus faced Satan and Satan faced Jesus, they both knew that Jesus could yield to any one of those three temptations. Why? You must realize that Jesus was the very son of the living God. When Jesus, way back there before the foundation of the world, offered himself through the Holy Spirit to God the Father to come to this earth, he was deity, he was divinity. perfect, the matchless, the sinless son of the living God, God's only son. But when he came to earth, he took upon himself the form of man. He became as much man in the flesh as though he were not God. On one hand, he was as much deity as though he were not man. On the other hand, he was as much man as though he were not God. That's exactly what the fourth chapter of Hebrews means in the 15th verse. For we have a high priest. That's Jesus. You and I have Jesus at the right hand of God the Father this very moment in position of great high priest. He's living ever to make intercession for you and for me. He is interceding for our sins, our imperfections, our failures. When we're tempted, He is there interceding in our behalf. before the throne of god we have a great high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points what's that word all a -l -l but was in all points tempted Like as we are yet without sin. Oh, to me, that's one of the most thrilling portions of the entire word of God. I mean that. That's the reason we have a great high priest who understands us. Had he never been tempted. Had he never had the possibility of being able to yield to temptation. Had he not been as much man as though he were not God. Had he never been in that position. He never could have understood me. He could never have understood you. Know that. There isn't an unregenerated man. But what Jesus understands perfectly. There isn't a man or a woman. who lives this hour but what Jesus understands that one perfectly. He understands your weaknesses. He understands your failures. You cannot sympathize with someone else unless you have gone through the thing yourself. You cannot understand another's burdens, another's problems. You cannot understand another's sorrow unless you have gone through a Gethsemane. You cannot understand another's heartache unless your own heart has been broken. You cannot give to anyone else any more than you have experienced yourself. That's why I told you over and over again, that it's not going to be God the Father who's going to judge you and judge me. When we have that great judgment day, I will be judged one day, not by God the Father. In that day, my judge is going to be Jesus. God the Father has given judgment over to Jesus Christ, his Son. Because the Son has experienced, he has been through, he understands us even better than God the Father understands. For he was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Oh, I think that's glorious. I think that's marvelous. All right now, before we go into these temptations, remember something. We must realize, first of all, that Jesus was as much man as though he were not God. Jesus did not face temptation, nor overcome it in the realm of his deity. but in the magnificence of his pure, strong manhood. And Jesus was in that wilderness that day, in that hour of temptation, as man's representative. Know that. That day, Jesus, was facing temptation as your representative as my representative he has been in the wilderness as man's representative and as surely as he came out of his temptation victoriously having won So remember something. Temptation in itself is not a sin. You can be tempted every hour of the day. Temptation in itself is not a sin. It's when you yield to that temptation that it becomes sin. All right. Now, let's begin first of all. Let me, if you will please, just read. from the fourth chapter of the book of Matthew. I can tell you right now you're going to love this series of messages on the temptations of Jesus. I believe that before I will have finished these heart -to -heart talks with you, you will thank me. You will be glad for that which I pray the Holy Spirit will reveal unto you. Now, the order of the temptations is different in Matthew and Luke. In both, the suggestion that stones be turned into bread is first. Luke reverses the order of the last two. It is almost certain that the order in Matthew was the actual order. Therefore, in the series of messages, I shall refer to Matthew at all times. let me read it the fourth chapter of matthew then was jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil and when he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was afterward and hungered and when the tempter came to him he said If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt. the Lord thy God. Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him also. only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Study that portion of the Word of God very carefully until our next heart -to -heart talk, and I will tell you in our next message, Wherein Was the Temptation? God bless you.