This was given at the Lynnville (IL) UMC on February 13, 2005, the first Sunday of Lent that year. The Gospel Scripture is from Matthew 4: 1-11…

       The Church of Christ that I grew up in, down along the river in Hartford, didn’t have a steeple. (I don’t think any of them do, though I can’t say as I ever knew the Theology behind why.) But I had seen lots of churches that did have steeples, and some of them were pretty tall!

       Now, as a young child I had no idea what the temple actually looked like, but when the King James version, which is what I read from, says that… “the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,” I always pictured the two of them somehow perched and teetering on top of one of these high church steeples… makes quite a picture, doesn’t it?

       Another thing that I sometimes had a problem with, as a child, was the idea that the devil even thought he could try to tempt Jesus… I mean, after all, He’s the Son of God, right? Don’t you think He would be immune to that sort of thing? And as I got older, that train of thought extended into my wondering about His crucifixion as well… I mean, what was the big deal? If he truly was the Christ… if He truly was God-on-earth… then He had to know that he would be resurrected three days later, right? And so, following that line of thinking still further, it was only natural that he led a pure and sin-free life… how could He do anything but?

       It has only been as I have continued to grow in my faith and understanding that I have come to terms with the idea that, in order for any of this to make any sense, we have to accept the fact that while on this earth, Jesus was as human… as fallible, if you will… as you and me!! Because it is only by His humanity that He is able to understand and relate to all that we mere humans have to deal with every day… it is that humanity that knows human fear and heartache… that knows human pain and suffering… and it is through that humanity that He becomes the ‘perfect sacrifice’ for our sins!

       The Life Application Commentary tells us that, “A person has not shown true obedience if he or she has never had an opportunity to disobey. We read in Deuteronomy that God led Israel into the desert to humble and test them. God wanted to see whether or not his people would really obey him.” And so, “This time of testing showed that Jesus really was the Son of God, able to overcome the devil and his temptations.” “Jesus wasn’t tempted inside the temple or at his baptism but in the desert, where he was tired, alone, and hungry, and thus most vulnerable. The devil often tempts us when we are at our weakest point — under physical or emotional stress (for example, lonely, tired, weighing big decisions, or faced with uncertainty). But he also likes to tempt us through our strengths, where we are most susceptible to pride.”

But all of this leads us to an even more fundamental question… why do we need to struggle with this concept of sin… I mean, where did sin come from, anyway? For an attempt at that answer, we must needs go to the Old Testament and read from Genesis…

       We all know the story of God giving Adam and Eve full run of the Garden except for one particular tree… and what transpires in spite of it!

       The Wycliffe Bible Commentary says that… “The author of Genesis here lists the steps leading to the entrance of sin into the hearts of these divinely created individuals, who had started life with such clean hearts and so much promise. Disobedience and sin becloud the picture. Though these beings were morally upright, they had been given the power of choice; and they were subject to the power of the tempter at any moment. Hence the test was inevitable. The garden was an exquisite creation, filled with plenteous provisions. Man’s environment left nothing to be desired. One prohibition, however, had been placed upon the man and woman. Every tree, shrub, and delicacy could be theirs, except the fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” This prohibition seems to have produced the atmosphere in which human minds welcome the appeal of the tempter.”

       From the ‘Treasury of Bible Illustrations’ we read… “The Bible says that sin separates; it comes between man and God. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God.”

Sin is like a giant canyon, with man on one side and God on the other. A canyon can never be removed; it will always be there. And it is useless to try to fill up a canyon. But when a bridge is put across a canyon, a man can cross it as if no canyon ever existed there. Forgiveness of our sin is like a bridge. A bridge allows us to have eternal life, even though there is sin which otherwise would separate us from God.

Sin is also like a cut or break in an electric wire. There must be a perfect connection from the source to the light bulb before there can be any light in the bulb. Sin separates our connection with God. Forgiveness is like a splice in a wire. It does not take a brand new wire to complete the circuit, but there must be a wire in which every single break has been repaired.

Sin separates man and God. There is only one way to get back to God; through Jesus Christ!”

And that brings us back to our verses from Matthew! We all know how Jesus responded to the devil’s suggestions. When he told Him to make food for Himself, Jesus replied, reading from ‘The Living Bible’ this time, “No! For the Scriptures tell us that bread won’t feed men’s souls: obedience to every word of God is what we need.” While atop the temple, His reply is, “It also says not to put the Lord your God to a foolish test!” And finally, when Satan offers Him the world in exchange for worshiping him… ” Jesus told him… Get out of here, Satan. The Scriptures say, ‘Worship only the Lord God. Obey only him.'”

In Romans chapter 5, beginning with verse 12, Paul writes that, “… just as sin entered the world through one man… in this way death came to all men, because all have sinned.”

The ‘Treasury of Bible Illustrations’ tells of, “A news documentary on TV that claimed 91 percent of the United States’ students in colleges, universities and graduate schools cheat on exams and tests in order to graduate.

This is what happens when God is rejected and atheism is accepted. Atheism will bring down our civilization. Civilization is based on mutual trust.

We remember when a man was as good as his word. A handshake over a deal was as dependable as a legal document. A man would rather die than lie or cheat. Christian standards formed the basis of society even among those who did not profess to be Christians.”

Sin surrounds us everyday. But is it just in others…?

Have you ever considered how a worm gets inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from the inside. But, how does he get in there? Simple. An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out.

Sin, like the worm, begins in the heart and works out through the person’s thoughts, word and actions. For this reason, David once wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.”  

In Psalm 32 he says, “Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” And one of the best ways for each of us to be ‘upright in heart’ is to keep Jesus’ words close to our hearts at all times… “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Today is the first Sunday of Lent… that time of year when we focus our thoughts on the sacrifice that was made in our names! And as we survey that wondrous cross, we try to look at our own lives as in a mirror… we reflect on all that we have been… all that we have done… and we consider what our Lord might have done in our place. For we know that He was truly human… we know that He felt the same pulls and tugs and trials and temptations that each of us feel… and we wonder how He will look on our actions. I know for myself, I come up wanting!

But we also know that because He was human, He understands… and because He understands, He forgives! But… that forgiveness carries a price! A sacrifice must be made! And because He loves us… He paid it!