Sermon 22nd February 2026 – 1st Sunday in Lent Text Matthew 4:1-11 – Tempting

 Sermon 22^nd February 2026 – 1^st Sunday in Lent

Text Matthew 4:1-11 – Tempting

 

Although it’s not part of our reading, what happens today comes immediately after Jesus has been baptised. Much like the transfiguration last week, at Jesus’ baptism we see the heavens opened and a voice declaring, “This is my Son, the Beloved.” In Jesus baptism we see on extra detail - The Holy Spirit descended upon him. And then—immediately—the same Holy Spirit leads Him into the wilderness. It’s a reminder, like the Transfiguration, that spiritual highs do not exempt us from spiritual battles.

 

Sometimes God’s special moments prepare us for wilderness experiences as we see in our Baptism rite where the very first question is asked – do you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways. Baptism sets us on a course opposed to Satan. The wilderness is not a punishment. It is not a sign that God has abandoned us. It is the place where faith is tested and strengthened. Jesus is hungry, alone, physically weak—exactly the kind of moment when temptation feels most persuasive – and Satan knows it. You probably know this wilderness. The wilderness is the season when life feels stripped back: when life fall apart, when grief hits, when uncertainty grows, when we feel spiritually dry, when the people and things we used to rely on for support are no longer there.  The wilderness is where the question “Who am I?” becomes painfully real.

 

The devil begins with something that sounds reasonable to Jesus “You’re hungry. Fix it. Use your power for yourself.” He used the same reasonable comment with Eve. When Eve saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; Why not? It’s there – why would God have placed it there if he didn’t want us to taste it. But Jesus refuses to satisfy his human hunger and fill his hunger for righteousness. He answers with Scripture: “People do not live by bread alone.” This is not a rejection of food.

It is a rejection of a life driven by immediate desire. He chooses trust over impulse. He chooses God’s word over self gratification.

 

In the next temptation the devil quotes Scripture—twisted, weaponised, taken out of context. “Prove who you are. Force God’s hand. Make Him catch you.” If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ If God loves you he won’t let anything happen to you. It was how he tricked Eve:Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’“ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die;  Satan twisted the words to manipulate Eve.

If God loves you he won’t let anything happen to you. Jesus refuses. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Faith is not a performance. It is not a bargain. I’ll do this if you do that. It is not a stunt like a magic performance.

 

It’s very much like Peter’s encounter with Simon the sorcerer in Acts: When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! The devil then shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and offers them in exchange for worship. How many churches fall for this trap? Watering down God’s word to be more entertaining and attract people? This is the temptation to take a shortcut. To grasp power without sacrifice. To claim glory without the cross. The temptation to take one little bite: God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God. But at what cost? Knowing good and evil.

 

Up to that point God had held back evil – God saw the creation and behold it was “very good”. Jesus answers: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” Jesus doesn’t choose the short cut. He chooses the long road. The costly road.

The road of obedience, humility, and love. The road Peter did not want to take when Jesus said he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. But Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

 

Jesus does not overcome temptation by sheer willpower. None of us ever can. He overcomes it by God’s word and promises. Every temptation begins with the same whisper: “If you are the Son of God…” The devil tries to make Jesus doubt the very identity God has just affirmed. And likewise he will do the same with you. You call yourself a Christian? All Christians are hypocrites. That’s how temptation works for us. It attacks our identity as loved and saved Children of God.

It manipulates the Gospel: “You’re not good enough.” “You’re alone.” “You’re unloved.” “You’re a failure.” “You should take control because God won’t come through.” Jesus stands firm because He knows the truth spoken at His baptism: “You are my beloved.” That is the truth that carries Him through the wilderness. And it is the truth that carries us too. We all face temptations—: to define ourselves by what we have, to prove ourselves through achievement, to seek power, control, or shortcuts, to doubt God’s goodness, to forget our identity as beloved children of God.

 

The wilderness exposes our vulnerabilities, but it also reveals God’s faithfulness.At the end of the passage, angels come and care for Jesus. God was there all along. And he is there for you to as Jesus promised in our Baptism. I am with you always till the end of the age. Not “until you mess up” No – always – till the end of the age. The Temptation of Jesus is not about how strong we must be. It is about how faithful Jesus is. He faces the full weight of temptation and remains true.

As the Book of Hebrews reminds us:  We have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Mercy and grace – not judgment.

 

Where Israel fell, where Adam and Eve fell where we fall – Jesus stands firm. And because He stands, we can stand with Him. He is not our example to follow. He is our strength. He is our companion in the wilderness. He is the One who has walked this path before us and walks it with us still. The wilderness is real. Temptation is real. But so is the voice that speaks over us: “You are my beloved.” When you are tested—remember that voice. When you fail – remember that voice.

When you feel alone—remember that voice. Jesus shows us that our identity as children of God is stronger than temptation, God’s word is stronger than the enemy’s lies, The wilderness is not our home but a path we journey through.