Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:04 The name of the file
Speaker 1 00:00:05 Other than his son and the Holy spirit. Amen. This morning, we're going to take a close
Speaker 0 00:00:12 Gospel in order to properly
Speaker 1 00:00:14 Stan what's going on. Uh, we should realize that there's two basic ways to understand the word temptation. The first most Conaway is temptation is an internal incitement towards sin. So that's the first main of the most Condamine word, but that's not the sense in which he's used in the scripture today, when we're talking about the temptation of our Lord, cause that's actually impossible. The second meeting is a sense of being put to the test without any internal movement towards the object. I mean, a ridiculous example would you will, we'll make it somewhat clear. Imagine somebody's trying to con and to do something we don't really want to do, but promising us that if we do this, this, this challenging thing, they'll give us the big reward of Oliver and sell crop flavored milkshake as a reward. Well, I mean, this would not exactly be something go, Oh wow.
Speaker 1 00:01:07 I can't wait inside. Basically not moved adults. They can dangle this ridiculous milkshake in front of you. So to speak would have an internal movement towards it, be putting to the test, but there wouldn't be any, uh, there wouldn't be any corresponding interior movement whatsoever. So for the sake of clarity, we could call that first type of the common use, the interior battle type being tempted. That's what we think of typically in the calm usage door, a second type should be called tested it's dangled in front of us, but it doesn't provoke any sort of interior dormant. So today's gospel first to the three temptations of Christ. But if we were going to apply our usage of the words, it would be much clearer to refer to these, not as the three temptations, rather the three tests. In other words, the word which is translated as tampered today's gospel 10, 10, or eight, or has it as it's a principal meeting to prove to try to push the test.
Speaker 1 00:02:05 And so it's in the same sense as dang, when you met liver and sell crop flavored milkshake in front of someone exterior test, it doesn't provoke any corresponding into the movement person, soul towards object. So the, although Christ our Lord could be tempted in the sense of being tested. So it could be tested by the devil. He could not be truly tempted in that way towards the devil or anything else. Why not? Because of the way he is. He's got be blessed me to say that God could add interior motion towards any type of Senegal. So that's why Christ was only tested. He couldn't possibly, certainly wasn't tempted in the common sense of the word by the devil or anyone else couldn't happen. Okay. So what's the point. If these temptations were only external tests, then what was the point of our lower going on with the desert to be tested by the devil?
Speaker 1 00:03:00 Then what's the point on that? We're going to get into all that right now, first look at this situation from the point of view of what the devil was trying to accomplish in these three testings, and then we'll look at it from the point of view of what our Lord actually was accomplishing. So first from the point of view of what the devil was trying to accomplish, then second, from the point of view, what the devil or what our Lord actually was accomplishing. So what was the devil trying to accomplish? Why did the devil put our Lord to the test? Cause he was trying to figure out who our Lord was. He wasn't sure he wasn't sure st. Thomas Aquinas explains quote, as Santa Gustin says Christ was known to the demons only so far as he willed, not as the author of eternal life, but as the cause of certain temporal effects from which they formed a certain conjecture, that Christ was the son of God presents.
Speaker 1 00:04:05 They also observed at him certain signs of human frailty. They did not know for certain that he was the son of God, wherefore, the devil wish to attempt to close quote C Tom's a top clients. Okay. So that's what the devil is trying to Congress has forgotten. Who is this? What exactly was the Lord accomplishing now for the most part to ask this question, uh, and the rest of this room will be, uh, a loose paraphrase of some dreadful is taken from the works of doctors, Tim gray, Edward, she as well as Alfred hider Shan. So to put today's gospel in a context, we need to back up just a little bit and consider what it just proceeded. This dual, the desert between our Lord and the devil immediately before the stream today's gospel. Our Lord had been baptized in the river, Jordan by Saint John, the Baptist.
Speaker 1 00:05:00 And as he came up out of the water, the gospel tells us that quote and lo the heavens were open to him and he saw the spirit of God, descending as a dove and coming upon him and behold, a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. So that's the inspired word of God. So that's what happens immediately before our Lord goes out into the desert. So it's been a few minutes going through a few of the important details here of our Lord's baptism and that we'll bring today's episode into much clearer focus. So first off, this is all happening out in the wilderness by the Jordan river. Why would that be significant up until the time of our Lord? The Exodus was the most important event in the history of the Jewish people. Now let's make sure, especially for young people, we all understand what we mean when we speak of the Exodus, remember that the people of Israel had been slaves down in Egypt, and then God sent Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Speaker 1 00:06:06 And he parts the red sea and they wander through the desert for 40 years until finally Josh wood ends up leading them from the welders to the Jordan river. And as they lead it through Jordan river, the Jordan river also parks. And they cross over that driver bed and enter the promised land. So that's the exit. And once we realized that up until the time of award the ecstasy, what is the single most important event in history, the Jewish people. Then we can see why when Saint John, the Baptist called the people out into the wilderness to be baptized in the river. Jordan, this was a very significant sign for the Jews. When they fought st. John the Baptist out in the wilderness, they were ritually reacting the Exodus cause they came in there, they came out the wilderness, they baptized in the Jordan and passed over and intrude into the promised land. So there's this ritual reacting of Exodus they're filled with great hope that God wants more free as people this time, not from the pig in Egypt, but from their current pay rulers, the Romans there's one more reason why the Jews who had fought see John, the Baptist of the wilderness, and then originally react to the X just by being baptized in, passing through the Jordan, reentering the promised land. There's one more reason why these Jews were filled with such great hope that God wants more free people from their current pain.
Speaker 1 00:07:34 The first reason here is because of the symbolism of st. John, the Baptist clothing, it's clothing, what does it have to do with anything? Yes. His clothing, Saint Matthew points out that st. John Warren, Harry garments bound with a leather strap will sell so well. The Jews of those days were very, very familiar with the old Testament. So they knew exactly what this calling signifying. See the prophet. Elijah. He's also known as a lot of us used to wear this exact type clothing. And as we know, the angel Gabriel had explicitly told a st. John's father Zachary, that Saint John would be great before the Lord. He shall go before the Lord and the spirit and power of Alliance to repair unto the Lord, a perfect people close, close. So why would the fact that Saint John a badge is dressed like a prophet, Elijah be significant at all because the Jews had been waited for largest return.
Speaker 1 00:08:36 And here's the important point for today? There's a lot that could be said on that. But for today, they knew that when Elijah would return, he had a very specific mission that he would be preparing the way for the Messiah. So in st. John, the Baptist appeared in Harry garments with a leather girdle preaching quote for the kingdom of heaven is at hand close quote that you saw this they're left. Wondering. Now, hold that thought. Now notice what happened with st. John, the Baptist baptized our Lord there at the river chore, as their alert comes out of the water, the gospel tells us quote and lo the heavens were all boredom. They saw the spirit of God to send me as a dove and coming upon him, behold, the voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son whom I will please. That's cool. Well, so what about that?
Speaker 1 00:09:23 Well, as we've said, the Jews of those days were very, very familiar with the old Testament. So they would have realized exactly what this signified see in Hebrew. The word for the anointed one is the Messiah in Greek. The word is crust. The work has often used the old test, but describe the Kings of the house of David who are annoyed with oil when they took office. So the word Messiah is already associated with the Davidic Kings. The Kings were to center from King David and who are anointed oil when they took off. And even more significantly when the prophet Samuel had anointed David as King, the Holy spirit, the scriptures tell us the Holy spirit had come mightily upon him. And that she was knew that, and the Jews those days would also realize that the term Messiah also refer to the future anointed King, who would lead the new Exodus and restore Davidic King.
Speaker 1 00:10:17 So what are they singing when they're seeing the baptism of cheese in the chore? We're seeing our Lord, who is a member of the house of David. He's a direct descendant of King David being baptized and pointed out by st. John the Baptist, a prophet we've been visually symbolizes the prophet, Elijah, the very same Alijah who's expected to prepare the way for the Messiah, the future Noida King, who would lead the new Exodus and restore the defended kingdom. And during this very same baptism, it's art. It's so symbolic in regards to its ritual, reenactment of ecstasy, we see the visible comment of the Holy spirit upon the Lord and the Jews are those days understanding that visible coming of the Holy spirit and our Lord during his baptism would have seen that as a visible anointing, as King st. Peter speaks to this exact point in acts chapter 10, quote, you know, the word which has been published through all Judea for began from Galilee after the baptism, which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy ghost and with power.
Speaker 1 00:11:29 So whenever Lord comes up out of the George, he's just been publicly born witness to by the voice that God, the father, but the visible manifestation of the Holy spirit in the form of a dove by the preaching, symbolic clothing and symbolic, actually the Saint John, the Baptist, he's just been visibly anointed with the Holy ghost in power as the messianic King now, because the expectations of the Jews at that time, that self presented quite a problem. It's easy to understand once we understand what the Jews were actually expecting Messiah to do when he came alpha, either Sean, this is a Jew that converted the 18 hundreds. So he came in Anglican priest and a professor at Oxford summarizes the Jewish expectations of the Messiah. I quote under the leadership of the rabbis. All that Israel hoped for was national restoration glory. The Messiah itself was to be only the grant instrument and attaining them according to the general opinion of the rabbis, the Messiah would appear and destroy the hostile powers of the world.
Speaker 1 00:12:36 Notably the Roman power Jerusalem would have as the residence of the Messiah become the capital of the world. And Israel would take the place of a fourth world monarchy. The Roman empire ransom Israel would now be miraculous to gather from the ends of the earth and brought back to their own land. So the rabbinic picture of the messianic age was of Israel's expectation rather than the salvation of the world. And the pitch presented by the Rabos. There was neither room nor kg for a Messiah savior. There was an absence of any deeper spiritual elements. There have been an ideal of the Messiah was not that of a light to light the Gentiles and the glory of his people, Israel, but quite the contrary. And these rebidding and misinterpretations and errors resulted in a fundamental antagonism between the rabbis and Christ close pools, Alfred Irish. So in short, the rabbis were looking for an earthly Messiah to drive off the Romans freedom from the pagan nations, bring those same nations into subjection, establish a Jewish King of a ruling of whole earth from truth.
Speaker 1 00:13:54 That's the kind of Messiah the rabbis were looking for. And they still and keep in mind that the political situation, Oh, was it very interesting when our Lord showed up on the scene, the Jewish people had written rule for some nine years, but pagan world power, the Romans, they have a local pagan government, the procreator ponchos pilot. They do not have a Davidic King. In fact, their key is not only not descended from David. He's an enemy. In other words, he's not even Jewish. That's heard of her. So the rabbis are expecting an earthly Messiah to drive off the roads, free them from the pagan nations, bring all of those same nations into subjection under them that Messiah's supposed to establish this Jewish kingdom and rule the whole world from Jerusalem. That's the third SPECT, but instead of confronting the Romans, instead of confronting it, pagan oppressors, instead of confronting the contemporary version of Pharaoh's army that the ribeyes had in their mind, no sooner has our Lord been baptized and thereby identified as the Messiah as anointed one, no sooner has this happened. Then our Lord had sell into the desert to confront the devil, not the Romans, not here non-Jewish King, but the Dell.
Speaker 1 00:15:23 Why is our board immediately go to confront the devil? Now this is important. This is really important. Why does that word start? His public ministry confronting the devil by stunning his public ministry in a duel with a devil. Our Lord shows us exactly what type of messianic King he will be. In other words, our Lord came not to fight the Romans, not to drive him, not to establish a Jewish kingdom, not to be an earthly King ruling the whole world from Jerusalem, but to attack the very root of the problem for which the Jews are suffering and everyone else, as well as Santa Gustin pointed out, we have as many masters as we have Feis.
Speaker 1 00:16:14 We have as many masters as we have license advice is a sinful Hab. We have as many masters as we have vices. When we're talking about same, we're talking about bondage. In other words, if sin were conquered, if cinema trampled, underfoot Israel in all mankind would indeed be truly free. The bondage of the Jewish people was, and unfortunately still is much worse than iron chains. Dungeons are Roman military occupation. It's slavery to sin to liberation or Lord came to give the Jewish people. And indeed all mankind is liberation from sin. That's why it's the first battle is against sin. The sins of Israel, and indeed the sins of all mankind and the devil, the ruler of the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of sin. So duty does come to lead a new Exodus, but not into an earthly land. No, our Lord comes to break his people free, but not from Cesar hair.
Speaker 1 00:17:21 He comes to break his people free from bondage. The devil. He came to lead his followers out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light, out of bondage to sin and into the promised land of heaven. So now with all that background, let's turn and look specifically at the battle with the devil and desert, in order to appreciate what our Lord is doing. We need to take a close look at three of the major trials that were separate by the people of God during the Exodus. Now we all know the story. The people of Israel are slave down in Egypt. God sends Moses to Pharaoh with a message. And now Moses, she'll say to Pharaoh, thus sayeth the Lord. Israel is my son. My first born I've said to the, let my son go. And after striking Egypt with the plagues, most leads them on parts.
Speaker 1 00:18:12 The waters of the red sea, the people of Israel free. Then Israel begins wandering through the desert toward the promised land. A trip would took 40 years a trip, which Israel was tested and try to appreciate what our Lord does. We're going to now look at three of those major trials. During those 40 years, the first trial we can read about this in Exodus chapter 16. At this point after Washington, Lord's dry land of Egypt with 10 plagues after safely passing through the red sea with the waters piled up on either side. And just imagine what that must look like as you walk them through an OSHA with the waters piled up on either side of him after fleeing along this dry path and the bottom of the ocean with his great army in hot pursuit, being held back by this great pillar of fire and smoke that was keeping Pharaoh from catching him after seeing their mortal enemy Pharaoh and his army completely destroyed. They're now safe in the desert. It's peace and quiet. So now they've seen all these miracles. There'd be led by a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of smoke during the day. Now they're fine. Be free to worship the one, true God and peace and freedom. So now they're full of joy and complete trust in God and will in his Providence, right?
Speaker 2 00:19:29 Hmm. Okay. I read from the word of God and all the congregation,
Speaker 1 00:19:34 Children of Israel, murmured against Moses and Aaron, the wilderness and the children. Israel said what to God. We had died by the hand, the Lord and land of Egypt. When we sat up in flesh pots made bread to the full, why have you brought us to this desert that you might destroy all the multitude with famine clothes, clothes, extra 16 step, no trust in God at all. And yet, as we all know, God sent the man the bread from heaven to feed them second trial. We can read about this in Exodus, chapter 17, here we go again. So the people of God now move to another camp. That's really important to keep in mind. They didn't just wander around and sort of randomly picked a place to bed done. They were led there by the pillar of smoke and specifically by the commandment of God, himself, as we read it X to 17, verse one, all the congregation sins is removed on according to the commandment of the Lord and camped at reffing, but there was no water for the people that drink.
Speaker 1 00:20:39 Okay? So God visibly in this pillar of fire and smoke has led them to this new campsite and spite of all, they've see. And even though they're not being fed by this man heavenly bread that falls down called man, they commenced to throw another fit. X's 17 versus two and fall. Therefore the people found fault with Moses and said, give us water to drink it most citizen. Why do you find fault with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test? But the people thirsted there for water murmured against Moses said, why don't you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us? Modern art, cattle thirst, close. Cool. So God has Fonz by having Moses, give them water from a rock and quote. He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah mass means temptation you're testing and Marilyn needs contention. He called the place name, place, mass mare because the fall finding the sons of Israel.
Speaker 1 00:21:34 And because they put the Lord to the test saying, is the Lord numbness or not? That's his scriptures now keep in mind. Well, the throne is fit and asking is the Lord among us or not? They're doing, and the presence of this giant pillar of smoke, the visible sign of God's protection guidance. It's standing right there while they're saying, all they have to do is turn their head. It's right there. Obviously God had led them in there and obviously he hasn't left them the visible presence right there. Obviously he's been feeding them with manna from heaven. It's not like God is going to let them all thirst to death. By this time, they should have learned to humbly trust God to take care of their needs. But instead of arrogantly, put God at a test by demand. They got proof. He was among them, but giving them water then in their third truck, we can read about this in Exodus, chapter 32, it's the story of the golden calf.
Speaker 1 00:22:34 We all know that story. Moses goes up on the mountain for 40 days. The people say to error, there's all this small thunder fire, lightning, rumblings. They can hear angels, blaring trumpets and all that stuff. It's all going on right there. And they say, Aaron, her make us gods that they may go before us. And they're built a pagan idol, the golden calf to statue of April. That's actually gypsum bull God of fertility and strength. And then he promptly commit a sin of idolatry by worshiping the Lord. God, you've just stated from the satanic kingdom of Egypt and all the horrific demonic activity in idol worship with Egypt. And so what do they do? They get together. They build a statue of a deed and worship it all the party of the red sea, the pillar of foreign, small, the manna from heaven, water from the rocket, et cetera, et cetera. And they go ahead and they build a statue of an Egyptian demon and they worship it.
Speaker 1 00:23:35 Okay. So we've taken a quick look at three of the great trials of the accidents. The first trial was that Israel jotting that God would provide food from them and desert. The second trial was that Israel putting the Lord, got to the test at massive. I ask him, is the Lord among us or not with a pillar of smoke standing right there at the camp. And these little pipsqueaks have the arrogance to demand that almighty God prove that he's among them, but giving them water right here right now. And third trial is it is the testify of tree. When Israel worships the golden calf. Now let's take all that and apply it to the gospel today throughout Jewish history, the key is regarded as an embodiment of a whole nation. What happened to the key could be said of happened to the people as a whole.
Speaker 1 00:24:24 The King is faithful to the covenant. The entire nation receives the blessing of God. When sin is on the throng, then the whole nation suffered. The King represented the people. That's still true by the way, that's still true. So is the anointed one. Jesus would have been viewed by as Jewish as their representative and as their representative, our Lord spends 40 days in the desert symbolically reliving the 40 years of the exited. Yes, during this time in the wilderness experiences, the same three trials is Israel during the Exodus, but with one huge difference, Israel failed or Lord trines. And in the process, it was a great foreshadowing of his ultimate triumph on the cross. He conquers sin and defeats the devil. Let's walk through temptation Saint Matthew. And when you'd fast at 40 days and 40 nights afterwards, he was hungry. The tempter coming to set to him.
Speaker 1 00:25:24 If the I'll be the son of God command, these stones, we made bread who answered and said is written out in bread alone. Does man live. But in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God close quote in our Lord's first temptation, she faces hunger in the desert, but unlike Israel, he does not waiver and a response towards temptation she quotes or the devil's temptation. He quoted a scripture. Now, when you're reading the Bible every time our Lord quotes old Testament, one really good habit to get into is to go back and read it. Is that part of scripture or just quoted from cause it's important. So we'll do that. Our Lord quote is quoting from Deuteronomy chapter grade, where Moses is warning people, not to forget God Deuteronomy chapter eight, verses two and three. And you show a member all the way, which the Lord that God has led you these 40 years in the wilderness, that he might be humble.
Speaker 1 00:26:20 You test me to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers, that he might make. You know that and does not live by bread alone. But that mammon is like everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the lower close call. So Lord is scripture, which, which treats directly specifically about the first trial of Israel in the desert. What Israel had failed that our Lord does perfectly second temptation Saint Matthew. Then the devil took him up into the Holy city and set him upon pinnacle of the temple and said to him, if the I'll be the son of God, cast thyself down for his written that he has given his angels charge over thee and in their hands, Shelly bear the us, perhaps the dash that foot against a stone, Jesus said to him is written again.
Speaker 1 00:27:19 Thou shall not tempt the Lord, thy God cool. It's cool. In this case, that was trying to get our Lord to put God to the test to prove he means what he says. Notice the devil actually quote scripture. And in this case, our Lord responds by quoting part of Deuteronomy six 16. Moses has just told the people they should love the Lord, the God father hearts with other souls and with all their mind. And then in verse 16, Moses says, you shall not tempt the Lord. That God, as you tested him, ed. So close the call. So our Lord quoted scripture, which refers directly to the second grade failure because you're in the desert. When Israel put the Lord to the test at massive by demanding, a lot of pillar of smoke is right there. Demand out might've got approved. He's among men by giving them water right then and there some, the second temptation, a lot of quotes that scripture and simply brushes temptation away again.
Speaker 1 00:28:17 What Israel failed out. Our Lord does perfectly third temptation Saint Matthew. Again, the devil took him up in a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory and said to him, all of these will I give you if falling down, I will adore me. Then Jesus said to him, be gone state. And for it is written the Lord, thy, God they'll shut the door. And him only shalt out, sir. Then the devil left and behold angels came and ministered to him close. Cool. The Haydock commentary notes that at this point, Christ is not quote the precise words in scripture, but rather the substance of several verses Deuteronomy five, seven and nine, six, 13, and 10 20. Cool dosh will not have strange gods in Tasha, not a door shut, not serving thought shall funeral God. And she'll serve him only in close quotes.
Speaker 1 00:29:09 So the third grade feeling of Israeli desert was building, worshiping the golden calf by dollar tree. And then this third time in case number, brushes that away again, the devil wants him to fall down. He commit idolatry by worshiping him again. What Israel and failed at our Lord does perfectly. So our Lord's victory over the devil sets the tone for the rest of his public ministry. For those three years, he'll travel throughout the Holy land of free men from sin and the effects of sin, but here's bye casting out devils by forgiving sins. As we breed first, John three eight for this purpose, the son got up here that he might destroy the works of the devil that's scripture. For this purpose, the son of God appeared that he might destroy the works of the devil. Our Lord came to break his people free, not from seeds or hair, but from bondage to the devil.
Speaker 1 00:30:11 He came to lead his followers out of the, of darkness and into the kingdom of light, out to bondage, to sin and into the promised land of heaven. He's our savior. He came to save us from the devil and sin. He came to save us from an eternity in hell for this purpose, the son of up here, that he might destroy the works of the devil. He's our savior. He's our savior. Let's close during this call your plan. Let us carefully examine our hearts to make sure we're not imitating the people of Israel. Make sure that we haven't for God, all the marvelous things God has done for us and continues to do for us, especially by remaining really present here with us. That's so amazing. We're sinners. And yet he stays here for us. Let's make sure we place all our trust in him. Make sure that we haven't put him to the test. Make sure that we're not worshiping false gods pleasure, power, possessions, sex, make a special show. We aren't where she knows common idle, the most common false God of our time, which is ourselves during this Holy land. Let's rather strive to imitate our Lord with fast, with prayers, by resisting temptations and to show our thankfulness to the father for sameness to destroy the devil.
