Cross Road

Baptist Church

© 2017

Sermon Text

What Right is Right

 1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 2. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

 3. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

 4. But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the Mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:1-4

Jesus Came to Define Right

Everyone has an idea of what is right. Some would argue that their right is more relevant than the right of others. Right is much more than a matter of opinion. Right must be proven. Right must be placed in the crucible of life and tested. When it stands the test; when it endures the struggle; and when it does not falter nor fail under the load, then it can be said: this is right. Right is not an idea. Right is not an assumption. Right is a truth that endures. Right can only be right when God says it is right.

What are the truths that endure that we know about God? We know that God is holy and He is the essence of what is right. God commands us to be holy for He is holy. Leviticus 10:10. We know that God is merciful. Lamentations 3:22, It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. We also know that God is righteous, that is He never falters from His Law because He is perfect. Abraham understood that in his question in Genesis 18:25. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is right? Thus we conclude that God is right in all His ways. There are no flaws to His character, no errors in His judgment, and no faults in His actions. God is right.

It is one thing to say that God is right and quite another to say that any us really understand the meaning of right. Suffice it to say that there is a disparity between God, who is perfectly right, and our understanding of right. Most of us would admit that we know when we are wrong. We can even see the consequences lived out each and every day. Our problem is that we don’t know what is right. If we don’t know what is right – it is understandable that we cannot do what is right. That is unless God shows us what is right. He has shown you O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly (right), and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8. Even with the Prophets calling people to repent, people still claimed that they didn’t know what was right. They argued that they had never seen a righteous man. They argued that all had failed. They even said there was not a righteous man in the entire world. That statement was true until Jesus was born. He was born righteous. As we shall see, His claim to be righteous would be tested in the wilderness.

We should give God praise for this; not only is Jesus the Son of God, but He is also the Sun of Righteousness. If you have ever wondered why Jesus was tempted immediately after His baptism, it had everything to do with His claim to be Immanuel, God with us. He was both the Son of God and the Righteousness of God. Malachi 4:2 gives the prophecy of the Lord’s Branch. But unto you that fear My Name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go forth, and grow as calves of the stall. Notice the title, Sun of Righteousness. God’s Son would come with the brilliance of the sunrise and usher in righteousness that the world had not seen. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. Praise God for His Righteousness! Now, in Christ, the world has both an Example of righteousness as well as the One who makes things right with God. What’s right is right.

Jesus would grow up and perform righteousness as the perfect Child. He was subject to His earthly parents in every way. He did not use His authority to circumvent His duties in the home. Jesus would also grow in the Grace of God and would grow in favor with men that knew Him. He was humble in all His ways, truthful in all His dealings and perfect to fulfill the Will of the Heavenly Father. All this was before His baptism. His baptism would usher in a Ministry the world had not known. He, Jesus, would usher in Redemption for all mankind; but Jesus had to be right. One thing Jesus never did: He never manipulated the Power of God for His own benefit. He was always right and always true to His Father. If you want to see right – just look at Jesus. If you want to see One who never failed – just look at Jesus. If you need to see the One that always walks right, talks right, and lives right – just look at Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

The question is how did He prove He was righteous. It was during His time of temptation in the wilderness. Please don’t miss this. This is a significant moment in the ministry of Christ. First, if He was not stronger than His own needs, He would be a weak Savior like one of us. Second, if He could not defeat Satan, He would always be vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. Third, if He was not strong enough to please His Father, He would not be able to present us to the Father. There was indeed a lot on the line when Jesus was led by the Spirit. Jesus did not shrink from this test – this was His purpose to fulfill all righteousness.

Jesus Passed the Test

The Bible states that Jesus was tempted at all points like as we are but without sin. Please don’t misinterpret that as Jesus faced the same struggles we face. Please understand that access to the Kingdom of God was on the line. If Jesus was defeated at this point – His Ministry would not have been successful. Jesus had to demonstrate righteousness in dealing with human needs. You don’t do anything just for a piece of bread. Jesus had to demonstrate righteousness when facing Satan’s temptation. You don’t take your cues from the devil, no matter how logical it may sound. The faith life is lived righteously by trusting God. Jesus had to demonstrate that He would serve His Father and Him only. The Good News is that Jesus passed the test. There was no retake or second chances. It was done.

There are a couple of points that must be considered in Jesus’ success over the temptations of the devil. The first point actually began while our Lord was preparing for baptism by John. When Jesus arrived at the Jordan and asked to be baptized by John, the Baptizer forbad Him. John didn’t just disagree – John was totally against it. As the agent, John was not willing (opposed, hindered) Jesus from being baptized. Jesus had to teach the Baptizer that the only way to fulfill all righteousness was to conduct the baptism. Here is the key point: don’t confuse right with the way you feel or think.  Proverbs 16:25 warns us, there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Is there a way to follow what is right and not our own way? There is. It is called being led by the Spirit. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness. We don’t enjoy the struggles in life, but God often takes us through struggles to show us His grace and mercy at work in our lives. So we should not confuse right with our own way. Nor should we feel that we have gotten out of the will of God because we are going through the wilderness. The wilderness could be the place where God wants us. We certainly cannot go through our life going on feelings and assumptions. God brings us to right. If we are right based on truth, God is honored.

There is also a second point that will help those with religious biases. John was reluctant to baptize Jesus because of his personal beliefs. The warning for us is that we should never allow religious opinion dictate what is right. Faith in Jesus Christ is not a religious practice. Faith in Jesus Christ is trusting Him for everything. John the Baptist was the son of a priest named Zacharias. As the son of a priest, John would have been exposed to many of the Jewish customs or beliefs. It was the assumption that God does not need anything. Add to that, we need God and you can see why John wanted Jesus to baptize him. While John forbad Jesus, he also wanted Jesus to take him to the water. We too get things twisted because we feel that God does not need us. Needing us is not the point. Using us is the issue. You will never learn what is right unless you participate in the work of God. Religion is like being in the audience and applauding God. Acts of righteousness is being on stage and joining God in His work. Suffer it to be so now – for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Matthew 3:15. When John removed his own religious feelings and obeyed God, then he saw the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus Christ. Then John heard God speaking from Heaven, this is My beloved Son, in whom I Am well pleased. John saw and heard God because he was participating with God.

As Jesus was led into the wilderness, the Scripture says that Satan came to Jesus after he had fasted forty days and forty nights. The fast was over but the fight was not over. Satan didn’t play by the rules. At our Lord’s weakest moment, based on physical strength, Satan attacked. He was shouting to Jesus turn these stones into bread if you are the Son of God. Jesus did not respond with His feelings or with religious words, Jesus spoke truth.  “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the Mouth of God.’” What Satan did not know is that Jesus was meditating on the Word of God for those forty days and forty nights. No doubt our Lord had meditated on the passage in Job, …His ways I have kept, and not declined … neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips, I have esteemed the Words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:11-12. Bread is good but it is not everything. Bread is good but it is not God’s Word. Jesus knew that bread would not keep Him; it was only God’s Word. The warning is to never allow the devil to confuse us over what is right. Remember Eve? She got confused and compromised God’s Word. Yes, that was also over food. What’s right is right.

The final point we learn is that we must allow God’s Word to show us what is right. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the Mouth of God.’” This was a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3, and it referred to God feeding the children of Israel while they were in the wilderness. God gave them “manna” or “hidden bread” based on His Word. God will keep us in troubled times if we rely on His Word. This passage does not suggest that we don’t need bread, it is demanding that we seek the bread from God. When we seek the bread, we should never grumble and complain, but come to God in faith. This will set us on a course of seeking God for everything and praising God in everything. That is right.