Living Proof
9. And he (the devil) brought Him (Jesus) to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the Temple, and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here.”
10. “For it is written, ‘He will give His Angels charge over You, to keep You:”
11. “And in their hands they will bear you up, lest at any time You dash Your foot against a stone.”
12. And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, you shall not tempt the Lord Your God.”
13. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from Him for a season.
14. And Jesus returned in the Power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the regions round about.
Luke 4:9-14
Proving A Point
Why do some try to prove points when the ones demanding a point don’t really matter? Why do Christians fall victim to the need to prove to the world they have faith when all that is needed is to live for Christ? While our temptations will not be as intense as the ones Jesus faced, believers will be tempted to “put God to the test.” Be on your guard because the proof of your faith is in the Truth.
The previous temptations of the devil did not work against Jesus. The “bread maker” temptation had failed because Jesus had His Father’s Word to live on and that was sufficient for every need. Jesus also defeated the devil regarding the temptation to seize power over the world by bowing down and worshipping him. Jesus replied to the devil with the powerful Word, “you shall worship the Lord God and Him only shall you serve.” Our Lord was completely committed to carrying out the Will of the Father. There were no shortcuts and no easy methods. While in His weakened physical state, Jesus demonstrated for all His followers how to remain deeply committed to the Father and devoted to the mission of the Holy Spirit. That is all the proof you and I will need to fulfill our purpose. Love God, serve others, and share Christ.
Make no mistake about it, these were severe tests, yet with each temptation Jesus was becoming stronger in the Spirit. In Luke’s account, the final test was for Jesus to take the ‘leap of faith.’ Having twisted the passage of Psalm 91:11, the devil attempted to urge Jesus to jump from the pinnacle of the Temple. And he (the devil) brought Him (Jesus) to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the Temple, and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here” … “For it is written, ‘He will give His Angels charge over You, to keep You” … “And in their hands they will bear you up, lest at any time You dash Your foot against a stone.” If you have noticed, there has been a common theme through each of these trials. Satan had attempted to persuade Jesus to listen to him rather than to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Please remember, it was the Holy Spirit Who led Jesus into the wilderness to be attacked of the devil. What Satan had not counted on was the fact that the Holy Spirit was speaking internally, while he was provoking Jesus externally. Here is the first lesson. Never let the voice of external circumstances speak louder than the Voice of Internal Truth. Jesus listened to the Voice of the Holy Spirit and responded to Satan with these words “It is said, you shall not tempt the Lord Your God.” This not only gave Him victory over the tempter, but it also stated an eternal Truth: Don’t tempt God.
Living Proof is Not the Result of Risky Living
I have heard the phrase used many times by well-intentioned people, “The Lord will take care of me.” Sadly, this phrase has been quoted by those who are placing themselves at risk when the risk is not warranted. Yes, the Lord is gracious and will protect His people. That is certainly true. The question that we should ask ourselves is not whether we can do something risky and ask the Lord for protection, but whether committing such an act is God’s Will. In other words, was jumping off the pinnacle of the Temple something that God wanted or was it based on impulse. Jesus saw right through Satan’s scheme and refused to give in. This is the second lesson, don’t take risks that serve no real purpose.
While our temptation may not be “leaping off the Temple” there are some situations that fall under the category of tempting God. People may claim Philippians 4:19 to justify them not working a job. They may quote it in all sincerity, but my God shall supply all your need according to His Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus. Is the verse true? Of course it is, the problem comes with the application. The same Paul who wrote this verse also wrote in another place, If any do not work – neither shall he eat. 2 Thess. 3:10
What am I saying? First, don’t tempt God with things that are unnecessary if He has already given you the means. Second, don’t listen to the voice of desire and ignore the Holy Spirit speaking in your heart. Third, don’t waste time trying to accomplish something that has no eternal value. If Jesus had leaped from the Temple, it would have had no eternal value. Rather than argue a long point with the devil and waste time, Jesus simply replied, “It is said, you shall not tempt the Lord Your God.”
Why do believers engage in risky living? There are three strong influences that will push people into risk taking. The first is to draw attention to themselves. I call that the public spectacle and wanting to look good in society. Sometimes believers are lured into popularity contests to show that they are just as good or even better than others at certain things. This is the third lesson: don’t measure yourself against others, but rather measure the work that is done for God. This brings me to one topic that Jesus shared about people who give. Jesus rebuked those who gave with the motive of gaining recognition of others. For instance, the Pharisees would tithe even their garden vegetables and yet they had left off giving mercy and kindness to others. Make no mistake about it, tithing is God’s financial plan for believers but it is never to be done as a public show. The Truth of giving is that you love God and love His work.
Why do believers engage in risky living? Another reason is that some are people pleasers who are trying to gain acceptance. If there is one thing I have learned in over forty years of ministry it is this. If you do the right thing – you will get into trouble but God will get you out of trouble. Another lesson I have learned is that you cannot please everybody but you can do the right thing for the right reason of honoring God. The way to avoid being a people pleaser is to simply ask God for His directions.
Why do believers engage in risky living? The other reason for risky living is when people seek to push the limits and see how far Mercy will go. They take Psalm 23:6 as a license to do whatever they want and then ask God to forgive them. I know that mercy and goodness will follow us all the days of our lives, that much is true. When it comes to God’s Mercy, I should never be a Reckless Risk Taker. The goal of believing in Christ is to see how much I can grow in Christ not to see how far I can go pleasing myself. I don’t know about you, but I was glad when God delivered me from sin. It cost me time and money and gave me nothing in return. Reckless risk takers are still in bondage to sin and have not truly repented. Thank God that Jesus came to free us from Satan and to also free us from sin.
Living Truth is Living Proof
The question of proving the believer’s identity is a legitimate one. Obviously, we cannot follow the devil’s guidance in this matter, but we can prove our identity by looking to Jesus. He did not prove His identity to please the crowd. Later in His ministry, Jesus knew that people were watching Him and they wanted proof for His miracles and signs. He had resisted Satan’s temptation and He was certainly not going to jump through hoops to prove Who He was to the religious leaders and skeptics.
Jesus proved Who He was by living by the Power of God. Our Lord said, “the works I do reveal Who I Am, but you have not believed.” Jesus identity was not based on public performance nor by pleasing people. Everyone of the miracles had God signature. Every blind eye that was opened was for the Glory of God. The proof was in the Power of God operating in Jesus’ life. Walking in the Power of the Holy Spirit was the Living Proof. Jesus returned in the Power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the regions round about. Not only did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness, but the Spirit also led Him into Galilee where people would witness the miracles of God. Notice how Jesus was so powerful that the fame went out over all that region. The crowds were saying, “that’s Him!”
Jesus proved His identity when He died on the Cross and fulfilled the Scriptures as the suffering Messiah. Isaiah said, you will know Him because He was bruised for our transgressions. Our Lord Himself foretold of His own death, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” John 3:14. While others were mocking, it was a Roman soldier who identified Jesus and said, “truly this Man was the Son of God.” Jesus not only lived the Truth but also died the Truth.
What they did not know is that Proof of Jesus identity was not just in His living and dying but also in His Resurrection. In Heaven and on earth, they would declare, “that is Him.” Sunday morning came and just before sunrise, the grave got sick and could hold Jesus no longer. The third day had come and the grave had to acknowledge, “that’s Him.” O grave where is your victory, O death where is your sting? Jesus rose with all power. Mary cried “Master.” The Disciples said, “that’s Him.” When He ascended back into Heaven, The Angels said, “That’s Him.” The question is, do you know Him? He lived, He died, He Arose, and is alive forever more. Do you know Him. Can you say, “that’s Him?”
Many, many centuries later, I was living without proof. Doing my own thing as if Jesus was not real. Then on one Thursday evening at Osan Air Base in South Korea, I met Him. Jesus did not jump off the building, but He did come into my heart. Now I have proof that He lives. You ask me how I know He lives – He lives in my heart.