Our Strong and Stable Identity in Christ
As we consider today the temptation of Jesus by the devil in the wilderness, and especially as we consider how the devil uses two of the temptations beginning with, “If you are the Son of God…” I’d like to ask you this question:
How spiritually stable are you? How spiritually strong do you feel?
Our Lord calls us to a spiritual strength and stability.
Especially not to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. To be rooted deep enough in Christ and His Word that troubles of this life don’t scorch the seed of His Word in our hearts. We’ll consider on Wednesday the picture of the house that is built upon the rock of Christ and His Word, so that it does not collapse when the wind and waves come.
So how strong have been this week? How stable do you think you will be next week?
As we consider the devils temptation of Jesus, it absolutely astounding to see that Christ does not find strength within Himself.
As the devil tries to knock Him off balance, Jesus does not find stability in Himself.
And He could. He is more powerful than the devil. He is wiser than the devil. He is the One through whom all things were made and without Him nothing was made, and the devil is a mere fallen rebel of creation.
But Jesus doesn’t find strength with Himself. Jesus finds strength in God and His Word.
Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.
His identity is found in His Father – that He does not put to the test, for God alone are you to worship and Him alone shall you serve.
As the devil begins two the temptations If you are the Son of God, the devil is trying to root out Christ’s identity in His Father.
The devil is trying is get Jesus to either doubt His identity as the only begotten Son of God,
“You must not be God’s Son because you’re hungry.”
or to assert His own identity as God apart from His Father.
“You are God, so you can turn these stones into loaves of bread, so do it, and you won’t be hungry anymore.”
The temptation either to doubt His identity as the Son of God or assert His own power for His own sake alone will come back at the cross,
If you are the Son of God, then save yourself, and come down from the cross.
But Jesus won’t. His identity is found too deep within His Father that He will not let temptation
or suffering
or pain
or self-glory
or self-honor
or self-fame
or hatred
or persecution
or betrayal
or mocking
or even death,
or anything else in all creation,
to knock Him to and fro, or be rooted out, or not be built upon the rock of that identity.
If you are the Son of God…
Case closed. He is. The Father said in Christ’s baptism, what He has always said before the foundation of the world, This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.
Jesus believes His Father is true and doesn’t lie, so the devil loses there and then with that question of “if…”
So that’s Christ’s stability and identity. It is a beautiful thing to see.
And it allows us to measure ourselves against Him.
How balanced are you? How strong are you?
What knocks you off balance, waving to and fro?
What makes you not feel so strong or stable in the identity of being God’s child or desire to asset yourself and your own desires and powers?
Our Old Testament reading reminded us how quickly Adam and Eve forgot their identity in God to seek an identity found in themselves.
“You will be like God if you eat of this tree…”
“I want that….” Adam and Eve said.
And when they eat and they become all too aware of themselves and their nakedness.
When at one time they were rooted in God and His love for them, and their love for Him, they now start to speak and think in terms of “I.”
I am naked. I have to cover myself.
I heard God coming. I am afraid. I have to hide.
“I only ate because of the woman you gave to me, God. She gave me some.”
“I only ate because the serpent deceived me.”
And this becomes our natural, sinful way of seeing the world now.
Through the identity of an “I.”
I want to be honored.
I want people to like me.
I want people to take notice of me.
I am strong.
I am weak.
I am sick.
I am healthy.
I am sad.
I am happy.
I am mad.
I am scared.
I don’t have enough.
I am not enough.
I am fine just by myself.
I don’t want to do that or say or think that.
We live in a culture that capitalizes and underlines and bolds the I in identity.
As if we get to define ourselves.
As if we get to tell God and the world and ourselves who we are.
And as long as are tempted to do that, we will be very unstable, tossed to and fro by every change of doctrine and teaching that our sinful flesh and the world around us preaches to us.
We will not be strong. We will be weak and we will listen to the devil –
because I want bread if I am hungry,
and I want fame and glory,
and I want God to protect me no matter what, so that I can think, say, and do what I want to do.
There is only one identity that will keep you stable and strong and that is the identity for the sake of Christ’s death and resurrection:
“I am baptized.”
“I am a child of God.”
“I am in Christ.”
**Picture** **Let us fix our eyes on Jesus**
Jesus speaks the Father’s Word back to the devil.
He finds His identity in the Father and His Word.
And it will be the identity that will carry Christ firm and stable and strong all the way to the cross so that you can have the same identity as a child of God.
There is power in that blood.
There is identity in that blood.
Would you be free from the burden of sin, there is power in the blood.
Would you be free from passions and pride, there is power in the blood.
Would you do service for Jesus, your King, there is power in the blood.
You do not have to give voice to the passions when you feel like saying,
I am angry,
I am fearful,
I am jealous,
I am in despair,
I am sick,
I am dying,
because that doesn’t define you.
You are in Christ. No if’s about it.
God defines you.
And the blood of Jesus gives you confidence to know that God’s identity of you is in love, not in anger,
in mercy, not it judgment,
in forgiveness, not in condemnation.
Jesus did not come down from the cross to save Himself. He saved you
You do not have to seek the fickle honor of the world,
or wonder if anyone will remember you,
or doubt if anyone takes notice of you,
because you are honored by being a child of God, are remembered by Jesus in Paradise, and the Father takes notice of you now and always.
To God be all the glory – for that we say that is our stability and is our strength. Amen.