Say No! Say Yes!
1. Jesus, the Son of God, Said No, Said Yes
When Jesus was baptized, God declared that Jesus is His Son, “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” After his baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This was all part of God’s plan and purpose to prepare Jesus for his ministry and mission. God’s purpose was to test his Son to prove Jesus’ faithfulness and obedience. To prove that He is the Lamb worthy to be slain in order to save the world.
The issue was not whether Jesus is the Son of God. Satan knew very well that Jesus is the Son of God. The issue was what kind of son will Jesus be? Will he be a self-serving or an obedient son? Will he be faithful to the work the Father has sent him to do? Will he doubt God’s care, provision, and protection, and instead of trusting God, take matters into his own hands?
Satan’s goal was to tempt Jesus to use his sonship and divine power for his own interests and needs. “If you are the Son of God …” which means, “Since you are the Son of God …” use your power to take care of yourself. Why should you suffer? Satan was trying to create doubt, to undermine Jesus’ confidence and trust in God the Father. The devil tried to dissuade Jesus from the path of self-denial, humility, and powerlessness that led to the cross. “If, since, you are the Son of God, why should you suffer like that?” What a victory it would have been for Satan if he could have prevented Jesus from fulfilling his mission?
But fortunately for us and the world, Jesus said no to all this, and he said yes to the Father. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, Jesus was tempted to doubt the Father’s Word, and disobey the Father’s will. Like Israel in the wilderness Jesus was tested with the same trials — not trusting God’s care; testing God; worshipping idols and not God alone. Unlike the disobedient first Adam, the new obedient Adam, the Son of Man, said no to his self-interests and yes to Father. Unlike Israel, the unfaithful son of God, Jesus the faithful Son of God, said no to the easy path, and said yes to the cross.
And so Jesus was perfectly obedient to the will of the Father. By obeying and trusting the Father, by remaining faithful to the Father’s mission, Jesus proved to be perfect as the Father is perfect, to be holy as the Father is holy. And therefore, He is qualified and worthy to be the Lamb that was slain and sacrificed to save us and to make us holy and righteous as children of God. And now, as children of God, we are called to say no to the temptations and ways of this world, and to say yes to God and his kingdom. We are called to say yes to Jesus, to take up our crosses, and follow him.
2. Say No to Self and Yes to Self-denial
We are called to say no to self and yes to self-denial. In the first test Jesus is tempted to put physical comfort and self-gratification first, before his calling and his commitment to God. Since you are the Son of God, why should you suffer? Be a miracle worker, turn these stones into bread, and satisfy your own needs. Jesus said no to self, and yes to self-sacrifice.
When we take up our crosses to follow Jesus, we are crucified with Christ. We die to ourselves. We no longer live for ourselves. We now live to serve God, his kingdom, and others. Love God with your whole being and love others as you love yourself. True self-fulfillment, true self-satisfaction, true contentment, and joy can only be found when we die to self, are born again, and now life out our new identity in Christ as children of God. In pouring ourselves out for God and others, we find our true selves, and we live the new eternal life for God’s glory, not our glory. What are you clinging to? What comfort or activity feels too much to sacrifice? What are you afraid to give up, and is, therefore, keeping you from following Jesus wholeheartedly? What are you putting before Jesus Christ?
3. Say No to Acclaim and Yes to Humility
We are called to say no to acclaim, fame, glory, and pride, and yes to humility, yes to the risk of being scorned and rejected by the world.
Since Jesus is the Son of God, God will surely fulfill his promise to protect him, or not? The devil wanted Jesus to test God. Jesus had a choice. Instead of believing God’s promises, he could test God by forcing God to act and prove his love. Or, Jesus could trust and obey God, and so stay on the path of suffering, scorn, rejection, and death. Force God to save him now, or, trust that God will resurrect him and glorify him after the cross.
But there is more. Since you are the Son of God, why should you remain hidden in obscurity? Do this and reveal yourself. Get public acclaim. Win fame, make your name. Can you imagine what would have happened if Jesus did this? The angels would have come and carried Jesus safely down. Many people would have seen it. If there was television those days, it would have been on prime time on every station. Jesus would have had instant acclaim, fame, and glory.
But Jesus said no to all this, no to doubt and glory, and yes to believing and trusting the Father, yes to humility and becoming a slave. Jesus knew that a far greater, incomparable glory awaits him than anything this world can offer.
We test God when we try to force God to act, to prove himself and his love. When we try to control God for our purposes. The sin in this is that we try to be lord over God himself, we try to be like God.
We must take up our crosses and say no to doubt, doubting that I am a child of God, doubting that God loves me and has forgiven me. We must say yes to faith and believe and trust God. We must say no to making a name for ourselves and pursuing our own dreams. Say yes to pursuing the dreams God has given us, dreams that serve his kingdom purposes, yes to making God’s Name known and glorifying his Name in all we do. PERSONAL ILLUSTRATION
4. Say No to Power and Yes to Suffering
We are called to say no to power, earthly treasures, and worldly empires, and yes to suffering, heavenly treasures, and God’s kingdom. No to our many idols, and yes to worshipping and serving God only.
In the third temptation, the devil tried to seduce Jesus with power. He tempted Jesus to grasp the power, which is his as the Son of God, but to do so without going to the cross. Jesus had a choice. Option 1 — Get instant power over the world’s kingdoms by violating the first commandment, by worshipping someone other than God. Obtain the crown without enduring the cross. Option 2 — Accept powerlessness, become a slave, remain on the path of suffering, take up and endure the cross, and obtain all the power and authority in heaven and earth. Thank God Jesus said no to power and exalting himself, and that he said yes to suffering. Because now He is the Lord of the universe, the Lord of all, the King of kings.
When we take up our crosses to follow Jesus, we say no to power and influence, no to greed, no to acquiring and protecting wealth at all costs for ourselves. We say yes to God’s kingdom. We say no to all and any idols in our lives. What is controlling your life? That’s your idol. Say no to it, and say yes to Jesus the Lord of our lives. We say yes to suffering and persecution. We say yes to worshipping and serving God alone and foremost in our lives.
5. Take Up Your Cross
We are called to take up our crosses and follow Jesus’ example. The temptations of Jesus were for our sake. He overcame these not only to prove that, as the Son of God, He is the Savior of the world, but also to show that, as the Son of Man, He is fully human but without sin. Hebrews 2:17-18 — “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” And again Hebrews 4:15-16 — “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.”
Jesus endured temptation throughout his life until he died on the cross. He understands our temptations, and he is able to help us. Jesus gives us wisdom and strength to face and overcome temptations. When we take up our crosses to follow Jesus, we will be sorely tempted, but when we abide in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit we can resist and overcome because He overcame. Through his death and resurrection he finally broke the hold of Satan over us.
Jesus showed us how to overcome temptations. We resist temptations with the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit. The truth of God’s Word counters, exposes and cuts away the lies of Satan and the world. God’s Word is life-giving. We shall not live by bread alone, but by the Word that comes from God’s mouth.
Therefore, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7-9)
Pray, fast, meditate on God’s Word. Temptations when we are weak — Jesus was hungry. But actually he was spiritually very strong. Through prayer and fasting the Holy Spirit prepared him to resist the devil and to be ready for his ministry and mission. Through prayer we live in and by God’s Word. Through prayer we abide in the Living Word, Jesus Christ. Then we are able to say no to self and the world, and yes to Jesus, to God, to God’s kingdom.
What are your temptations? What are your idols? How are you tempted, for the sake of acquiring or protecting physical comfort, wealth and influence for your self, to allow someone or something other than God and God’s Word to dictate and control your values, thinking, decisions, words, and actions? Who or what is your lord besides or before Jesus? Don’t hesitate. Say no to self. Say yes to Jesus and the new, eternal life in Him. Take up your cross, and follow Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior, the King of all kings.