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The First Sunday in Lent.
The
Collect.
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O
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LORD who for our sake didst fast
forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our
flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in
righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and
reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is
followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:
The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday.
The
Collect.
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A
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LMIGHTY and
everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the
sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite
hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our
wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and
forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the
Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.
The Temptation
of Christ
Then was Jesus
led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil
(Mat 4:1-11)
Christ came, not only to atone for sin. But to be a
perfect example to his people it was necessary, therefore, that he should
suffer temptation, that he might know how to succor the tempted.
Due to the nature of these perilous times, perhaps we
need to remind ourselves of, not only the terror, but the glorious aspects of
these these latter days. God promised us a standard and a Savior
And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And
I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the
midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more (Amos 7:6-8)
How many present today even KNOW what a Plumbline is?
Nature of a Plumbline:
1. Is
perfectly vertical (used in building construction – even today)
2. Points
to a precise point on earth.
3. Must
be attached at a precise point on High, else it is not a plumbline.
4.
Our plumbline is realized in the Word Incarnate –
Jesus Christ! (John
1:1-3)
10
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an
ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be
glorious. (Isaiah
11:10)
In battle, the Ensign is a banner called “the colors”
around which the Army rallies.
Times are becoming perilous and uncertain in our day.
We must persevere, however, until the end. Let me give us a reassurance from
Revelation.
Camp of the
Saints
7
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of
his prison, 8 And
shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is
as the sand of the sea. 9
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be
tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev 20:7-10)
What is the nature of a camp? It most often refers to
a military cantonment area – a temporary enclave. In the end times, we may
count on being so few that all believers may fit into a mere CAMP!
We are accounted “strangers and pilgrims on the
earth” in Hebrews 11:13. Our quarters here will always be temporary.
Against this camp come all of the gathered armies
from the four quarters of the world. The faint of heart may stumble with fear
in that day; yet, the Lord is the Captain of Battles, and His people will be
victorious despite heavy odds by His power and Intervention.
White Throne
of Judgment (Rev
20:11-12)
Turning to our lectionary text, we have a revealed
account of Christ's temptation from the prince of darkness. The whole is very
minutely and fully narrated, in which we have,
1.
2. The
Time
3. The
Place
4. The
Agent
5. The
Temptation and Victory
6. The
Consolation.
Notice,
The Time of
Christ's Temptation
Three very notable and important things immediately
preceded it.
1.
2.
His
baptism and acknowledgment of the Father.
13
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of
him. 14 But John
forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering
said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it
becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he
was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him: 17 And
lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. (Matt 3:13-17)
Three events occurred at the Baptism of Jesus:
1. The
Heavens were opened
2. Spirit
descended
3. The
confirmation and attestation of God the Father
The complete Trinity was present at the baptism of
Jesus – Father whose Voice spoke from Heaven, the Holy Spirit descending as a
Dove, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
1
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of
the devil. (Matt 4:1)
Following the exultation and joy of the just often
goes before depression and sorrow; Christ, after his illustrious baptism, was
tempted of the devil in the wilderness.
2. It was just at his entrance on the
public work of the ministry.
3. It was when he had fasted forty days.
The reason of Christ's fasting is not given;
doubtless, he had retired into the wilderness that he might meditate and pray
before he commenced his glorious work. It is worthy of remark that Moses, who
was at the head of the legal; and Elijah, who was at the head of the
prophetical, and Jesus; who was at the head of the New Testament dispensation,
all fasted forty days; Exo_24:18; 1Ki_19:8.
Observe,
The Place of
Christ's Temptation
“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights,
he was afterward an hungred.” (Matt 4:2)
The Wilderness
Supposed by many to have been the wilderness of
Sinai, a dreary, barren, and dangerous place. A striking emblem of the fallen
state of the world, which he came to redeem. A just representation of that
through which Zion's pilgrims have to pass, in their way to the promised land.
Notice,
The Agent who
tempted Christ
3
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread. (Matt 4:3)
Satan
Remember how the enemy was destroyed outside the Camp
of the Saints? Rev
20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the
lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and
shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
We see from the next verses 11-12, that that old
Serpent (Adversary and Accuser of God’s people) will not be present at the
white Throne Judgment. He will be enjoying the tropical zones in Hell.
11
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face
the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead,
small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book
was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Rev 20:11-12)
"The devil." The leader of the apostate
angels - ”the murderer of our first parents” the seducer of mankind ”the prince
of darkness” the god of this world” he whose nature is opposed to all that is
good, and true, and holy, and whose work it is to go about, seeking whom he may
devour. He is distinguished for subtlety and craft, for power, for dire
malignity, and deep wickedness. Notice,
The Temptation
itself, and the Victory obtained.
It was presented in three different forms He was
tempted:
1. To distrust
the Father's care and goodness.
"If thou be the Son of God, command these stones
to be made bread." Christ referred to Deu_8:3, "Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
God can preserve in dearth and famine, when the staff
of bread is broken. His will is sufficient for every purpose. By his simple word
he effects whatever he pleaseth. He was then tempted,
In countering
every attack of Satan, Jesus always quotes Scripture.
2. Christ is
conducted, most probably, to the top of Solomon's porch.
The porch was 150 feet high, and which overhung a
valley of 700 feet; and he now suggests, that if Christ was the Son of God, he
might cast himself down, seeing it is written that "God shall give his
angels charge concerning him, lest at any time he dash his foot against a
stone." Now, let it be observed, that Satan misquoted the passage for it
is said, "to keep thee in all thy ways;" Psalm 91:11.. Then Satan
grossly perverted the passage; for the promise was not given to foster
recklessness and presumption, but to encourage those who humbly trusted in the
Lord, and made the Lord their fortress and refuge; Psa 91:1, Psa 91:2. Christ
repelled this suggestion by another quotation from the word of life, "It
is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." To rush into
danger, is to tempt God; and to do this, is to violate the divine prohibition.
He tempted Christ,
3. To gross
and wicked idolatry.
Takes him to the most elevated part of one of the
mountains in the vicinity of the desert, and shows him, most probably, the
various provinces of Judea, and offers him these, with all their glory, if he
would fall down and worship him.
Observe the monstrousness of the suggestion: for the
Son of God to worship the devil! The utter wickedness and vileness of it! Then
the arrogant and base offer, to give these kingdoms when he had no right in
them, no claim to them, and therefore could not have the least ability to
bestow any part of them Christ draws his last arrow from the holy quiver of
God's word, and at once over comes the foul spirit: "Get thee hence Satan."
"It is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve;" and
thus triumphed over the adversary, for he immediately left him.
The
Consolation which Christ received.
"Behold, angels came and ministered unto
him." Angels had, doubtless, witnessed the scene, and had hailed the
triumph of the Son of God, and they now became ministers of comfort to him.
Let this encourage the saints of the Most High; they
have a heavenly guard, they are in a state of happy union and friendship with angels,
for they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall
be heirs of salvation;
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to
minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Heb 1:14)
Application
Christ's temptation is intended to teach us the
following:
1. The true character of our great High Priest,
"Tempted in all points as we are."
2. The true way of overcoming the enemy, by the power
of the word of truth.
3. The success which we shall assuredly obtain in the
faithful use of the divine armory.
4. The consolation God will communicate to all his
faithful and constant servants. Moreover, we learn, that it is not sinful to be
tempted. Satan cannot compel, only suggest; and the grace of God is sufficient
for his people.
As Christ contemplated in the wilderness of
Temptation, the full meaning of His Coming Ministries and Sacrifice, let us,
too, during this Lenten Season, contemplate the times that are coming upon the
earth and be strengthened by the ministry of the Holy Ghost.
