4:1-11 The Temptation of Jesus
Passage: Matthew 4:1-11 (BSB)
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.
3 The tempter came to Him and said, "If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4 But Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5 Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.
6 "If You are the Son of God," he said, "throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus replied, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 "All this I will give You," he said, "if You will fall down and worship me."
10 "Away from Me, Satan!" Jesus told him. "For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'"
11 Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
Context
- Where this fits in the book:
Jesus was just baptized. The Holy Spirit landed on Him and God said that He is well pleased with Him.
After this Jesus begins His ministry.
Observation
What does the passage actually say? Read it 2-3 times before moving on.
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for the express purpose that the devil would tempt Him.
Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights, and He was hungry.
The devil tempted Him to use His power to overcome His human weakness. The devil tempted Him to test God by quoting scripture. The devil tempted Him to gain dominion over earth in a way that would allow Him to avoid suffering on the cross. Jesus resisted Him all three times by quoting scripture.
Jesus commanded satan to leave and he obeyed.
Angels came and ministered to Jesus.
Interpretation
What did this mean to the original audience? What is the author's main point?
Jesus was sent into the wilderness for 40 days. Israel was in the wilderness for 40 years. God uses the wilderness to prepare us for what He has in store for us. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The Spirit might lead us to places we would rather not go. We must be obedient and trust God.
Jesus felt all the limitations of being human. He was hungry after fasting for 40 days. Jesus knows us fully - I'd say even better than we know ourselves.
The devil tried to temp Jesus three times, in three specific ways, all of which were intended to cause Jesus to make the same mistake that Adam and Eve made. Adam and Eve failed the first temptation - to eat. Jesus did not. Food is our most basic necessity, and our biggest weakness. A person who can control their stomach has true self control. A person given over to satisfying the cravings of their appetite can rarely abstain from any other desires.
Adam and Eve did not trust God. Jesus did. If we trust God we don't need to test Him. A test only proves that you do not already trust Him. There are things that we should test, and not blindly trust, and if you are a new believer God may have grace for you wanting to test Him. But for those of us who know God, there is no reason to continue testing Him. To do so would be an insult.
Adam and Eve gave up their dominion over the earth to satan when they sinned. Satan could not have given something he did not possess, and Jesus would not have been tempted if He knew that Satan could not deliver what he was promising. Jesus did not come only to have dominion over the earth, but over heaven and earth. Satan offered to give Jesus dominion over the earth, but he wanted to be worshipped in return. Anyone who worships satan would be disqualified from heaven. Jesus could have avoided earthly suffering, but He would only have achieved earthly glory in doing so - at the price of His, and our, eternal souls.
Application
What does this mean for me, today?
The devil's first temptation is with food. We need to deny our flesh. True self control is exhibited in controlling what we eat.
The second temptation is to misinterpret God's word. The only reason to do that is because we don't trust God. If you trust God then there is no reason to try to twist His word into something it's not because His word promises that we will all be with Him in glory, praise, and celebration for all eternity.
The third temptation is to only focus on the things of this world, and give up on our eternal life. Satan only has dominion in the earth, and only in a very limited way. God has ultimate dominion over all creation, for eternity, in a limitless way. Do not give up eternity to satisfy a short-sighted desire or anxiety.
Jesus showed us that His word provides everything we need, from the bread of life to the shield against the attacks of the enemy.
After having resisted the devil the verse that the devil tried to use against Jesus came true anyways because God's angels did come to Jesus and minister to Him. We don't have to try to force God's hand, we just need to trust Him.
After having gone through this time of preparation and battle with the enemy, Jesus began His ministry by preaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, gathering disciples, and healing. The critical importance of the time of preparation and the strength gained by being tested should not be overlooked. We all must submit ourselves to the leading of the Spirit, and always trust God when He is testing us, because that is how He prepares us to enter into the work and the blessings He has prepared for us.
Prayer
God thank You for teaching me from your word. Jesus thank You for having victory over the enemy for me.
Thank You God because I can trust in You and not worry about the things of this life. Thank You Jesus because You lived the life I was meant to live, the way I was meant to live it, and You allow me to count your life as my own.
I am nothing without You Jesus, and I owe everything to You, but I could never repay You for everything You have done for me. I bow down to You God. I bow down to You King Jesus. My lord and my King. Amen.