Today we are at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
This passage is where Jesus Christ will be tempted of the devil.
This passage teaches some things about Jesus Christ and it gives the Christian some things to learn about sin and temptation.
We will begin by learning what this passage teaches us about Christ.
Matthew 4:1-11 (KJV)
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Jesus Christ
Did you see it?
What does this passage tell us about Christ?
It tells us that Jesus is God.
The first thing the passage says is that “Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
This event is of God through and through, Jesus in the center of God’s will was led into the wilderness to be tempted.
Some folks have the understanding that if somebody is tempted it is because they are a sinner, which does not work in this case.
Notice Jesus’ response in verse 7, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Tempting Jesus was tempting God and the bible says that God shall not be tempted.
On the human side we view temptation as a stirring up and a drawing to a sinful thing.
The bible tells us several times that Jesus Christ is without sin, so when the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus was not tempted to sin.
How stupid is the devil?
The devil plays right into the hands of God; this whole thing was of God to prove that Jesus was in fact the Christ.
We also see the devil’s arrogance, he says in verses 3 & 6, “, If thou be the Son of God.”
The devil knew who Jesus is, yet his arrogance got in the way of reality.
The reality is Jesus is not going to sin because of who HE is.
We must understand what Jesus is going through here; Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights.
Jesus here has gone 40 days without food, HIS flesh is beyond the point of weakness.
Notice the devil tempted Christ when Christ was at HIS weakest physically.
To no avail, this passage proves that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and God in the flesh.
The Christian
Now let’s talk about the Christian, I am talking about the person who is born again, the person who is saved.
We call ourselves Christians, to mean we follow Christ.
Here in this passage we have some things to follow.
How Jesus responded to the temptation of the devil is how the Christian is to respond to the devil.
1. Know your enemy
Jesus knew who the devil was.
We too, ought to know who the devil is.
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
In fact I think we can know more about him then he knows about us.
The devil thought he knew Job.
The devil said of Job to God…
Job 1:11 (KJV)
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
God removed HIS hand of protection from some of the things in Job’s life.
Did Job curse God to HIS face, NO!!!
We are to know that we have an enemy and we are to know his tricks or wiles.
Ephesians 6:11 (KJV)
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
We should be able to stand against his tricks or wiles.
The devil tempts us in three ways.
It is the same three temptations that the devil used with Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:6 (KJV)
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
1 John 2:16 (KJV)
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The woman saw:
o That the tree was good for food; lust of the flesh
o That is was pleasant to the eyes; lust of the eyes
o A tree to be desired to make one wise; the pride of life
In the same manner Christ was tempted, in the wilderness, but without sin.
The lust of the flesh…
Matthew 4:3 (KJV)
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
The lust of the eyes….
Matthew 4:8-9 (KJV)
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The pride of life….
Matthew 4:6 (KJV)
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
This is how the devil works; he is always putting something appealing to our flesh, eyes and pride.
There is nothing new with the devil.
2. Know how to respond
So how are we to respond to the temptations of the devil?
Here we have an example, we respond as Jesus responded.
Jesus said no, HE said no all three times, we too can say no.
Is there any excuse for giving into temptation?
We are not God, Jesus is God, does that mean we have an excuse for sin, NO!!!
The devil does know our weakness, through learning what our weaknesses are.
The devil tempts us with something already in us.
James 1:13-15 (KJV)
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
If you are tempted to sin it is because you have the wrong desires.
The devil is playing on what is already in you.
That is why we ready in the bible…
Galatians 5:16-17 (KJV)
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:24 (KJV)
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Ø Those affections and lusts for sin are to be crucified.
Romans 8:10-13 (KJV)
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Not only do we have the ability to put to death the deeds of the flesh by walking in the Spirit of God, but we also have this promise.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
What is your excuse for your sin?
Not only do we have the Spirit of God and the promise of God of the way of escape but also the word of God.
How did Jesus respond to the devil every time the devil tempted HIM?
In verses 4,7 & 10 we see Jesus saying “it is written.”
This book is a living breathing book.
Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword
This book is a profitable book.
2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
The devil hates the word of God, he does not want you to know it or use it.
Psalm 119:9-16 (KJV)
9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Christian, what is your excuse for sin.
By Jason LaPat
5/15/11
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