Matthew 4 - Overcoming Temptation!
New International Version (NIV)\
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
Right after Jesus' baptism and public inauguration by the Father, He is led by the Spirit into the wilderness/desert to be tempted/tested. The word for "tempted" can be the same side as "tested". They are two sides of the same coin. The devil tries to tempt us, but God uses it to test us. Note it is the Spirit that led him into the wilderness to be tested. The Holy Spirit knew this would be an important time for Jesus to learn how to fight temptation.
Like many prophets in the wilderness, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights and was hungry. I get hungry after 4 hours without food. Jesus was vulnerable physically, but empowered spiritually by fasting. God also tested the Israelites for 40 years in the desert (TPT). In the Aramaic, the word for the "devil", also means "accuser". 40 days is a significant number in the bible. Moses and Elijah were both in the wilderness for 40 days, it rained for 40 days during the flood in Noah's time, and Jonah warned Nineveh for 40 days to repent. (TPT)
3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point 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.’[c]” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
In these verses the devil tried to tempt Jesus in three different ways. They each represent an area of our lives that we will be tempted in. As we look at how Jesus withstood these 3 temptations, we will be given a strategy to withstand the temptations we will face.
First of all, the devil prefaces the first two temptations by saying, "If you are the Son of God." The devil was trying to get Jesus to prove himself, and use his miraculous powers prematurely. One of the most important things we can learn is how Jesus responded to these temptations. With each temptation Jesus quoted from scripture from the Old Testament. Three times from the book of Deuteronomy and one from the Psalms.
The devil is an accuser and a liar. He tries to get you to rationalize your behavior and often distorts scripture cause you to sin. We call these "rational lies". The best way to fight the devil's lies is with the truth. Jesus says, "The truth will set you free!". But when we buy into Satan's lies, we become a slave to our own desires.
Often it might be something like, "Oh, you can try it this time, it is not that big of deal." Or, "God will forgive you, so I might as well do it and then ask for forgiveness." Or, "I have been really busy doing things for God so I don't need to .... go to church, read my bible, give to the church, go to my small group, or pray."
If the devil can't get us to do something wrong, he will try to keep us from doing what it right.
The devil tempted with Jesus with hunger. He knew Jesus was hungry, so he tried to get him to use his powers to turn the stones into loaves of bread. There is of course nothing wrong with eating, but the devil distorted God's Word to cause Jesus to stumble. Jesus reminded the devil through the Word that although physical bread is important, we also need God's Word, which is the bread of life. The devil was tempting Jesus through his physical desires.
Then the devil tried to get him to throw himself off the temple. He even quoted scripture saying, "His angels will rescue you and not let you fall." (Psalm 91) Jesus likewise used scripture in the right context and reminded him, "Not to put the Lord to the test". The devil was tempting Jesus with pride to show off.
Finally, the devil went for the "jugular". He told him he would give him all the kingdoms of the world, if Jesus would fall down and worship him. This is why God the devil kicked out of heaven. Satan wanted to be worshipped rather than worshipping His Creator. Jesus basically told Satan to get lost, and quoted one of the most important verses in the bible that we should, "Worship the Lord Your God only!" Deut. 6:13 Satan was testing Jesus with greed.
(Note we use the words the devil and Satan interchangeably. The devil means "tester/tempter". Satan means "the blocker/obstructor/accuser". Satan's main goal is to block our relationship with God. Since he doesn't have one, he doesn't want anyone else to have one either.
Jesus survived this round of temptation, and God's angels came to attend to him.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "God will never let us be tempted beyond what we can endure, but he will provide the way out so we can overcome it."
As Jesus demonstrated the best way to fight temptation is to recognize the lies the devil brings our way and trust in the truth of God's Word. That is why it is so good that you are in God's Word today. God's Word gives you spiritual power when you read it, memorize it, and apply it to your life.
Jesus Begins to Preach
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”[f] 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Jesus withdrew from the area he was in and went North to the area of Galilee. He left his home town of Nazareth where he grew up, and went to Capernaum. Capernaum is a fishing town on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. It is a Hebrew word which means "the village of Nahum". The word "Nahum" means comforted. So it might be translated "the village of the comforted." Capernaum was a place Jesus did MANY miracles and was the base of His Galilean ministry.
The region of Galilee was a fertile, progressive, highly populated region. According to figures from the Jewish historian Josephus, there were some 3 million people populating Galilee, an area smaller than the state of Connecticut. The region of Galilee was a fertile, progressive, highly populated region. According to figures from the Jewish historian Josephus, there were some 3 million people populating Galilee, an area smaller than the state of Connecticut.
Leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum: This was because the people rejected Jesus in His own hometown (Luke 4:16-30). It was significant that Jesus made His home in Capernaum and not in Nazareth.
As is his custom, Matthew sees Jesus’ ministry in Galilee as a fulfillment of prophecy. Light has come to this region, largely populated by Gentiles, and Isaiah 9:1-2 predicted this of the ministry of the Messiah.
We have seen how heavily Matthew quotes prophecy and relies on the Old Testament for his primarily Jewish audience. The main purpose of Matthew is to show the Jewish people that Jesus is the Messiah, which had been anticipated since the time of Abraham.
But we also notice that Galilee is the home of many Gentiles. Jesus' ministry was never exclusively for the Jewish people. For God so loved the WORLD, not just His chosen people the Jews. In the Old Testament will also see God's covenant with Abraham was that the Jewish people would be a blessing to ALL NATIONS! They would be blessed to be a blessing.
As Jesus continued his preaching ministry, the main message, as was John the Baptist's, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
I really like the TPT translation of this verse,
"Keep turning away from your sins and come back to God, for heaven’s kingdom realm is now accessible.” (TPT)
We often focus on the word "repentance" rather than why we should repent. Yes, repenting and turning from the sins we know to be wrong is important, but the reason is that it frees up to be access God's kingdom rule and reign in our lives.
Repentance creates the opportunity for us to do great things for God in the power of His Spirit!
Another way to translate "accessible" is "close enough to touch!" (TPT) God's kingdom is near enough for us to touch. We have access to it, as we turn to God!
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
As Jesus has made his ministry headquarters in Capernaum, he know calls his first disciples. He sees Peter and his brother Andrew, who were casting a net into a lake, as they made their living being fisherman.
This was not the first time Jesus met these men, and other gospels describe previous encounters (John 1:35-42 and Luke 5:3), but this is when Jesus called them to leave their professions and follow Him with a full-time commitment.
Jesus used their current profession of fishing and called them to "fish for people". Jesus always meet us where we are at. He often uses our experiences and gifts for his mission here on earth.
God usually calls people as they are busy doing something. Jesus called the apostles as they were casting a net into the sea or mending their nets. “They were busy in a lawful occupation when he called them to be ministers: our Lord does not call idlers but fishers.” (Spurgeon)
Similarly Jesus met two more brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. The two brothers were in the boat with their dad getting ready to go to fish by mending the nets. In a similar way Jesus called them (probably using similar words) and they "immediately left their boat and followed him."
There must have been something powerful and commanding for these men to be so compelled to leave their fishing profession to follow Jesus. I wonder too what Zebedee might have been thinking. Oftentimes when Jesus calls us we are called to leave our parents.
When God called me to be a pastor in 1991, I left the Midwest where I had lived my whole life, to Pasadena, California to Fuller Seminary. The only other time I had been there was when I was when I was at the University of Iowa and they played in the Rose Bowl against UCLA in Pasadena in 1986. But now 5 years later I was going there for a completely different purpose.
Regardless, I left all of my family and friends back in Chicago, as I drove across country with my dad to Fuller. Though I was very sad to leave my family and friends, there was a great sense of excitement about what God was preparing me for.
Jesus Heals the Sick
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[g] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
We see in these verses Jesus strategy for reaching the lost. First, he taught in the synagogue. Here he was teaching the Jews who gathered on the Sabbath in the synagogue. The content of his message was once again, "The good news of the kingdom being available through Him." To show the power of God's kingdom coming to earth, Jesus healed people of their diseases and sicknesses. Note it says, "Jesus healed every disease and sickness".
Upon doing these acts of power, the news of Jesus and his ministry spread throughout the larger area. Large crowds came not only from Galilee, but also the Decaplois, Jerusalem, Judea and the area across the Jordan river.
The people across the Jordan were Arabic, and Jesus preached to these Gentiles as well as the Jews.
Jesus’ ability to heal those with all different kinds of diseases demonstrates that He has authentic power over the damage done by the fall of man. His authority over demons (and those who were demon-possessed) shows He has authentic power over all creation.
Jesus had a purpose for allowing such dramatic miracles to attract great multitudes. He wanted to teach the multitudes, not simply to impress them with miracles.
Application:
Can you relate to the concept of Jesus calling you to follow him? What did you have to leave behind to follow him?
What are the main ways the devil tries to tempt you? How can learning to recognize his lies and relying on His Word, help you from falling?
Does it excite you to know God's kingdom is near enough to touch and have access to? Is there an area of your life or a behavior that you need to turn from (repent), in order to have more access to God's kingdom?
Comments
Post a Comment