THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS (MATTHEW 4:1-11)

   

Christ in the Wilderness by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872

Our great Pattern hath showed us what our deportment ought to be in all suggestions and temptations. When the devil showed Him "all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them," to tempt Him withal, He did not stand and look upon them, viewing their glory, and pondering their empire.... but instantly, without stay, He cries, "Get thee hence, Satan." Meet thy temptation in its entrance with thoughts of faith concerning Christ on the cross; this will make it sink before thee. Entertain no parley, no dispute with it, if thou wouldst not enter into it. 

– John Owen

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/565725]

Matthew 4:1-11 (ESV) - The Temptation of Jesus

4 

1 ^sThen Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness ^tto be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting ^uforty days and forty nights, he ^vwas hungry. 3 And ^wthe tempter came and said to him, “If you are ^xthe Son of God, command ^ythese stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, ^z“It is written,

^a“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 ^bThen the devil took him to ^cthe holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

^d“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again ^eit is written, ^f‘You shall not ^gput the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 ^hAgain, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, ⁱSatan! For ^jit is written,

^k“‘You shall worship the Lord your God

and ^lhim only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, ^mangels came and were ministering to him.

https://www.esv.org/Matthew+4/

    

Since then Christ is praying for us, whom should we fear? And since he has promised to make us more than conquerors, of whom should we be afraid? No, though a host of demons are lined up against us, let us not be afraid; though the hottest persecution should rise up against us, yet let us put our trust in God. Even though Satan, and the rest of his apostate spirits, are powerful, when compared with us; yet, if put in competition with the Almighty, they are as weak as the smallest worms. God has them all reserved in chains of darkness until the final judgment day. They shall only go as far as He permits them, and no farther.

- Satan's Schemes [Sermon by George Whitefield]

Matthew 4:1-11 (NKJV) - Satan Tempts Jesus

4 

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. ³ Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

⁵ Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not ^[a]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

⁸ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, ^[b]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

¹¹ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Footnotes

1. Matthew 4:7 test
2. Matthew 4:10 M Get behind Me

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204&version=NKJV

Triumph Through Temptation - David Platt

•Feb 20, 2020

Exposit The Word

25.8K subscribers

Matthew 4:1-11: Triumph Through Temptation by David Platt The Jewish flavor of Matthew’s gospel is remarkable. This is evident even in the opening genealogy, which Matthew traces back only as far as Abraham. In contrast, Luke, aiming to show Christ as the Redeemer of humanity, goes all the way back to Adam. Matthew’s purpose is somewhat narrower: to demonstrate that Christ is the King and Messiah of Israel. This gospel quotes more than 60 times from OT prophetic passages, emphasizing how Christ is the fulfillment of all those promises.

The probability that Matthew’s audience was predominantly Jewish is further evident from several facts: Matthew usually cites Jewish custom without explaining it, in contrast to the other gospels (cf. Mark 7:3; John 19:40​). He constantly refers to Christ as “the Son of David” (1:1; 9:27​; 12:23​; 15:22​; 20:30​; 21:9, 15; 22:42​, 45). Matthew even guards Jewish sensibilities regarding the name of God, referring to “the kingdom of heaven” where the other evangelists speak of “the kingdom of God.” All the book’s major themes are rooted in the OT and set in light of Israel’s messianic expectations.

Matthew’s use of Greek may suggest that he was writing as a Palestinian Jew to Hellenistic Jews elsewhere. He wrote as an eyewitness of many of the events he described, giving firsthand testimony about the words and works of Jesus of Nazareth.

His purpose is clear: to demonstrate that Jesus is the Jewish nation’s long-awaited Messiah. His voluminous quoting of the OT is specifically designed to show the tie between the Messiah of promise and the Christ of history. This purpose is never out of focus for Matthew, and he even adduces many incidental details from the OT prophecies as proofs of Jesus’ messianic claims (e.g., 2:17​, 18; 4:13​–15; 13:35​; 21:4, 5; 27:9, 10).

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By David Platt. Copyright David Platt. Used by permission. Website: Radical.net. #Matthew​ #Bible​ #DavidPlatt

VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eeri9qa-tM&t=1584s

  

If you seek patience, you will find no better example than the cross. Great patience occurs in two ways: either when one patiently suffers much, or when one suffers things which one is able to avoid and yet does not avoid. Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently, because when he suffered he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter and he did not open his mouth. — Thomas Aquinas

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/258253359870068733/]

OTHER LINKS:

https://lutherandcalvinbrigade914.blogspot.com/2020/04/exorcism-prayer.html

https://lutherandcalvinbrigade914.blogspot.com/2018/04/prayers-against-satan.html

https://lutherandcalvinbrigade914.blogspot.com/2017/09/prayer-prayer-for-defeat-of-luciferian.html

https://lutherandcalvinbrigade914.blogspot.com/2018/04/satans-schemes-sermon-by-george.html

https://lutherandcalvinbrigade914.blogspot.com/2020/10/christ-king-prayer.html

https://themightymenregiment710.blogspot.com/2019/10/one-million-catholics-in-mass-rosary.html

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-pray-against-satan

A Prayer for When You Fear the Future (By Christina Fox)

 

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” 

 – Corrie Ten Boom

A Prayer for When You Fear the Future - Your Daily Prayer - July 11, 2018

A Prayer for When You Fear the Future

By Christina Fox

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. – Psalm 27:3 (KJV)

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://biblepic.com/48/psalms_27-3.htm]

 

"Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident" (Psalm 27:3).

In our current culture, there is much uncertainty about the future. Fears often trigger other emotions, including despair and anger and much of it is played out on social media. In truth, there is much to fear in our lives and in our world. The unknown future can seem dark and filled with danger. We wonder if we can handle it. We wonder how we can endure. From our children's health to paying for college; from job security to who runs the country; from prayers unanswered to relationships under strain; we worry about what could happen and what we will do when it does. 

David wrote, "Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident" (Psalm 27:3). Psalm 27 is a song and a prayer of trusting God in the face of fears.

The ultimate fulfillment of this Psalm is found in Christ, the one who conquered our worst fears at the cross. He is our light and salvation. Because of Jesus, we can come into God's presence with confidence and hope. As Paul wrote in Romans, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (8:31-32). If God sacrificed His own Son to save us from our sins, how would he not also be with us in the fears we face today?  

  

 

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. – Proverbs 27:1 (ESV)

[PHOTO SOURCE: http://suppressing-the-fire.blogspot.com/2017/01/tomorrow-who-knows.html]

A Prayer for When You Fear the Future 

Father in Heaven, I come before you as the psalmist did, weary, worn, and frightened. I come before you because you are King and you rule all things. I come before you because you are my Father, my Abba. You adopted me as your child and have given me every privilege that comes with being a part of your family. I come before you because you are my Savior. All I have comes to me from your generous hands. I come before you because you are my Redeemer. You alone can redeem and restore all that is broken in my life and in the world around me.

Forgive me for turning my gaze from you and looking at the frightening things happening around me. Forgive me for forgetting that you are with me. Forgive me for not trusting. Forgive me for not crying out to you sooner but trying to conquer my fears in my own strength. Forgive me for not living in complete dependence upon you.

Father, hear the deepest cries of my heart. Rule and reign over your Kingdom, turn the hearts of kings, and may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Raise up godly leaders, teachers, pastors, and people who love you and your Word. Use your people to spread your gospel across the earth. May we be the salt and light you instructed us to be. 

In my life Lord, give me a peace that passes all understanding. Though I don't know what will happen with all that troubles me this day, help me to trust you. Help me to remember that you are not surprised. Help me to remember that nothing will happen today that takes you off guard. You are not asleep or too busy but are actively involved in all the cares of my life. Help me to wait and watch for your glory. Help me to obey and do the right thing in the moment, knowing you are there in all the moments to come. 

Most of all, help me to remember Jesus, the One who cried out in the garden on the night he was betrayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 13:46). I thank you that "for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). Even now, he intercedes for me—what a marvelous truth!

I pray all this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. – James 4:13-16 (ESV)

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/549861435731657918/]

Editor’s Note:The content from this devotional was first found in Christina Fox’s article, A Prayer for When You Fear the Future. You can read that piece in full here.

INTERNET SOURCE: https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-daily-prayer/a-prayer-for-when-you-fear-the-future-your-daily-prayer-january-26-2017.html