St Louis UBF UBF Bible Study : Matthew 4:1-11

Bible Study Materials

Matthew 4:1-11

by Paul Choi 02/08/2015

Question

Jesus Defeats the Devil

Matthew 4:1-11

Key Verse: 4:10

“Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’”

Read verses 1-3. Where did the Spirit lead Jesus after his baptism and why? (1) Why did God want his Son to face this difficult trial at the beginning of his ministry? (Eph 6:11,12) What does the Bible tell us about the devil? (Jn 8:44; Jude 6; Rev 12:9; Job 1:6)

2. Read verses 1-4 again. What was the devil’s first temptation? Why is this temptation a very real one to Jesus? Why is the bread problem so serious for all people? How did Jesus answer the tempter? (4, Compare John 6:27,35)

3. Read verses 5-7. What was the second temptation? In what respect was the devil’s suggestion a temptation for Jesus? When does this temptation come to us? How did Jesus answer the tempter?

4. Read verses 8-11. What was the third temptation? Why was the devil’s offer tempting to Jesus? How does this temptation come to us? How did Jesus answer? What can we learn from him?

5. How did Jesus defeat the devil in all of these temptations? (Heb 4:12; Eph 6:17)

How can we?

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Mt4_1-11q-revised.doc

Message

The Temptation of Jesus

(Jesus defeats the devil)

Matthew 4:1-11

Key Verse:4:10 “Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

In today’s passage Jesus is tempted by the devil three times before he starts his messianic ministry. We’ll study why and how Jesus was tempted, how he defeated the temptations, and how we overcome temptations.

First, why was Jesus tempted? (1) Look at verse 1. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Do you believe in the existence of the devil? If so, who is the devil? The devil is Satan, a fallen angel. Revelation 12:9 says, “The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Why were the angels hurled to the earth? Jude 1:6 says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling”. These angels rebelled against God, who is the Creator of the world. The purpose of the devil is to lead the whole world astray so that the world may stand against God. In John 10:10 Jesus compares the devil to a thief, saying, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy”. Jesus also identified the devil as a murderer and liar. (Jn 8:44) Satan is a murderer, a liar, a tempter and an accuser.

In the Garden Satan tempted a woman. Satan tempted her to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan lied to her by saying that if she took the fruit, her eyes would be opened and that she would be like God. Satan also lied to her by saying that she surely would not die. But what happened when she listened to Satan? Her eyes for sin were opened, and she did not become God, but died as the result of her sin. In this way Satan tempted, lied, and destroyed men. Through men’s disobedience to God’s word and failure to Satan’s temptation, God’s glory left from this earth. The earth was cursed. The relationship between God and man was broken. The Garden of Eden (joy) became the cursed labor camp for fallen men. The earth produced thorns and thistles, and men had to work for three meals a day, and men returned to the dust because they are the dust. In the past work was a blessing, but after Adam’s fall work became a curse. (Ge 3:19)

Jesus came to this world in order to save sinners and to restore this cursed world. Jesus said, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn10:10) Jesus was tempted by Satan in order to save the world and restore Adam’s failure. The Incarnate God Jesus took a human form with flesh and blood like one of us. Look at verse 2. “After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” Jesus confronted the devil in extreme hunger. Hebrews says about this, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death-that is the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb 2:14-18) Jesus confronted the devil as the second Adam in order to restore Adam’s failure. Jesus was tempted in order to help and save all those who are tempted.

Second, the first temptation (3-4) Look at verse 3. “The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” How did the devil start his temptation? The devil asked Jesus, “If you are the Son of God”. The devil lied and tempted Jesus to doubt his identity. Jesus is the Son of God. No doubt! The devil used the word of hypothesis, “If”. In the Garden the devil tempted the woman in the same way, “Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” (Ge 3:1) The devil meant, “If God did not say that”. “If God did not love you”. Satan started his temptation by planting doubt in the woman’s heart and in Jesus’ heart. Satan tempts us in the same way. We believe that God really loves us. The Lord is good and his love endures forever. (Ps 136) We are children of God and the descendants of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ. Even though we are weak, there is no doubt that we are children of God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His love endures forever. But the devil tempts us, “If you are a Christian?” “Are you really a Christian?” “If you are a real Christian,” The devil is an accuser who condemns our weaknesses and mistakes so that we may not come to God.

The devil continued, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Why is this temptation a very one to Jesus? Jesus was extremely hungry after he fasted forty days and forty nights. Someone says that if a man does not eat food for three days, all things of the world look like food. What’s would have been wrong if Jesus had made stones into bread and ate them? Of course Jesus had power to change stone into bread, as he changed water into wine. (Jn 2:1-11) But there is a hidden scheme of the devil behind this temptation. The devil tempted Jesus to use his power to satisfy his physical need first. In other words, the devil tempted Jesus to use his freewill to solve his physical needs first rather than to fulfill God’s will. We get a clue from Jesus’ answer. Let us read verse 4. “Jesus answered, “It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus did not say that man does not need bread. Jesus knew that we need bread for our physical need. But this is not all we need. We need the spiritual bread for our spiritual need because man is a spiritual being. Jesus promised his disciples, who worried about what to eat and what to wear. “Do not worry saying, “What shall we eat?’ or “What shall we drink?’ or “What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mt 6:31-33) Our heavenly Father knows that we need bread for our physical need and promises that he will provide all. Our Father also provided the living bread, our spiritual food, Jesus Christ, for our soul and for our spiritual needs. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (Jn 6:35)

Man is both body and soul. The devil tempts us to focus on physical bread only. So some people leave their life of faith in order to seek for bread. Bread is money or security in modern terms. Many Christians are tempted to work for food that spoils. Jesus said, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you”. (Jn 6:27) Jesus also said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Mt 6:19,20) Physical food and treasures of this world will perish soon. No matter how good and delicious is the food you eat, it goes out and drains away. But our spiritual food and heavenly treasures last forever and are stored up in heaven for our eternal security. Jesus, the living bread, satisfies our spiritual need and nourishes our souls to grow into the glorious image of God. This is why Jesus said to his disciples, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mt 6:33)

There is a more destructive plan of the devil behind his first temptation. This is the temptation for Jesus to give up the cross. The devil tempted Jesus to seek for his physical need first. The devil tempted Jesus to be selfish so that he might think about himself, not others and not God’s will. Jesus came to this world to save his people from their sin through his death on the cross. Only through the cross of Jesus can man be saved. Only through the blood of Jesus are our sins paid off. Jesus is the only way to heaven and God gave us the only way to heaven through Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection. The devil, Satan, hates this cross. The purpose of the devil is to mislead God’s people and kill and destroy them. The devil tempted Jesus not to take up the cross. The devil tempted Jesus even beneath the cross. The crowd said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” (Lk 23:35). The soldiers also came up and mocked Jesus saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” (Lk 23:36,37) The devil tempted Jesus even through the criminal who hung next to him, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” (Lk 23:39) The devil tempted Jesus to come down from the cross in order to save himself. But Jesus did not listen to the devil’s voice. He endured the cross to the end and completed the work of salvation. Amen!

Satan tempts us every day to save ourselves first. Satan tempts us to become selfish and self-centered. The devil tempts us to give up the cross. We believe that the way of salvation is the way of cross. We follow Jesus because we believe that the way of Jesus is the way of cross which leads us to eternal kingdom of heaven. The way of cross is not easy to follow. So the devil tempts us to give up the cross. Jesus answered, “It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (4) We must not listen to the devil, but listen to God’s word, which is truth. The Apostle Paul describes the devil’s temptation as a spiritual battle against the spirit of power of evil and darkness. In Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” He continues, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand”¦.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. (Eph 6:13-17) Jesus defeats the devil with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 to defeat the devil’s temptation. Missionary Dr. Joseph Park struggles with his future security. I believe that he overcomes because he holds Jesus’ promise, Matthew 6:33, as the truth of God. The devil often tempts me to seek only for my interest. He tempts me to be selfish and lazy. If I become selfish and lazy, the devil accuses me right away, saying, “Oh! You are a missionary, but you are lazy. You are no more. God cannot use you anymore”. I admit that I am weak and full of mistakes. But I believe that I am a child of God who was bought by the blood of Jesus and that I am a forgiven sinner by God’s grace. I am a missionary and Bible teacher because Jesus called me when I was in college. Even though I am weak, Jesus who is in me is strong. Even though I am limited, my heavenly Father is all powerful. I believe Jesus’ promise, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” (Mk 9:23) I believe Jesus’ promise as truth, “Have faith in God! If anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for him”. (Mk 11:22,23) The devil is an accuser. But I never doubt about God’s love and his faithfulness. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:33-35. “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall spate us from the love of Christ?...” There is no one and nothing which separates us from the love of Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus makes us all become more than conquers over the devil’s temptation and its schemes.

This bread problem has been serious for all generations and all over the world. Abraham failed this test and went down to Egypt to seek for food. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. The Bible says that Esau was godless and despised his birthright (Ge 25:34, Heb 12:16). I pray that we may not sell our spiritual blessing for temporary pleasures of sin. I pray that we may not lose the heavenly treasure, eternal life, for the sake of the perishable things of the world. The devil always tempts us to seek for what is visible and what is tangible. The devil lies to us that what is visible and tangible is all that we need. But this is the devil’s lie and temptation. What is visible and tangible is not all we need. We need them, but not all. We need what is invisible and what is eternal, too. Our God is the invisible God. All the visible things in this world come from the invisible God. Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” We are spiritual beings and we live in the spiritual world. Man is both body and soul. Physical things will perish and disappear. Spiritual things will last forever. This is why Jesus said, ““¦work for food that endures eternal life.” ““¦seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” We cannot see eternal life, his kingdom, and his righteousness. But there are eternal life, God’s kingdom, and his righteousness.

Third, the second temptation (5-7) Look at verses 5,6. “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “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.” The temple was built on the highest place in the holy city Jerusalem. If Jesus jumps down from the highest place of the temple on the highest place in Jerusalem, it will be very spectacular. According to the Jewish midrash the Messiah would jump down from the temple. In what respect was the devil’s suggestion a temptation for Jesus? The devil tempted Jesus to test God’s care and protection by jumping down himself. The relationship with God the Father and the Son Jesus is trust and love. Jesus did not need to test the Father’s love and the Father God does not need to prove his love for the Son. Based on this trust and love relationship, Jesus would take up the cross and die for the sins of the world. Jesus obeyed God the Father because he trusted in him. Trust and obedience do not need test or proof.

The devil tempted Jesus to test God’s care even beneath the cross. The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others, they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of God.” (Mt 27:41-43) The devil tempts us in the same way to test God’s love and care. The devil tempts us to expect miracles in our lives. Of course miracles are God’s power and the signs of his love for his people. But the devil tempts us to seek for miracles in order to test God.

How did Jesus answer the devil? Look at verse 7. “Jesus answered him, “It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16. In the wilderness the Israelites were thirsty. There was no water in the desert, so they complained to God and to Moses. They were ready to stone Moses. Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” (Ex 17:2) The Lord God asked Moses to strike the rock with his staff so that they could drink the water which came out of the rock. They called the place “Massah and Meribah” which means “testing’. Our relationship with the Lord Jesus is not a relationship which requires tests or proof. We trust in him and obey. When the devil tempts us, we must confront him, saying, “It is written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus did not test God’s love and care. Thus he defeated the devil’s second temptation.

Fourth, the third temptation (8-11) Look at verses 8-9. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Why was the devil’s offer temptation to Jesus? The devil tempted Jesus to bow down and worship him so that he would give all the kingdoms of the world to Jesus. The devil lied to Jesus because the kingdoms of the whole world belong to God the Father, not to the devil. The devil also tempted Jesus to avoid the cross and to choose an easy way to achieve his goal. The way of Jesus is the way of cross. Jesus came to establish his kingdom through his death on the cross and resurrection. By his own blood Jesus saved us from the curse of sin and brought us into God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is established by Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection. But the devil tempted Jesus to give up the cross. The devil tempted Jesus in the same way through Peter. When Peter heard that Jesus predicted his suffering, death, and resurrection, he said to Jesus, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” Jesus saw the work of Satan behind Peter’s word. Jesus turned and rebuked Peter saying, “Get behind me, Satan! You are stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mt 16:23,Mk 8:33)

The devil knew that the way of cross is the way of suffering and death. The devil tempted Jesus to give up the cross and to find another way which is an easy way. There is no easy way for us to follow Jesus. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24, Mk 8:34, Lk 9:23) Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Mt 7:13,14) The devil tempted Jesus to enter a broad way and to choose an easy way, not the way of cross. The devil tempts us to enter a broad way and to find an easy way. The devil says, “Why do you believe in God in such a hard way? Why do you go to church every Sunday and spend time there all day long? Why don’t you compromise and be smart?”

The devil shows us all the riches of world, the pleasures of flesh, and benefits and conveniences of life, and he tempts us to worship him as if he gives all these things to us. The devil leads us to idol worship, idolatry. How did Jesus answer the devil? How did he overcome its temptation? Look at verse 10. “Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” God is the only subject of our worship and service. He is the one whom we should love with all our hearts, with all our soul, and with all our strength. (Deut 6:5) Amen!

Today we learned how Jesus was tempted and how he defeated the devil. We realize that there are common points in these three temptations. The devil tempted Jesus to doubt God’s love. The devil tempted Jesus to give up the cross. The devil tempted Jesus with God’s word. We must defeat the devil’s temptation with the word of God by holding it firmly. We must say, “Away from me, Satan! It is written: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God!’ “Do not put the Lord your God to the test!’ “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only!” Amen!

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