Overcoming Temptation

Context: Matthew 3:1–4:25

Memory Verse: Matthew 4:10

Main Idea: Jesus faced temptations and yet never sinned.

FIRST THOUGHTS

        Serbian rebels shot down Captain Scott O’Grady’s aircraft in 1995 during the war in Bosnia. O’Grady, an American fighter pilot, ejected and landed safely in enemy territory. He resisted the temptation to radio for help immediately. The pilot’s training cautioned that use of the radio too soon after landing might alert the enemy to his position. So he waited and utilized his survival training. Four days into the ordeal the pilot finally switched on his radio briefly to call in his position to an American plane flying overhead. The call set in motion a dramatic rescue.

The officer’s delay in use of the radio made for some uncomfortable days and nights in the cold without food. But it probably saved his life. Resisting the temptation to call for help immediately gave the pilot opportunity to find out what he was made of. He emerged from the nightmare a stronger person.

What temptations plague you? How prepared are you to resist them? What can you learn from the struggle with temptation?

        The enticement to sin—temptation—plagues every human (1 Cor. 10:13). The reality of temptation in our world requires constant vigilance on the part of Christians. Temptation, however, is not sin. Temptation is the offer of an opportunity to sin. Often a time of temptation causes you to wrestle with yourself about how to respond. This may stretch you, as it did Captain O’Grady, to discover what you are made of when Christ changes your life.

Jesus faced temptations. Although He was the divine Son of God, He also took on a human nature. He experienced the struggles common to any person, including temptation to sin. But even when challenged by temptation, Jesus did not sin. In the process of this temptation experience, He found confirmation of God’s will for His life and the determination to follow it. From this Bible passage we can discover how confronting temptation can shape and strengthen believers. We can learn much from Jesus’ example about how to resist temptation.

I. UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT

Matthew 3:1–4:25

        As we saw in a previous session, John the Baptist called people to repent and baptized them as a public witness to their repentance (Matt. 3:1-12). He told them to look for a special One to be sent by God. John pointed to Jesus as God’s chosen One and willingly accepted a subservient role to Jesus.

        When Jesus prepared to begin His public ministry, He chose to be baptized by John (3:13-17). Jesus did not need to repent of sin; He never sinned. But He used baptism to demonstrate obedient submission to God’s call. Through baptism, He identified with those who had confessed sin through John’s ministry. Jesus spent His ministry relating to sinners. Ultimately, Jesus asked His followers to be baptized as a way to identify with Him. His baptism served as an example for them to follow.

        God allowed Jesus to be tempted by Satan (4:1-11). The temptations served to clarify Jesus’ role as Son of God. The end result of the experience proved Him to be uniquely equipped to represent the Father in this world.

        Matthew recorded some specific steps in Jesus’ preparation for His public ministry (4:12-22). The arrest of John the Baptist served as a starting signal for Jesus. He went to Galilee, a region He knew well, and set up a base of operations. There Jesus proclaimed the same repentance theme as John. Jesus called the first of His disciples while in Galilee.

The final verses of chapter four summarize the methods Jesus used to convey His message (4:23-25). He taught in numerous settings, preached the good news of salvation, and healed people. Jesus employed these practices throughout His ministry.

II. EXPLORE THE TEXT

A. Face off (Matt. 4:1)

¹ Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

VERSE 1

        At His baptism, Jesus received affirmation of His status as Son of God. The temptations occurred on the heels of that high point. They served as a test of Jesus’ identity. The events took place in the wilderness, a term that probably referred to the Judean wilderness near the Jordan River where John ministered. The barren area and the sparse population provided a setting subject to few interruptions. Jesus’ testing in the wilderness paralleled the testings of the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings. The Israelites often failed to depend on God and learned little from their experiences. In Jesus’ case, however, these tests confirmed His identity as God’s Son.

        Matthew said that Jesus was led up by the Spirit. The Spirit did not do the testing, but He supported Jesus throughout the experience. The Spirit endowed Jesus with the strength necessary to endure. Although God did not instigate the temptations, He allowed Jesus to be in the position to learn something from them.

        While in the wilderness, the Devil tempted Jesus. To tempt means “to draw a person toward sin” or “to test.” The Devil tried to entice Jesus to sin. The temptations became a test of Jesus’ determination to stay true to the nature and purpose of His mission. His ability to remain faithful in the face of temptation refined His focus on the work He came to do. The incident left Him more prepared than ever for His mission.

        Devil is one of the most common names used for Satan in the Bible. The Greek word translated devil means “accuser” or “slanderer.” Here, he interacted directly and personally with Jesus, clearly showing that the Devil is a real, personal being who opposes God.

For whose benefit do you think this confrontation was allowed: Jesus’ or Satan’s?

B. Temptation of provision (Matt. 4:2-4)

² And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴ But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

        Satan tempted Jesus to put His physical needs above His spiritual needs.

Verse 2

        The temptations occurred after fasting forty days and forty nights. The Jews practiced fasting to heighten spiritual sensitivity. A period of time focused completely on God helped Jesus get ready for the rigors of ministry. The temptations gave Him a taste of the difficulties He faced.

        Matthew stated the obvious when he wrote that Jesus was hungry after the fast Note the parallels between Jesus’ temptations and the Hebrews’ 40 years of wilderness wanderings. Both experienced food deprivation (Ex. 16). Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai when he met with the Lord in the wilderness (Ex. 24:18). In a sense, Jesus represented a new Moses to introduce God’s deliverance in a new way.

Verse 3

        While in this physically weakened state, the tempter came. The term tempter identified the Devil with his work to draw people into sin. His attack began with an attempt to raise doubt in Jesus’ mind. The evil one stated, “If you are the Son of God.” Jesus knew Himself to be the Son of God. But if He really was, why would He endure hunger? He possessed the power to acquire food to satisfy Himself. The Devil twisted the meaning of Son of God to reflect the typical rabbinic understanding of the Messiah. The Jews looked for a power-wielding political leader. Throughout His ministry Jesus dealt with this error.

        The tempter suggested that Jesus command stones to become loaves of bread. The smooth, brown stones on the ground might remind a hungry person of a bread loaf. Jesus rejected this selfish use of His power. As with the other temptations, this one presented a shortcut to Jesus’ main objective—to take up the mantle of Messiah. The easy way sabotaged God’s intentions for Jesus.

Verse 4

        Jesus answered the Devil with a statement from Deuteronomy 8:3. He began His response to each of the three temptations by saying, “It is written.” Jesus relied on Scripture. The Word of God always makes for a worthy defense against the Devil’s attacks.

        Jesus stated: Man shall not live by bread alone. In the wilderness, God provided manna for the hungry Israelites. He furnished what they could not acquire for themselves. Jesus acknowledged that bread might be necessary for physical survival, but greater needs exist. The greater need is to be fed by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Bread sustains temporarily, but you get hungry again. God’s Word sustains eternally. When believers feed on the Word of God, they develop the strength to obey God.

        Jesus demonstrated complete loyalty to God by His refusal to misuse His power for selfish ends.

What physical needs do people allow to come between them and God? How can Jesus’ response help you face temptation when dealing with a physical need?

C. Temptation of Protection (Matt. 4:5-7)

⁵ Then the devil took him to the 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, ‘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 it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

        The Devil called on Jesus to prove God’s faithfulness to His Word.

Verse 5

        The Devil changed direction in this attack. Jesus allowed the evil one to take Him to the holy city. Jews often referred to Jerusalem as the holy city because of the dynamic works of God that took place there throughout history.

        The Devil stood Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple. The pinnacle represented a high point on the temple mount. A likely place was at the corner of Solomon’s Porch overlooking the Kidron Valley. From that spot to the ground would have been a distance of over 200 feet. Jewish tradition suggested that the Messiah would proclaim His authority from a high place at the temple. The position in which the Devil placed Jesus associated Him with the kind of Messiah the people expected.

Verse 6

        The Devil taunted Jesus again with the statement, “If you are the Son of God.” The tempter continued attempting to coerce Jesus to say and do things that negated His real purpose. In this case, the Devil challenged Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle and trust angels to save Him. The tempter borrowed this concept from Psalm 91:11-12, which highlights God’s intention to take care of His people. The psalmist described how God might intervene through angels to keep His people from stumbling over rocks. He loves us that much.

        The Devil twisted the Bible’s message to advance his own position. He tempted Jesus to prove His messiahship through a spectacular miracle. The evil one insinuated that if Jesus jumped from the temple mount He would be caught by the hands of angels in a miraculous rescue before He hit the valley floor. Who can deny the attention this event might receive? A dynamic miracle of that nature would give Jesus immediate status as the Messiah in the eyes of the people. But Jesus saw such a feat as presumptuous because it pressured God to act outside of His will. The Devil tested Jesus to take the easy path to a position of authority.

        The Devil contrived a circumstance that not only tested Jesus’ faith, it tested God’s faithfulness. An unnecessary miracle proved nothing about God. Could God send angels to catch Jesus in a fall? Certainly. But what would that accomplish? Jesus relied on God through obedient faith, and God proved reliable. Those facts became clear as Jesus’ ministry progressed. He had no need to verify His faith through some extravaganza.

Verse 7

        Jesus again answered the evil one with Scripture. He said, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test (Deut. 6:16). This statement referred to the complaint of the people in the wilderness when they lacked water (Ex. 17:1-7). Moses grew impatient because of their constant grumbling. Had God not provided along the way? Moses insisted that the people not test God or attempt to pressure Him to do things their way. They only needed to trust God to take care of them as He always had.

        Jesus also refused to force God to act unnecessarily. Jesus trusted God to work on His behalf. Any effort to pressure God to do something miraculous does not affirm faith; it negates faith. Obedient faith needs nothing more than what God has provided already. He’s proven Himself to be trustworthy.

Have you or someone you know ever asked God to prove Himself in some special way? What does this passage have to say about such a practice? How can you use Jesus’ example to develop an obedient faith?

D. Temptation of power (Matt. 4:8-10)

⁸ Again, 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, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

        The Devil tried to seduce Jesus with power apart from the cross.

Verses 8-9

        The Devil escorted Jesus to a very high mountain for a final temptation. The exact location remains uncertain. The Judean wilderness was a possible place for this experience. No high peaks existed there, but some areas offered views of the major trade routes that crisscrossed the region. From such a position a person might see people from all parts of the world as they came and went. The Devil, of course, could have transported Jesus to some other area where a high mountain existed.

        From the vantage point atop this high mountain, the Devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Certainly no place on earth offered a view of every part of the world. In this case, however, world meant not just geographical territory but the world with all its honors and material wealth. The Devil assumed these things appealed to Jesus, as they do to most people.

        While on the mountaintop, the tempter said to Jesus: “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Dominion over all the kingdoms of the world included the Roman Empire. The Jews anticipated a Messiah with the power to conquer the despised Romans. In the first century, Rome maintained tight control over the Jews. The Devil tempted Jesus with a strategy to gain messianic position without sacrifice. The plan involved a shortcut that avoided the cross and deviated from God’s will. Besides, the Devil offered something he had no authority to give.

Verse 10

        Jesus rejected the offer with the strong, authoritative command, “Be gone, Satan!” Jesus used a different term for the evil one than had been used earlier in this passage. The designation Satan derives from a Hebrew word that means “adversary.” Adam and Eve fell victim to the temptations of Satan (Gen. 3:1-7). Ever since that time, Satan has set himself in opposition to God by tempting humans. Jesus proved to be strong enough to withstand this adversary.

        A third time Jesus drew from Scripture to block Satan’s attack. Jesus said, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve (Deut. 6:13). Jesus shunned the temptation to associate the messianic role with political activity. He came to build a kingdom where He reigned in human hearts. Political kingdom-building was short-sighted. Human kingdoms come and go. God’s kingdom, however, is eternal.

        Jesus refused to serve Satan, even though it could have provided a level of human comfort and authority. Instead, Jesus chose a life of suffering service. He demonstrated a new way of kingship. Jesus gave His life for the people God loved. By doing so, Jesus related to His human subjects in a way no other royal could do.

        Through the temptation experiences, Jesus engaged in a real-life battle with evil. The human Jesus experienced what we do. He did not create these events in His mind. His temptations resemble those common to every Christian. Jesus’ experience with the Devil gives all believers confidence that He can win the battle against sin (Heb. 4:15).

What are the “gods” believers are tempted to worship today? How can Jesus’ defense against Satan help when you are tempted to lose your resolve to worship God alone?

KEY DOCTRINE

Jesus

Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin.

BIBLE SKILL

Use other Scripture to help understand a Bible passage.

Jesus used Old Testament Scripture from Deuteronomy to defend against temptation. The Old Testament helped strengthen Him to be obedient to God alone. The New Testament offers similar instruction for Christians on overcoming temptation. Read and reflect on 1 Corinthians 10:13 and James 1:13-18. What principles do you find in these passages that can bolster you when your faith is tested?