The King in the Wilderness: Tested and True

Sermon Title: The King in the Wilderness: Tested and True

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Occasion: The Lord’s Day

Date: October 19, 2025

PRAY

Introduction: From the Waters to the Wilderness

The story of Matthew’s Gospel moves like a great symphony — each movement introducing a theme that builds toward the grand crescendo of the cross and resurrection.

In chapter 1, the melody begins:

“Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).

He is the rightful King from David’s line and the promised Seed through whom all nations will be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 22:18).

In chapter 2, this King is preserved from Herod’s sword, called out of Egypt just as Israel once was, fulfilling what was written:

“Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1).

Then in chapter 3, the curtain rises at the Jordan River — the heavens open, the Spirit descends, and the Father declares,

“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 42:1).

Here stands the true Israel, the true Adam, the true King — anointed by the Spirit and approved by the Father.

But if chapter 3 was the coronation, chapter 4 is the confrontation.

The same Spirit who descended like a dove now drives the Son into the desert (Matthew 4:1).

The voice of divine delight is followed by the hiss of diabolical deceit.

The waters of baptism give way to the wilderness of testing.

Before Jesus proclaims the blessings of the Kingdom in chapter 5 (Matthew 5:1–12), He must confront the enemy of the Kingdom in chapter 4.

Matthew tells this story with purpose.

His Gospel is about the King and His Kingdom — The Kingdom Come. (Our Series Title)

But before the King can rule His people, He must redeem them.

Before He wears the crown, He must bear the cross.

Before He conquers death, He must conquer the deceiver.

And so we meet our King — not on a throne, but in a barren wilderness.

Not surrounded by angels singing, but by silence and sand.

Not celebrated by crowds, but challenged by the devil himself.

Here, the Son of God faces the same adversary who deceived Adam (Genesis 3:1–6), the same accuser who tripped up Israel (Exodus 16:2–3; Numbers 14:1–4), the same tempter who still prowls today (1 Peter 5:8).

When people ask you what this passage is all about, here’s what you can tell them in one simple sentence:

“The King conquered temptation to bring His kingdom to us.”

That’s what Matthew 4 declares — that where Adam fell and Israel failed, Jesus—the true Son—stood faithful, proving He is the righteous King who overcomes temptation and secures victory for His people.(Main Idea)

And the question that rings through this passage — and through all of human history — is this:

How will the Son of God prove faithful when every son of Adam has fallen?

What kind of King chooses obedience over power, suffering over success, the Word of God over the whispers of the world?

And what does His victory in the wilderness mean for those of us who live in one every day?

These are the questions Matthew sets before us — and in our passage this morning, we’ll see how our faithful King answers them, one test at a time.

So let’s step into the wilderness with Him and watch His victory unfold.

Outline for Today:

The Test of Desire: Trusting God’s Word over Immediate Need (Matthew 4:1–4)

The Test of Dependence: Trusting God’s Way over Manipulative Faith (Matthew 4:5–7)

The Test of Devotion: Trusting God’s Worth over Worldly Glory (Matthew 4:8–11)

Transition to First Point:

And so the battle begins.

The King steps onto the field — not with armies behind Him or angels before Him, but with hunger in His body and Scripture in His heart.

The Spirit has led Him here, and Satan waits for his moment to strike his assault.

It’s in this quiet, lonely wilderness that the first test comes — a test of desire.

1. The Test of Desire: Trusting God’s Word over Immediate Need (Matthew 4:1–4)

A. The Setting and Sovereignty of the Spirit (v. 1)

Matthew begins:

Matthew 4:1 ESV

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

The first word — “Then” (tote) — ties this moment directly to the baptism of Jesus.

The Father had just declared, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

Immediately, that identity is tested.

The Spirit who descended in peace now drives Jesus into battle.

The verb “was led up” (anēchthē) is important.

It’s in the passive voice — meaning Jesus is being led, not wandering.

He is under Sovereign direction.

Luke adds that He was “full of the Holy Spirit” when He went (Luke 4:1).

In other words, this is Spirit-led suffering.

The same Spirit who blessed Him now brings Him into battle.

This verse reminds us that God’s sovereignty includes our wilderness.

Being led by the Spirit does not always mean comfort — sometimes it means conflict.

God’s will for His beloved Son included hunger, hardship, and hostility.

This is essential for our theology:

God is sovereign even over Satan’s schemes.

The devil is not an equal opposite to God.

He is a creature — powerful, yes, but permitted.

As Martin Luther said,

“Even the devil is God’s devil.”

And Charles Spurgeon once compared him to

“a dog on a leash: he may bark and snarl, but he can go no farther than his Master allows.”

That’s what we see here.

Jesus is not being ambushed by the devil; He is being escorted by the Spirit to confront him.

The battle is not accidental — it is appointed.

God ordains the test to display the triumph of His Son.

Even the word “to be tempted” (peirasthēnai) holds tension.

It can mean both to test and to tempt.

God tests to prove and purify.

Satan tempts to corrupt and destroy.

Same event, two intentions.

The test reveals what’s true; the temptation attempts to distort it.

James reminds us:

James 1:13 ESV

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

So, God is not the author of evil — but He is sovereign over it.

As Joseph said in Genesis 50:20,

“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

That’s the theology of this moment.

God permits the devil to tempt, but He directs the outcome for His glory and our salvation.

This is a critical pastoral truth:

Being in the wilderness doesn’t mean you’re out of God’s will.

It may mean you’re right where He wants you.

The Spirit leads Jesus there — not because He’s disobedient, but because He’s obedient.

The wilderness is not punishment; it’s preparation.

B. The Forty Days and the Faithful Son (v. 2)

Matthew continues:

Matthew 4:2 ESV

And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

This verse grounds the spiritual in the physical.

Jesus is not a disembodied spirit; He’s fully human.

His hunger is real.

He knows weakness.

He feels need.

Hebrews 4:15 tells us,

“We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.”

The phrase “after fasting forty days and forty nights” (νηστεύσας ἡμέρας τεσσεράκοντα καὶ νύκτας τεσσεράκοντα) is patterned intentionally after Old Testament precedent.

In Scripture, forty marks a period of divine testing and preparation — a sacred span of proving faithfulness before mission.

Generally ,

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 4

Fasting is as a means of focusing intently on prayer.

But Jesus’ fasting was different from ours.

We fast to seek God; He fasted to show us how to trust God — to teach us that real life depends not on what fills the stomach, but on what comes from the mouth of God.

But here in verse 2, Matthew is showing us that these “forty days” are a golden thread woven through the entire story of Scripture.

He knew that His desired Jewish audience will connect the dots to…

Israel wandering forty years in the wilderness.

Moses fasting forty days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law (Exodus 24:18).

Elijah fasting forty days on the way to Horeb (1 Kings 19:8).

Now Jesus — the true and greater Israel, the true and greater Lawgiver, the true and greater Prophet — fasts forty days before giving the law of the kingdom- the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew is showing us typology fulfilled:

Jesus is recapitulating Israel’s story — not in rebellion but in righteousness.

Israel failed the test of hunger by grumbling.

Jesus passes it by trusting.

Where Adam fell in a garden of plenty, Jesus stands in a wilderness of nothing.

C. The Temptation Introduced (v. 3)

Matthew says,

Matthew 4:3 ESV

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

The “tempter” (ho peirazōn) is one of the devil’s titles.

Scripture calls him:

Satan — “the adversary” (Job 1:6–12),

The accuser (Revelation 12:10),

The deceiver (Genesis 3:1, John 8:44),

The god of this age who blinds minds (2 Corinthians 4:4).

He is real — not symbolic, not metaphorical.

A personal, intelligent being with malice toward God and man.

Yet always under God’s leash.

Notice his tactic: “If You are the Son of God.”

He’s attacking Jesus’ identity.

He’s not questioning the title but the trust.

He’s daring Jesus to prove His Sonship by independence.

“If You’re really God’s Son, why are You starving?

Shouldn’t a beloved Son have bread?”

This is subtle.

Satan is suggesting that hunger and hardship mean the Father’s neglect.

It’s the same whisper he used in Eden:

“If God were really good…”

That’s his playbook — to twist God’s Word, question God’s heart, and tempt us to seize control.

In other words:

“Use your divine power to satisfy your human need.”

But had Jesus done that, He would have ceased to live as a man dependent upon His Father.

His mission required submission.

The Son came to obey, not assert.

Doctrinal clarity: This temptation also exposes the false teaching of prosperity theology.

If Jesus’ Sonship didn’t exempt Him from suffering, neither will ours.

True faith doesn’t manipulate God for comfort — it trusts God through hardship.

D. The Son’s Response: The Power of the Word (v. 4)

Jesus replies:

Matthew 4:4 ESV

But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

He meets temptation not with new revelation but with Scripture.

“It is written” (gegraptai) — literally, “it stands written.”

That perfect tense means God’s Word remains forever authoritative.

Jesus doesn’t speak as the eternal Word here (though He is); He submits to the written Word as the perfect Man.

He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses reminded Israel that God allowed them to hunger so they would learn dependence:

“He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna … that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

In other words, God’s people were never meant to be sustained merely by what they consume, but by Whom they trust.

Bread sustains the body; God’s Word sustains the soul.

The verb ekporeuomenō (“comes forth”) describes a God who continually speaks — His Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12).

Jesus lives by every word proceeding from His Father’s mouth.

He depends daily, moment by moment, on His Father’s provision and promise.

Theological reflection: Jesus’ answer reveals His view of Scripture — it is authoritative, sufficient, and life-giving.

He affirms the Old Testament as the very Word of God, binding and trustworthy.

This rebukes modern skepticism toward Scripture’s reliability.

Jesus also affirms the doctrine of sola Scriptura — the Word of God is the believer’s final authority in faith and practice.

He doesn’t rely on mystical experiences or miraculous proofs but on what is written.

Illustration / Example:

Many today, especially in circles shaped by emotional or charismatic experiences, believe that hearing from God means waiting for a “word,” a dream, or a feeling.

They say things like, “God told me…” or “I just felt peace about it,” as if personal impressions carry divine authority.

But Jesus shows us something radically different.

When faced with the devil himself, He didn’t rely on a fresh revelation or inner impression.

He said simply, “It is written.”

That’s sola Scriptura in action.

Jesus trusted the sufficiency of God’s written Word, not a subjective experience.

If the Son of God didn’t need a new revelation to stand firm — neither do we.

For those coming out of hyper-charismatic backgrounds, this is liberating:

You don’t have to chase new words when God has already spoken the final Word in Scripture.

In the words of the Hymn How firm a Foundation:

“What more can He say than to you He hath said.”

E. The Typology Fulfilled

Let’s step back and trace the pattern:

Adam was tempted in paradise with plenty and failed.

Israel was tested in the wilderness with scarcity and failed.

Jesus is tempted in the wilderness and triumphs.

He is the true and better Adam — resisting where Adam rebelled.

He is the true Israel — obedient where they disobeyed.

He is the faithful Son — trusting the Father’s heart when all others doubted it.

And note this:

Jesus does not simply resist for us — He resists as us.

He stands in our place as the covenant head of a new humanity.

His obedience here counts toward our righteousness, just as Adam’s disobedience counted toward our ruin (Romans 5:18–19).

F. Illustration: The Word that Feeds

A missionary once wrote from prison, “God’s Word fed me when food could not.”

When he had no bread for the body, he found nourishment for his soul in Scripture.

That’s what Jesus models here — the Word of God is not supplemental; it’s sustaining.

We can live without many things, but not without His Word.

The Scriptures are not seasoning for life — they are our sustenance.

G. Application: The Bread that Satisfies

Temptation often begins when desire outshouts trust.

The devil whispers, “God is holding out on you.”

He whispers it to the weary mother, to the anxious student, to the lonely heart.

But Jesus shows us that dependence is our defense.(Repeat)

When you’re tempted to meet a good desire in a wrong way — when you crave relief more than righteousness — remember this scene.

The Son of God trusted the Father in hunger so that you could trust Him in hardship.

He refused to turn stones into bread, because one day He would turn His body into bread for us (John 6:35).

He went hungry so that we could be filled.

He was tested and tried, so we could be forgiven and freed.

As Spurgeon said,

“Faith stands in the power of God, not in the loaf upon the table.”

H. Transition to Point Two: From Desire to Dependence

The first temptation tested Jesus’ desire — would He trust His Father’s provision or seize control?

The devil now shifts tactics.

If he cannot make the Son doubt the Father’s provision, he will try to make Him doubt the Father’s protection.

The scene moves from the barren wilderness to the heights of the temple — from hunger to presumption, from need to pride.

Here begins the second test: The Test of Dependence: Trusting God’s Way over Manipulative Faith (Matthew 4:5–7)

2. The Test of Dependence: Trusting God’s Way over Manipulative Faith (Matthew 4:5–7)

A. The Setting and Strategy (v. 5)

Matthew writes,

Matthew 4:5 ESV

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple

The scene now shifts dramatically — from the barren wilderness to the bustling temple.

Satan leads Jesus to “the holy city” — Jerusalem, the heart of Jewish worship, the dwelling place of God’s name.

The wilderness tested Jesus’ dependence in hunger; the temple will test His dependence in trust.

The “pinnacle of the temple” (to pterygion tou hierou) literally means “the wing” or “highest point.”

Scholars suggest it overlooked the Kidron Valley — a drop of roughly 450 feet.

This was the most visible place in the nation — a symbol of God’s presence and protection.

Notice again the subtle sovereignty of God in this scene.

The devil “took” Jesus — but not by force.

The Greek verb paralambanō means “to take along” or “to bring.”

Satan cannot move Christ apart from God’s soveriegn permission.

As before, the leash remains tight in God’s hand.

This is crucial theology for God’s people:

Satan’s power is real but restrained.

He moves within boundaries established by God.

He is permitted, not autonomous.

As Job 1–2 shows, the devil may afflict, but only within limits set by the Lord.

Calvin wrote,

“The devil and all his instruments are so held by the hand of God that they cannot move a finger to do harm, except in so far as he permits.”

Even here, every step is ordained — the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, and now He permits this next step onto the temple.

God’s sovereignty rules even the staging of Satan’s schemes.

B. The Temptation (v. 6a)

Matthew continues, “And [the devil] said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down…’”

Once again, the devil attacks the same truth:

“If You are the Son of God.”

The first temptation questioned the Father’s PROVISION; this one questions His PROTECTION.

“If You’re really His Son, prove it.

Jump — and let Him catch You.”

The devil’s tactic is to twist trust into presumption.

He wants Jesus to move from dependence on God’s Word to manipulation of God’s will.

He wants the Son to demand proof rather than rest in promise.

Many people confuse faith with presumption.

True faith obeys God’s Word; false faith tests it.

Faith waits; presumption leaps.

Example:

It’s like the person who says, “I’m not going to act until God gives me a sign,” when God’s already spoken clearly in His Word.

That’s not faith — that’s testing Him.

True faith takes God at His Word.

C. The Devil’s Distortion of Scripture (v. 6b)

Now satan quotes Scripture — and that should sober us.

He says,

“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.’”

Go to Psalm 91:11 quickly…

Here satan quotes Psalm 91:11–12, a psalm of divine protection.

What do you notice that satan did here?

He leaves out a key phrase — the words “to guard You in all Your ways.”

That phrase changes everything!

“In all Your ways” means in the path of obedience.

So, the promise of Psalm 91 is not a license for recklessness; it’s a comfort for the righteousness.

It’s not a command to jump; it’s a call to trust.

By omitting that phrase, Satan weaponizes Scripture.

He quotes truth selectively to support a lie.

This is how the devil still works.

He loves half-truths that sound holy but distort God’s intent.

Cults and heresies are often built from verses ripped out of context.

As Thomas Brooks warned in Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices,

“Satan labors mightily to draw the soul to error by presenting Scripture misapplied.”

Notice how cunning this temptation is.

In the first test, Satan invited Jesus to act without God’s Word.

In this one, he tempts Him to act against God’s Word — all while quoting it!

The lesson here is vital:

Scripture can be quoted but still misused.

Truth twisted is still deception.

We must interpret Scripture with Scripture, allowing the Word of God to clarify itself, never isolating verses from their inspired context.

D. The Savior’s Response (v. 7)

Jesus answers,

Matthew 4:7 ESV

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

He quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, recalling Israel’s failure at Massah (Exodus 17:1–7).

There, Israel demanded a miracle to prove God’s presence, crying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

They tested His faithfulness instead of trusting His promise.

Jesus, the true Israel, will not repeat their sin.

He trusts His Father’s care without demanding His Father’s proof.

The key phrase is “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.”

To test God is to make obedience conditional upon His performance.

It’s to say, “I’ll trust You only if You do what I expect.”

That’s not faith — that’s unbelief wearing religious clothes.

As John Stott wrote,

“Faith is not defiance of reason, nor is it demand for proof; it is trust in God’s character.”

Jesus’ answer teaches us that true faith never manipulates God; it submits to Him.

We are not called to create crises to force God’s intervention.

We are called to walk faithfully and trust that His care will meet us there.

Doctrinal Clarity: This passage also guards us against the error of “testing” God through reckless spirituality.

Some claim that if you just “believe hard enough,” God must act.

That’s not faith — that’s superstition.

Jesus shows us here, that faith doesn’t throw itself from the temple; faith stays on the path of obedience and rests in the Father’s promise.

Theological Insight:

By quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, Jesus is again identifying Himself with Israel’s wilderness experience.

Israel tested God’s patience; Jesus trusts God’s promise.

Matthew is showing to us so beautifully here that Jesus is the faithful covenant Son, fulfilling the obedience demanded by the Law on behalf of His people.

E. Typology and Theology: The Faithful Son

Let’s step back and see the pattern God is weaving.

At Massah and Meribah (Exodus 17:1–7), Israel stood in the wilderness, thirsty and afraid.

They quarreled with Moses and demanded a miracle, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

They tested God’s patience instead of trusting His promise.

Massah means testing, and Meribah means quarreling — two names that mark Israel’s unbelief.

And now, standing on the temple’s height, Jesus faces the same temptation — to demand proof of the Father’s care.

But where Israel failed in the wilderness, Jesus succeeds at the temple.

He refuses to manipulate His Father’s love because He is already secure in it.

He doesn’t need a sign from heaven; He rests in the Word from heaven.

The first Adam doubted God’s Word in a garden of plenty. Israel doubted God’s presence in a desert of want.

But Jesus — the true Adam and the true Israel — trusts both the Word and the presence perfectly.

And this moment on the temple’s height points us forward to another height — the hill of Calvary.

There again, the tempter’s voice will echo through the crowd:

“If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” (Matthew 27:40).

But Jesus will not come down.

He will not test His Father’s love — He will trust it, even unto death.

At the temple, He refused to leap in presumption.

At the cross, He refused to descend in rebellion.

In both, He proved Himself the faithful Son — the obedient King — who conquers not by power, but by perfect trust.

G. Application: Dependent, Not Demanding

The temptation of presumption is alive and well in our day though.

It tells us that real faith forces God’s hand — “If I just believe enough, He must act.”

But Jesus teaches that faith rests, it doesn’t manipulate.

In trials, Satan still whispers, “Prove God’s love. Demand a sign. Force His hand.”

But Jesus shows us that dependence is deeper than demands.(Repeat)

You don’t have to test the Father who’s already proven His love at the cross.

Romans 8:32 says,

Romans 8:32 ESV

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

The proof of His care is not that He catches you when you jump — it’s that He carried you to Calvary when you fell.

Faith doesn’t say, “Show me, and I’ll trust You.” Faith says, “You’ve shown me enough — I’ll trust You still.”

H. Transition to Point Three: From Dependence to Devotion

The devil has now failed twice.

He could not tempt Jesus through appetite, and he could not twist Him through presumption.

So now he turns to his greatest weapon — ambition.

If he cannot corrupt the Son’s dependence, he will try to corrupt His devotion.

He will offer Jesus the kingdoms of the world without the cross — glory without suffering, a crown without obedience.

Here begins the third and final test:

3. The Test of Devotion: Trusting God’s Worth over Worldly Glory (Matthew 4:8–11)

A. The Setting and the Temptation (v. 8)

Matthew writes,

Matthew 4:8 “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”

We move now to the climactic temptation.

The first test targeted desire — “Will You trust the Father’s provision?”

The second tested dependence — “Will You trust the Father’s protection?”

Now comes the final test: devotion — “Will You trust the Father’s plan?”

The scene unfolds on “a very high mountain.”

Just as Moses once stood on Mount Nebo and looked across the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 34:1–4), so Jesus is shown “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”

This is no ordinary mountaintop view — Satan is offering a vision, a panorama of global power and splendor.

Here the tempter unveils his true objective.

He doesn’t just want Jesus to sin; he wants to steal His worship.

Every temptation has been leading here — to dethrone God in the heart of the Son.

B. The Offer of the Enemy (v. 9)

Matthew continues,

Matthew 4:9 ESV

And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Here the serpent finally drops the disguise.

He stops twisting Scripture and starts offering kingdoms.

Notice the irony:

The devil is offering Jesus what already belongs to Him.

I mentioned Psalm 2:8 last week, where it says,

Psalm 2:8 ESV

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

Satan offers here the crown without the cross, glory without suffering, the throne without obedience.

This is the heart of the temptation: shortcut sovereignty.

He’s saying,

“You can have the kingdom without Calvary.

You can reign without pain.

Just worship me.”

But behind this offer lies the lie of every age — that there’s another way to glory apart from obedience, another way to life apart from death, another way to salvation apart from sacrifice.

Doctrinal Clarity: This verse reminds us that Satan does possess real but limited authority.

Jesus later calls him “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31).

Paul calls him “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Yet his authority is delegated and temporary, not sovereign or ultimate.

The devil operates only under God’s sovereign permission.

He offers what he cannot ultimately control.

His promises are counterfeit — kingdoms without permanence, glory without holiness, worship without worth.

This is the same lie he told Eve: “You can be like God.” (Genesis 3:5)

It’s the same lie he tells us:

“You can have what you want without submission to God.”

It’s a lie, don’t believe it!

C. The Savior’s Response: Worship Belongs to God Alone (v. 10)

Jesus said to him,

Matthew 4:10 ESV

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.’ ”

This is the first time Jesus directly rebukes the devil.

The Greek verb hypage, Satana — “Be gone, Satan” — is a command of authority.

The battle is over.

The King speaks, and the deceiver must depart.

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13, again from Israel’s wilderness experience:

Deuteronomy 6:13 ESV

It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.

In that passage, God warned Israel not to worship the gods of the nations around them when they entered the Promised Land.

Here, Jesus faces the same choice — to bow to a false god for worldly gain or to worship the true God in obedience and suffering.

Jesus declares that worship is not a bargaining chip; it’s a covenant loyalty.

True worship isn’t transactional — it’s transformational.

Theological Truth: This response reveals the central truth of all creation — worship is the ultimate battleground of the universe.(Repeat)

At the heart of every temptation is a question of worship:

Who will we trust, who will we love, and who will we serve?

Satan’s demand echoes through every human heart:

“Bow to me and I’ll give you what you crave.”

But Jesus answers for us all: “Only God is worthy of worship.”

Historical Reflection:

John Calvin has a famous quote that has stood the test of time,

“The human heart is a perpetual factory of idols.”

Every time we choose comfort over obedience, pleasure over purity, reputation over righteousness — we bow to lesser gods.

BUT JESUS, the true worshiper, silences the idolatry of the human heart.

He loves the Father with all His heart, soul, and strength — fulfilling the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5) perfectly.

D. The Victory and the Vindication (v. 11)

Matthew concludes with Jesus’ victory and vindication,

Matthew 4:11 ESV

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

The war in the wilderness ends.

The devil departs — not because he’s finished, but because he’s defeated.

Luke adds,

Luke 4:13 ESV

…he [the devil] departed from him until an opportune time.

That “opportune time” would come again in Gethsemane and Golgotha.

But for now, the victory is complete.

The Second Adam has triumphed where the first Adam fell.

The true Israel has stood faithful where the old Israel faltered.

The King of righteousness has overcome the ruler of darkness.

And notice the tenderness of God’s care:

“Angels came and were ministering to Him.”

He who refused to summon angels in pride now receives them in peace.

This is sovereign vindication — the Father who tested His Son now tends to Him.

This moment foreshadows another of course:

After Jesus endures the greater wilderness of the cross, the Father will again vindicate Him — not with angels bearing bread, but with resurrection power and ascension glory.

E. Typology and Fulfillment

Matthew desires for his readers to step back and see that in these 11 verses He has traced the line of redemptive history:

Adam fell in paradise and brought death.

Israel failed in the wilderness and wandered in unbelief.

BUT Jesus, the true Son, triumphed in the desert and secured redemption.

Where Adam disobeyed the Word, Jesus obeyed it.

Where Israel doubted God’s presence, Jesus trusted it.

Where the world seeks power and glory apart from God, Jesus reveals that true glory is found in submission to God.

G. Application: Worship that Wins

Every temptation we face is ultimately a worship issue.

Will we serve the god of comfort or the God of the cross?

Will we worship power or purity, ease or endurance, self or Savior?

The devil still offers kingdoms — but they’re crumbling.

He still whispers, “You can have it now,” but the price is always the same: your soul.

Jesus says to each of us today:

Matthew 16:26 ESV

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Jesus shows us that victory comes not by yielding but by kneeling — not before Satan, but before the Father.

True freedom is not found in having everything we want but in worshiping the One who is worthy of everything we have.(Repeat!)

As Spurgeon once said,

“The way to escape temptation is not by arguing with it, but by adoring God.”

Worship is the weapon that silences the tempter.

Conclusion: The King Has Conquered

And though the devil has departed from this scene, the battle is not over.

This victory in the wilderness points to a greater one yet to come — at the cross.

The same Jesus who crushed the serpent’s schemes here will soon crush his head there.

The wilderness was only the prelude; Calvary is the crescendo.

So when temptation comes — when the voices of fear, pride, or despair call for your worship — remember the One who has already won.

Remember the King who conquered by the Word, who reigned by obedience, who triumphed through suffering.

And lift your heart in the confidence of the hymn we sang together this morning:

“And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.”

The King has conquered temptation to bring His kingdom to us.

So let us bow, adore, and worship — for the battle belongs to Him.

Let us turn from every rival throne, from the glitter of lesser gods that promise life but deliver death.

For as John Piper reminds us,

“The greatest enemy of worship is not atheism—it’s idolatry. It’s the endless worship of lesser gods.”

So may we forsake every false glory and find our joy in the One who is worthy of all glory.

His name King Jesus, the King of glory!

PRAY