ETB Matthew 3:13–4:11

Session 1 - Affirmation - p.10

Sometime during our lesson today, we will be briefly interrupted.

The book starts off by asking us to consider the last time we started a new job. For me, that was 30 years ago, for some of you it was longer. So instead of a “career job” let’s consider the last “home job” that was new to us.

What was the last big task or chore at home that you had to prepare and get ready for before starting?

Ask: Why do you think words of affirmation are so important when you embark on a new endeavor?

We will encounter people who are starting new jobs and may be going through their first day jitters as they serve us. May we be the source of encouragement to them as Christ is to John in our text today. We will want to also remember this when our “interlude” comes later.

Understand the Context

“In those days.” The opening phrase of Matthew 3 establishes foundations on which the ministry of John the Baptist and the mission of Jesus the Christ are understood. Those days followed centuries of preparation across generations from Abraham to David to Jesus. “Those days” looked back at an angelic annunciation to a young virgin that she would bear the Son of God. Those days occurred in the aftermath of wise men from the East searching, finding, and worshiping the One born as King of the Jews. Casting a glance into Luke’s Gospel, those days saw the miraculous birth of a prophet to a childless, priestly couple—a child who rejoiced in his mother’s womb at the approach of the mother of his Lord (Luke 1:5-45).

Fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa. 40:3), the adult John did not look like one who would herald the Son of God. He lived a rough life in the wilderness, wore rough clothing, and shared a rough message. He called religious leaders a “brood of vipers” when they came to his baptisms (Matt. 3:7). Still, the people streamed from Jerusalem, the Judean countryside, and the Jordan River valley to hear John preach, and they remained with repentant hearts to be baptized. [LifeWay Adults (2025). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Winter 2026]

It is in the midst of this crowd and on the banks of this river that our text begins today.

Explore the Text

Matthew 3:13–17 ESV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus came

Most modern stories start with a “hook” to try and grab the reader or viewer to entice them to want to continue. The main character enters with a flare and maybe a theme song. Matthew keeps Jesus’ entry humble. There are no disciples yet, so it is just Jesus. He may have even stood at the back of the crowd for a bit and enjoyed remaining anonymous for the last time in his earthly life.

to John, to be baptized by him

The book mentions a few possible reasons why Jesus was baptized. One of my study Bibles had a similar list

Life Application Bible Notes Chart: The Pharisees and Sadducees

Jesus ask to be baptized? It was not for repentance for sin because Jesus never sinned. “We must carry out all that God requires” refers to accomplishing God’s mission. Jesus saw his baptism as advancing God’s work. Jesus was baptized because (1) he was confessing sin on behalf of the nation, as Nehemiah, Ezra, Moses, and Daniel had done; (2) he was showing support for what John was doing; (3) he was inaugurating his public ministry; (4) he was identifying with the penitent people of God, not with the critical Pharisees who were only watching.

I think that last one, identifying with the people that He came to save, is probably the most practical for us in the modern age. One other set of notes from Chromatius of Aquileia added another practical reason.

Ancient Faith Study Bible: Notes Chapter 3

the Lord did not want to be baptized for his own sake but for ours, in order to fulfill all righteousness. Indeed, it is only right that whatever someone instructs another to do, he should first do himself.

Here is the question I had that did not seem to be answered from any of the resources I got to read this week.

Why was important for Jesus to be baptized by John specifically?

Could anyone have done this for Jesus?

The ritual could have been done by any rabbi, but it would not have fulfilled Scripture or allowed John’s ministry to be completed.

it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

Notice how it requires both of them in order for “righteousness” or God’s purpose for their lives to be completed.

Jesus was not saying that baptism makes anyone righteous. Righteousness means being in a right relationship with God. 

Jews thought righteousness was obtained by following the law. Jesus said we are made righteous through faith in Him and His sacrifice for sin (Rom. 10:3-11). Centuries earlier, the prophet Habakkuk had declared that just people (righteous ones) live by faith (Hab. 2:4). Paul also reiterated this truth in his letters (Rom. 1:17).

Jesus told John that by obeying God in this manner both of them could demonstrate faith and fulfill the demands of righteousness. [ETB:ALG Winter '26]

Then he [John] consented.

Always the perfect gentlemen, Jesus did not force His will onto John but reasoned with him allowing John to choose and want to obey.

Can you remember a time when you “prevented” God from doing His work in or through you because you did not “consent?”

the heavens were opened to him

Jesus’ access to heaven was never fully blocked, so this “opening” is not so much about access for Him, but for a visual connection to be made between “heaven and earth” with Jesus as the focus.

Can you think of other things that were “opened” for Jesus?

Did He “open” anything for you in your life?

descending like a dove

I think the book points this out too. Notice it does not say “as a dove” but “like a dove.”

Matthew could have been describing the motion of the Spirit coming down and not a physical appearance.

a voice from heaven

Our first affirmation was Jesus of John’s ministry and contributions to fulfilling Scripture. Now we have God the Holy Spirit and God the Father affirming God the Son’s ministry is beginning.

This is apparently an audible voice that is heard by someone other than Jesus.

Can you recall other times in the New Testament that a “voice from heaven” was heard?

Not including the ones that are parallel passages to today’s text, or the ones in Revelation, there are only a couple more.

Once God is speaking to Peter about the common and clean foods or people.

One other instance in John is clearly heard by more than one person.

John 12:28–29 “28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.””

We know from other parallel passages that John testifies to hearing the voice in our passage, but the text is not clear if anyone else on the banks of the Jordan heard this.

What do you think?

Ask: What is the purpose of baptism in a believer’s life?

Just as Christ identified with those He came to save through His baptism, we identify with Him and His saving work on our behalf with ours.

After this affirmation in front of a crowd, Jesus now goes into isolation. This story must have been told to the disciples later or revealed to Matthew by the Spirit as he composed his book.

Matthew 4:1–4 ESV

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

Then Jesus was led up

Many believers think hearing God and following His Spirit frees us from difficulties, but this scene shows that the Spirit may lead us into challenging situations. [ETB:ALG Winter '26]

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 4

While God clearly never tempts anyone to do evil (see note on

Mark included his favorite word in his account and says that “immediately” after the baptism Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit. Maybe following that dove like manifestation as a guide. Having this chronology of events gives us a reason to expect similar occurrences in our lives.

Would you agree that this pattern of blessing followed by temptation is common?

he was hungry

This wording suggests that there was water for Jesus and it is a specific term for hunger and not thirst.

We just finished studying in here and on Sunday nights we continue to study the Exodus. What was one of the first things that the people complained about after coming out of Egypt?

How did God supply there need for food then?

Jesus’ quote is from that event, and the manna was meant to be a reminder of this truth.

Deuteronomy 8:3 “3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

All the verses that Jesus quotes in response to these temptations are not only appropriate, but contextually accurate. This is key for us when we memorize and draw from Scripture as well. The enemy, however, can also quote Scripture.

Matthew 4:5–7 ESV

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 took him

In this next part of the story God’s enemy changes the tactic and the temptation.

I am going to read verse 5 and 6 again, consider what we learn about the devil.

What do you see that is true about the enemy?

I cannot tell from the text if Jesus was physically moved to these next two places in the account or if he just changed Jesus’ humanly perceptions. I do know that this is a tactic that he does use on people today. He will change the truth of their perceptions or perspectives to entice us to a sinful fulfillment. Sometimes through drugs and sometimes with greed or other weakness in character. He is constantly trying to convince us that the sin before is a good idea and will “paint a beautiful picture” of how great it will be, but it is a whitewashed lie and that is not the reality. That’s what I like about Jesus’ response. He cuts through the lie with God’s Truth.

You shall not put the Lord your God to the test

Jesus responds with another quote from Deuteronomy, but this one precedes the previous one by a couple of chapters.

I asked my software what “testing God” meant.

Testing God involves posing an ultimatum where humans decide what would count as evidence of God’s presence and then attempt to force God to act or prove Himself. Essentially, it means demanding that God jump through our hoops and make Himself answerable to us1. While it is acceptable for God to test humans (as seen in numerous biblical references), the reverse is problematic1. Interestingly, there is one notable exception in Malachi 3:10, where God actually invites people to test Him regarding tithes, promising to pour out abundant blessings1.

Contrary to common perception, testing is not about punishment, but about revelation. It allows individuals to understand their own limitations2. During testing, people typically measure the possibility of a promise against their natural talents and resources, which inevitably leads to recognizing their own shortcomings2. The core challenge is maintaining faith - believing in and obeying God’s promises even through difficult testing periods, which requires trusting in every word that proceeds from God2.

1 Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011), 263.

2 Kim M. Maas and Patricia King, Finding Our Muchness: Inheriting Audacious Boldness from Women of the Bible (Chosen, 2024), 34–35.

This synopsis is generated by Logos AI.

Ask: What are some ways people might try to put God to the test in our culture?

In our lesson text, Satan was not done with his temptations, and Jesus was not done relying on God’s Word.

Matthew 4:8–11 ESV

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

showed him all the kingdoms of the world

This is another reason I think this may not have been a literal perception but Satan altering Christ’s weakened mind to perceive things as he wanted. I also believe that the “all kingdoms” were only those that existed at that moment in time because as a created being Lucifer cannot be in more than one time and is confined to a linear timeline like us. God, however, could see all kingdoms - past, present, and future - and He knows how they all will either glorify or deride His name. One of those nations that Satan would have offered Jesus was his own Jewish nation of Israel. He was born their king, even if they did not recognize it.

Another kingdom being offered would have been Rome. Some of his disciples would later want Christ to take over this kingdom too. But to do so would at this time would be to preempt God the Father’s timing. Jesus quotes another Deuteronomy verse found just a couple of verses before the last one He quoted.

What does this tell us about the importance of the Old Testament?

How important to our spiritual purity is it to be able to quote Scripture?

What verse are you trying to memorize or reviewing this week?

This is one of those disciples that I have let atrophy in my life. So, I ask that you all help me to tone that muscle up again by asking that last question of me whenever God brings it to your mind.

Apply the Text

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 4

The three temptations Jesus faced parallel the tests Israel faced in the wilderness, and every Scripture that Jesus quoted in response to his temptations was drawn from God’s message to the Israelites about their wilderness test (

Life Application Bible Notes Chapter 4

The devil used Scripture to try to convince Jesus to sin! Sometimes friends or associates will present attractive and convincing reasons why you should try something you know is wrong. They may even find Bible verses that seem to support their viewpoint. Study the Bible carefully, especially the broader contexts of specific verses, so that you understand God’s principles for living and what he wants for your life. Only if you really understand what the whole Bible says will you be able to recognize errors of interpretation when people take verses out of context and twist them to say what they want them to say.

Pray:

Explore the Bible Prayer Guide (QR code on page 19).

Thank God for the truth that baptism portrays—going from death to life in Christ. Pray that your life would reflect the newness of life you have received in Christ.

Pray for God to save lost people. Pray for your church to reach and baptize more people in 2026.

Give thanks to God for revealing His love and approval of Jesus. Ask Him to help you live in a way that pleases Him, rooted in your identity as His child (3:17).

Ask God to help you walk in obedience, even when you don’t fully understand the path ahead (4:1).

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and to empower you to live a life that reflects Christ, always walking in step with His guidance (4:1).

Ask God to help you respond to trials and temptations with truth, just as Jesus did. Ask Him to remind you of His Word and to strengthen you to resist the enemy (4:3-10).