Matthew 4

Temptation Has It’s Time

We should be impressed with the baptism and the fact that Jesus our Savoiur wanted to identify himself with our need for repentance. His temptation should stretch our minds even further in that he stooped to the depths of allowing Satan to try and tempt him into sin.

speaks to this - that “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”. This should confirm in our minds that when Jesus entered this world he set aside the power and privileges of his deity.

The process to do this was 1. he emptied himself of power, 2. was born in man’s likeness, 3. was obedient even when it meant dying, 4. he accepted the shame of the cross. Add to this process of his being tempted as a man after being weakened by a long fast. Satan asks him to do 3 things, and Jesus used scripture to battle against each temptation. Nothing more, no powers, no anger at being addressed “if you are the Son of God”. He met each attempt to pull him down into sin with a firm rejection of what he would have naturally been able to do with his deity. But he didn’t use his powers, he firmly identified himself with us. It is in this very act of emptying himself that we should find hope. He overcame temptation as a human not as God. Jesus was demonstrating and experiencing the meaning of submission to the Father’s will.

In each temptation, what seems to be the particular human vulnerability?

the temptation to make bread was a temptation because Jesus was hungry and that corresponded to his physical condition and his needs.

The temptaion that offered the kingdoms of the world shows our temptation to give into worldliness.

The temptation of jumping off the building and trusting angels to save him brings us to the biggest challenge and vulnerability of doubting God

2 What does each vulnerability/response from Jesus teach us ?

Man shall not live on bread alone… teaches us to not let the physical dominate the spiritual beings that we are. We should not let our physical needs and urges dominate and control our behaviour.

The temptation to rule the kingdoms of the world would be a good one, right? I mean really - he already is Jesus and has been given authority over all things.

The last temptation of trusting God - not doubting. How long can we sit and wait, and wonder? What is God’s plan, purpose or direction he wants you to go in? Are you asking God to prove something, I hope not because God asks us to have the faith. We shouldn’t be quick to doubt God but we are quick to do just that when we are under pressure.