Matthew 4:1-11 part 2

I’ve entitled this message Our King advances His Kingdom.

AFTER HIS BAPTISM Jesus enters his ministry as the Spirit-anointed and Father-confirmed messianic deliverer.

But his beginning as deliverer is as out of place as was his appearance for baptism.

Instead of initiating a public reformation, he goes to the desert to fast!

But this will be more than a place of spiritual retreat.

The desert is the place of the first showdown between competing kingdoms and their rulers,

between two figures who lay claim to the hearts and souls of men and women.

Rather than retreat, Jesus now advances the kingdom of God.

We come to

THE SETTING OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF GOD’S KINGDOM.

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. "After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” ()

Martin Luther said, ‘Temptation and adversity are the two best books in my library.’

Here we see the Son of God, preparing to enter on his ministry, undergoing these same elements, especially temptation.

It was God who took the initiative, not Satan. "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” ()

As he looked forward to beginning the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, he met the enemy, the prince of this world, the occupying power, as it were.

As he looked forward to beginning the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, he met the enemy, the prince of this world, the occupying power, as it were.

This confrontation is looked for, not just as a preparation for ministry,

but as a part of that ministry:

an entry on the battle, a declaration of war.

It is vital to see this remarkable incident in a positive way.

It is surely not wrong to use this passage to learn from our Lord’s method of dealing with temptation, for instance

by the correct use of Scripture,

but that is not the real point.

That is purely defensive; the real point is that our Lord is on the attack.

God’s King has come from heaven to invade the enemy’s territory,

to begin the war of liberation, to free sinners in bondage to Satan.

In the light of this it is significant that for his answers to the Evil One, Jesus went to the book of Deuteronomy, using quotations that applied originally to the Israelites.

This is not a misuse of Scripture, but an insight into its true meaning and relevance. It shows that he stood alongside his people,

that he was the true Israel,

as we have seen already in chapter 2:15.

He is the representative man, the Servant of the Lord.

He came as another Adam to represent all his people, both Jews and Gentiles, as Adam represented all men, and on their behalf to win the victory.

Where Adam disobeyed and sinned and so brought sin and death to all mankind, Jesus obeyed and earned a righteousness for those whom he represented.

The apostle Paul spells it out in his letter to the church in Rome: ‘Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous’ ().

We must remember here that Jesus was (and is) a real man, not a spirit or God in a human form.

However difficult we find it to accept, he was really tempted, genuinely under pressure, in fact even more so than we can be or imagine,

because he resisted throughout and so provoked increasingly hard temptation.

We do not get this far; we give in before we can encounter temptations as hard as those he faced and defeated.

Jesus, the representative man, suffered when he was tempted ().

This was a new and crucial stage in the age-long struggle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent ().

Like Adam, he was a real man. Unlike Adam, he faced temptation in the worst possible circumstances.

Adam was in paradise; Jesus was in the desert (with the wild animals, ).

Adam was permitted to eat the fruit of all the trees in the garden except one.

Jesus ‘after fasting for forty days and forty nights … was hungry’.

He was alone, facing an uncertain future, in one sense, yet, in another, one that was awfully certain.

It was under these adverse conditions that Jesus did battle with the devil and won.

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THE STRATEGY OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF GOD’S KINGDOM.

The first temptation: bread and obedience (4:3–4)

Look how the tempter begins by challenging Jesus:

"Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” "He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”” ()

‘Think of your status; remember who you are.

Why should someone like you have to suffer the pangs of hunger,

when with a word you can remedy the situation?’

The issue is not Jesus’ divine sonship as such.

He is not being tempted to doubt his position as the Son of God, but to misuse it.

He is being enticed into using his divine power to avoid the path of deprivation and suffering that his heavenly Father has set before him, to disobey the Father’s word.

This is one of many illustrations in the Gospels of Paul’s teaching in that Jesus, ‘though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited’.

The way of the kingdom is the way of suffering, the way of the cross.

Jesus is the Suffering Servant of , so he rejects Satan’s suggestion out of hand,

as he will also do later, in the Garden of Gethsemane (26:52–54) and then on the cross itself (27:39–40).

Christ’s answer from must, as usual, be seen in its context there.

In that passage Moses reminded Israel that God had led them in the desert to test them: "He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” ()

God can provide sustenance by his powerful word, by which he gave them manna in the desert,

so bread is not absolutely necessary.

What is absolutely necessary is obedience to the energizing word of God.

If God has commanded Jesus to fast in the wilderness as part of his purpose of salvation,

then he will also provide for him to live to perform that work.

The command of God contained within it the provision of God.

Essentially, therefore, Christ had to trust God—to strengthen him,

provide for him and then to release him from hunger at the proper time (4:11).

And this he did, unlike Israel, who complained about ‘this manna’ () and refused to submit and trust.

We must not limit ourselves to a moralistic lesson that reading our Bibles is more important than eating our food.

We are in the realm of salvation here; we must see Christ’s work, not our duty.

The significance for Jesus is clear.

Israel demanded its bread but died in the wilderness; Jesus denied himself bread, retained his righteousness, and lived by faithful submission to God’s Word.

Jesus resisted the devil’s ploy to divert him from the pathway of obedience and consequent suffering.

Instead he set his face steadfastly to go on towards the cross.

His obedience fulfilled all God’s requirements and provided a righteousness for us who believe in him.

The second temptation: promise and proof (4:5–7)

"Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, "and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” "Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”” ()

Just as we do not know exactly how ‘the tempter came to him’ (4:3), so we do not know whether verse 5 is to be understood in a literal or visionary manner.

The temptation was real: to ‘throw’ himself down from the pinnacle of the temple and expect God’s angels to save him from death.

As has often been pointed out, the devil can quote (or misquote) Scripture when it suits his purposes.

His interpretation and application may be plausible, but they are wrong.

Failure to do proper and accurate exegesis is to play the devil’s game.

We must make sure that it is actually God’s Word that we are trusting, not a false interpretation.

Jesus’ use of ‘also’ in verse 7 illustrates a vital hermeneutical principle:

we must never interpret one passage of Scripture in such a way as to contradict other passages.

Context is vitally important.

The author of , from which Satan quoted, refers to those who ‘make the Most High [their] dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge’ (v. 9).

In verse 14 the Lord says, "Because he has his heart set on me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name.”

‘Surely,’ argues the devil, ‘this must apply to you, if you are the Son of God.

If anyone can take this as a firm basis for throwing himself off the temple, then you can.’

He, if anyone, could take this assurance of angelic protection literally.

The clue to both the nature of the temptation and the remedy lies in our Lord’s counter-quotation: "Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”” ( quoting ).

‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’ (4:7, quoting ). Versions which use the word ‘tempt’ here are unhelpful. The same word is used both for tempting to sin and for testing or trying (although the word in verse 7 is slightly different). shows the variety of meaning that is possible, from enticing to sin to proving that something is genuine. This second idea can be a good thing, as when God tries us and refines us, or bad, as here. Putting God to the test means asking him for proof of his faithfulness before you will trust him, as Israel did at Massah. Instead of relying on the God who had redeemed them from Egypt and promised to take them to Canaan, they ‘tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” ’ (). We must distinguish this from the use in , where the Lord says to Israel, ‘Test me in this (prove me now, AV) and see whether I will not throw open the flood gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’ This testing is not a sinful demand for further assurance. It is relying on God to keep the word he has already given, in the appropriate circumstances, not demanding proof beforehand.

This “test”ing here can be a good thing, as when God tries us and refines us, or bad, as here.

Putting God to the test means asking him for proof of his faithfulness before you will trust him, as Israel did at Massah.

Instead of relying on the God who had redeemed them from Egypt and promised to take them to Canaan,

they ‘tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” ’ ().

We must distinguish this from the use in , where the Lord says to Israel, "Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.”

This testing is not a sinful demand for further assurance.

It is relying on God to keep the word he has already given, in the appropriate circumstances, not demanding proof beforehand.

So Jesus refused to demand any proof beyond what God had already promised and

went on to his ministry, relying on the Lord to protect and save him as occasion arose.

He did not doubt God’s ability or his willingness and so did not find it necessary to put him to the test before he could launch out into the world.

As the Son of God, who had come into the world to save sinners,

he knew that God would support and protect him,

without having to resort to a practical demonstration beforehand.

God would even send his angels to sustain him when necessary, as he did in verse 11 and .

We must follow this example.

We must trust God, not demanding proof, even under the guise of testing our own faith.

However, the real point is that Jesus, the true Israel, unlike the old Israel and unlike Adam,

did trust God and showed it by his obedience.

Thus he fulfilled all righteousness, defeated the devil and went on to save sinners.

The third temptation: worship and the world (4:8–11)

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” "Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” "Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.” ()

This time Satan did not mention that Jesus is the Son of God.

Perhaps that would have been too dangerous, by reminding Jesus of his authority, but it remains implicit in the temptation.

‘all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour’ (4:8)His amazing promise,

‘All this I will give you … if you will bow down and worship me,’

Could he really do this? The answer seems to be both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.

This condition he attached shows that he was actually usurping the place and throne of God, which he certainly could not do.

The fact is that Jesus has come to defeat Satan’s kingdom and take away all his authority.

The attractiveness and power of this temptation lies in the fact that Jesus had a right to the world and its glory.

One day he will achieve this, not only as God, but as God-man and Mediator.

In the angel declares, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” ()

The way that God had ordained for this is the path of suffering and the cross.

The way of worshipping Satan would avoid that suffering and pain.

The prophets of the Old Testament had ‘predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow’ ().

Neither the Saviour nor his people can avoid this sequence: suffering precedes glory (; ).

The temptation is of the same kind as the one that came later through Peter, to avoid the cross, which received equally short shrift: ‘Away from me, Satan!’ (4:10; cf. 16:23).

Our Lord did not rebuke Satan for treating him as an inferior being.

Instead he quoted again from the Old Testament record of Israel.

Once again he speaks as man, the truly righteous man, the true Israelite, the last Adam, acting on our behalf.

Where Adam went along with Satan’s suggestions and, in effect, worshipped him rather than God,

Jesus says, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’ (4:10, quoting ).

Jesus, as the Son of God, had received God’s promise:

"Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession.” ()

Ask of me,

and I will make the nations your inheritance,

the ends of the earth your possession

().

He trusts the Father and will worship only him.

Jesus rejected the devil’s offer because

he trusted God the Father to keep his promise to reward his sufferings in this way ().

He trusted the Father to feed and sustain him; he trusted the Father to protect him and in due course to give him his kingdom.

He trusted the Father to feed and sustain him;

he trusted the Father to protect him and in due course

to give him his kingdom.

Therefore he would go ahead with his ministry, no matter what it would cost, because this is the way the Father had set before him.

The devil left him for a time, defeated, and the angels, whose help he had not presumed upon, now came to him at the Father’s command (4:11).

"Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.” ()

He was given freely what he would not take sinfully.

So it will be with the kingdom.

We glean several things from this passage:

First Jesus is led by the Spirit. The Spirit came on him at his baptism (3:13–17), and now the Spirit leads him to the desert.

Increasingly Matthew shows us that the Spirit is no impersonal force.

He is the personal agent who will be intimately involved in guiding Jesus every step of the way in his earthly life.

Jesus has come to accomplish the will of the Father who sent him (26:39, 42), and it is the Spirit who guides him as he accomplishes the Father’s will.

That is, Jesus is in the desert not only to commune with the Father but also to engage the enemy.

That same Spirit will give power to Jesus in order to withstand Satan’s temptations.

Second, We also learn that the devil is a real adversary.

Entering for the first time on the scene of Matthew’s account is the one who already has been behind efforts to circumvent the arrival of Jesus Messiah.

Although Herod was the first human adversary of Jesus, the real enemy is now revealed as “the devil,” or, as he is called later, Satan (4:10; 12:26; 16:23).

The Greek term diabolos (“accuser”) occurs here preceded by the definite article to indicate Jesus is uniquely tempted by “the devil” (cf. also 4:5, 8, 11; 13:39; 25:41).

This is not a symbol for depravity or an emblem of the propensity toward corruption.

The devil is an intelligent, powerful spirit-being that is thoroughly evil and is directly involved in perpetrating evil in the lives of individuals as well as on a much larger scale.

He is not an abstraction, either as a personification of the inner corrupt self or in the sense of a symbolic representation of organized evil.

As the real enemy of God (13:39), the devil leads a host of other powerful spiritual beings that assist him in trying to thwart God’s purposes.

Paul calls him “the ruler of the power of the air” ().

So the battle line traced in the sands of the Judean desert is really a battle line in the sands of all time,

ew (pp. 154–155). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Christians must, of course, learn to follow the example of their Lord both in content and method.

because the outcome will have implications for all of humanity.

Wilkins, M. J. (2004). Matthew (p. 154). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

This is the first skirmish, as the ruler of the kingdom of the air undertakes to halt the advance of the kingdom of God.

Third (and lastly) Christians must, of course, learn to follow the example of their Lord both in content and method.

Christians must, of course, learn to follow the example of their Lord both in content and method.

We must trust and obey, trust and not test, trust and not look for pleasant shortcuts without suffering.

We must use Scripture to strengthen our faith and so defeat Satan’s wiles.

More than this, we must fight against Satan in the strength of our knowledge that

Jesus has beaten Satan once for all and that, in him, we too can be victorious.

Christ, with his experience of temptation, can sympathize with us in our trials, but he does not condone our sin.

On the contrary, having defeated Satan for us, he expects us to follow in his steps, without sin and assured that through him we may

“...approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.” ()

"Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.” ()

Legg, J. (2004). The King and His Kingdom: The Gospel of Matthew Simply Explained (pp. 46–53). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.