Ash Wednesday

Testing 1…2…3...

Matthew 4:1–11 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.’ ” 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.’ ” 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.

—> tested not tempted

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 27.31 πειράζω; ἐκπειράζω

to obtain information to be used against a person by trying to cause someone to make a mistake—‘to try to trap, to attempt to catch in a mistake.’

—> Temptation comes at you when you are weak

—> All of these temptations and tests were unique to Christ

—> we all have different tests

—> Test 1 the Bread

—> Yes he was hungry he was human

—> This was a test of Jesus’ control. Would he use his power his gifts for his own glory and satisfaction?

—> It isn’t the bread that sustains its God.

—> Test 2 The Temple (test 2 & 3 are mental)

—> The test of being a spectacle

—> Temple 450 ft above the Kedron Valley, Priests would go there

—> It would have been sensational, people would have flocked to Jesus, but then they would want more and more, bigger and bigger...

—> Jesus came so we could have relationship and not a show

—> Test 3 The Mountain

—> I can give you glory and power

—> I can make people like you

—> I can make this temporarily enjoyable

—> What do we learn from these 3 tests and what can give us strength through Lent

—> Don’t do this under our own power in our own abilities

—> Don’t keep waiting for God to do the next big thing. Let the big thing be your relationship.

—> Don’t settle for the things of this world when God has more in store for you.

—> How did Jesus respond?

—> How did Jesus respond?

—> With Biblical Truth and with the strength of God.