Midweek 1/21/21

Matthew 4:1-11

4:1

It was the spirit that led Jesus in the wilderness to be tempted.

Why would God lead Jesus who is the Messiah into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan?

God was testing Jesus to show He is the Messiah. That Jesus is the perfect lamb without sin.

Satan was tempting Jesus to sin. God was testing to show Jesus is the promised Messiah.

There are also parallels to Jesus being in the wilderness for 40 days, and Israel wondering the wilderness for 40 years.

Deuteronomy 8:2

God tested Isreal to see what was in their hearts. They had sinned and disobeyed many times.

Jesus was tested and did not sin or disobey God. And showed Himself to be perfect and the Messiah who was promised.

This goes to show us, when God tests us and our faith, if we get the test right and pass how much we can shine for God to others.

What are some ways God might test us?

How we treat others?

Are we going to love our enemies?

Give example of lady next door giving me a hard time and finding her keys.

4:2-4

Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days Luke 4:1-2 tells us that He was tempted the whole 40 days. Though we only have the last part of His temptation recorded.

Satan tempts Jesus when He is at His human weakness of hunger.

Satan tempts Jesus with His hunger.

To look to food and not God.

To give into His flesh and not God.

We see Jesus come back at Satan immediately with the word or God.

He does not give Satan’s temptation one thought.

Jesus immediately puts the word of God in His mind and come back at Satan with it.

So now Satan and Jesus are going to have boxing match of “If you are the Son of God” & “It is written”

4:5-7

So now Satan is like two can play this game with the word of God.

Satan now tempts Jesus by quoting scripture to Him correctly. But Satan twists it for his wicked purposes.

Again Jesus does not give this temptation one thought. He comes back at Satan again with the word of God. And He come back at him with the correct context of God’s word.

Guys listen to me very carefully. Satan knows the Bible and he Knows is well. (repeat this)

When he quotes it, even when he quotes it correctly it is for his twisted purposes to get us to sin.

This is why it is also so very important that we know God’s word. When Satan come at us with twisted scripture, we will know the true word of God and know how to respond.

This trick of Satan’s in nothing new.

Lets look at Genesis 3:1-5

By twisting God’s words to Adam and Eve he tempted them to disobey God and they listened.

4:8-11

Now Satan is switching His strategy.

Quoting scripture correctly and twisting it did not work.

So now he goes after what Jesus will eventually do the hard way, taking back the kingdom of this earth.

Satan tempts Jesus that he will give him the kingdoms of the earth if He just bows down and worships him.

This would have been so much easier then going to the cross.

But God’s plan/will was not just to take back the kingdom from Satan. But to take back man from Satan.

Funny how Satan leaves that part out.

Have you guys ever heard the saying the easy way is not always the best way?

Or the easy way is not always the right way?

Its true, and at times the enemy will tempt us with the easy way.

But again Jesus does not give this temptation one thought. He again comes at Satan with the word of God.

I find it interesting that Satan would even try to go up against Jesus, the Son of God to tempt Him. He had to of known it was a losing battle.

I imagine it this way. When a little yappy dog barks at a much bigger dog, like I can take you.

That big dog is thinking I can eat you in one bite.

But why does Satan even tempt Jesus if it is a losing fight?

The answer is pride. Pride is always a big downfall and makes you think you are bigger than you really are.

That is the whole reason Lucifer fell. He wanted to be God. Pride.

But Satan is fighting a losing battle, he lost the day he fell from heaven.

God wins and we as believers win because of what God did through Jesus on the cross.

Closing

Jesus has given us an example how to fight temptation. By the word of God.

Psalms 119:11

Be like Jesus and do not give the enemy an inch, because he will take a mile.

Sow a thought reap an action, sow an action reap a habit, sow a habit reap a character, sow a character reap a destiny.

Let’s be believers and followers of Jesus that do not give the enemy an inch.