Overcoming Temptation Matthew 4:1-11

Introduction

Why was Jesus being tempted now, right after His baptism (a mountaintop experience) and right before the launch of His ministry? There is one primary reason.

Jesus Christ was about to launch His ministry-an unbelievable ministry that was to determine the eternal fate of every person who had ever lived or ever would live. The weight of its importance, the necessity of personal preparation, and the need for having the right plan pressed in upon Him. He had to be prepared-prepared mentally, prepared spiritually, prepared physically. How could He prepare Himself? There was only one way: He had to get alone with God and subject Himself; to gain complete control over His body and Spirit. He had to get completely apart from the world.

This Jesus did. He was led by the Spirit to separate Himself from food and from everything else. He got alone for forty days and nights in order to be with God. He was in earnest, ever so intense over His ministry which was about to be launched. He prayed; He thought; He meditated on the Scripture. And He planned. He bore so heavy a responsibility, and all the strain in all its weight and duty pressed in ever so heavily upon Him. Just imagine the pressure and weight pressing against His body. He prayed; He asked; He pleaded; He broke; He wept-He begged for strength and endurance to stand up under all that was to face Him in the upcoming years. The preparation went on for forty days and nights.

Once Jesus had worked out the plan necessary to launch His ministry, and once He had received the necessary strength to go forth, His personal preparation lacked only one more thing: confronting the temptations that would face Him in the upcoming years. Conquering the onslaught of temptations that lay ahead would complete His preparation. Thus "was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted...And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights...the tempter came to Him" (Mt. 4:1-2).

"Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered" (He. 5:8).

"In that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted" (He. 2:18; see He. 2:16-17).

"We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (He. 4:15-16).

Main Idea: Like Jesus, we can overcome temptation.

1. The temptation of Jesus (1-3a)

a. Was led by the Spirit

b. Was tempted by the devil

2. The first temptation: To prove His deity by using His power for personal reasons (3b-4)

a. The temptation

1) To secure man's loyalty by His own power

2) To trust Himself & His own ability instead of God

b. Jesus’ answer: Quoted Scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3)

1) Man needs more than bread

2) Man needs God’s Word to meet daily needs

3. The second temptation: To prove His deity by the spectacular (5-7)

a. The temptation

1) To test God & to presume that God would take care of Him no matter what sin or foolish thing He did (Psalm 91:11,12)

2) To attract attention by the spectacular & secure the people’s following

b. Jesus’ answer: Quoted Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:16)

1) God is not to be tested

2) God, not the spectacular, is to be trusted

4. The third temptation: To prove His deity by compromise (8-10)

a. The temptation

1) To achieve His purpose by another route

2) To switch loyalties or take a shortcut to secure the people's worship

b. Jesus’ answer: Quoted Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:13-15)

1) God alone is to be feared and served

2) Do not worship other gods because God is a jealous God

5. The triumphant victory: Christ conquered the temptation (11)

a) The devil is a conquered enemy.

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15).

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (He. 2:14).

b) There is always an escape from temptation. God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13).

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Pe. 2:9).

c) When temptation is resisted, the devil flees and the believer is relieved for a while.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).