Matthew 4. Jesus’ Temptation and Its Outcomes.

Key Notes: Jesus' use of Deuteronomy in combat. Jesus healed many diseases.

The temptation or trial of Jesus dominates this chapter, but it is well to read the chapter through and see the relationship between the tests Jesus had to pass and the events that followed. They are linked. The temptations have been the subject of so many sermons that it seems unlikely that any new information can come to light. Let us see.

4:1 The first verse is stunning. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil?! Unthinkable. “Lead us not into temptation.”(Matt.6:13). Note the Spirit’s three works to date:
            Creating Christ as a human being in the womb of Mary. 1:20
            Descending in visible form to Jesus at His baptism, validating His deity. 3:16
            Leading Him into the wilderness to be tempted. 4:1
We are observing what we cannot understand. Each event is unique and strange. The Holy Spirit and Jesus interact with each other in unusual ways. Creativity and love we might understand, but this third process seems adversarial. Jesus’ "metal" must be assayed to make sure it is purest gold. Was this event in The Plan of the Ages? No doubt.

During Jesus’ life there was a battle with Satan that would be fought on several fronts. This is the first one, a direct confrontation, with God in the flesh pitted against the powerful and malevolent spirit-being--Satan. The next battle will be fought in many individual skirmishes—casting out demons and dealing with intense confrontations with religious leaders. He will have to deal with the folly and defection of disciples. The last temptation will be the agony in Gethsemane.

The words temptation and trial are different in English, but the same Greek word is used in both cases. A trial is external, a stress imposed from without, like a court appearance. Temptation is driven by internal stresses. We must understand the context to choose the correct English word.
“…{everyone} is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire….” (Jm.1:14).
Was Jesus’ a temptation or a trial? It was both. The stresses clearly came from outside, but He had desires to be satisfied that would be challenged. The temptations were not meaningless. There are good reasons why He might want to do the things Satan proposes. For example, He was starving after 40 days without food.

Why the wilderness? The solitary saints of the early Christians centuries (Simon Stylites living on top of a pillar) learned that the desert did not lead them away from  temptation, but into it. They thought the temptations were with the shady citizens of the city—in the taverns and brothels --- but found that the less the external distraction, the more their loosened imaginations would roam. The flesh was all the more provocative and the struggle against sin all the more intense when they were alone. (Read about the desert fathers in A History of Christianity. K. S. Latourette. Harpers,’53.)  So the desert multiplies the stresses of temptation.

The word Satan is “diabolos” in Greek. It comes from the verb to throw down or accuse. Satan will try to throw Jesus down. He is “the accuser of the brethren.” (Rev.12:10). Satan is cynical and snide: “If you are the Son of God….” We are reminded of Satan confronting God about Job.

4:2 Jesus fasted forty days and was starving. We do not know what He did during those days and nights, but may presume that He was in meditation and prayer. By the end of this period He would be very weak from starvation and distracted by isolation and loneliness.

4:3 “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” The first temptation was to use His supernatural power to overcome His hunger. He must stay alive. Jesus’ response is instructive.
“Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." Deut.8:3

He quoted Scripture, but in the context, you will find the larger meaning of Jesus’ response. The context says:
“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you manna, which you did not know…that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by every thing that proceeds from the mouth of the God". (Deut.8:3)
God had used hunger to discipline Israel in the wilderness. Jesus implied that God was using hunger to discipline Him also and He would not wrestle out of the constraints, but wait for God to provide for His needs. He knew that He was not sent into the world to die of hunger in the desert.

4:5 The second temptation was an invitation to leap from the pinnacle of the temple. God would not allow Him to be hurt. ”If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” Satan quoted Psalm 91:11,12, leaving out a phrase
[ ]: “He will give His angels charge over You "[to keep you in all your ways"]. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. " My sense of the passage is that God will keep the One whom He protects from falling, not from a height, but from tripping on the ground. The missing phrase implies that moral protection is part of the angels’ mission and that was conveniently left out. God will prevent His Servant from falling into sin. This is the only passage in Scripture that Satan quotes (misquotes) and he has misinterpreted it, and misapplied it as well. He is a liar.

The motivation for the second temptation is not stated, but jumping from the Temple pinnacle would be a spectacular display of supernatural power. It would be effective in acquiring a crowd and an audience. He needs to get his message out to the masses. Jesus was being tempted to win a large audience by something that would appear magical. Satan baited the trap with a dare. “Go ahead. You know you are the Son of God. You can do it, and You know that God will not let you be hurt. Go ahead. Don’t be afraid. Do You doubt that God is here? Prove that He is here. Jump.”

Jesus responded again from Deuteronomy:
“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test as you tested him at Massah.” Deut.6:16
That occasion was Israel’s second experience of thirst in the wilderness.
“…they put the Lord to the proof, by saying ’ the Lord among us or not?" Ex.17:7

Jesus’ response is that demanding proof of whether God is really there or not and whether He will respond in a predictable way is sin. It had provoked God to anger against Israel. (Deut.9:22). Why? It was only about six weeks since they had escaped Egypt’s plagues, crossed the Red Sea on dry land, and seen Pharaoh’s armies swept away in the surging waters. And now they wanted to know if God was there or not? God saved them from the Egyptians to let them die in the wilderness? They made that charge against God at least three times. Ex.14:11; 16:3; Num.21:5.

Moses would shake his head over the chronic rebelliousness of Israel.
“You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you.” (Deut.9:24)

A second level response is more penetrating. Jesus is “the Lord your God” and He may not be challenged. He needs no spectacular display to achieve His goals.

4:8 In the third temptation Satan takes Him to a very high mountain. Since on earth we can see a radius of  perhaps a hundred miles, we assume that this was a vision. If we could see all the kingdoms of the ancient world and their glory, what would we have seen? The city of Rome—fountains, aqueducts, baths, the Coliseum. The beautiful statuary of Greece and the temple to Diana at Ephesus. The pyramids of Egypt and the Sphinx and the Temple at Karnak. The Lighthouse at Alexandria,  and Babylon’s Hanging Gardens. The gold of Croesus, and the Colossus at Rhodes. All this would be given to Him for a mere gesture, a momentary change in posture. No pain, no cross, no death agony.

The motive is obvious. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand? How will Jesus get a hold of it? Satan says he has a grip on all the world’s empires. It is a question most of us have not considered, since we are not sure that we know what the Kingdom is.
Jesus’ response to the third temptation also teaches us through the context:
            “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve. “

The larger text in Deuteronomy reads
“You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and swear by His name. You shall not go after other gods…for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and He destroy you from off the face of the earth. ” (Deut.6:13–15)
So Satan proposes that Jesus win the Kingdom by worshiping another god—Satan. To worship another god was a guaranteed way to lose the Kingdom! To have bowed the knee to Satan would have produced an unimaginable catastrophe.

In the first temptation, Satan appears like a friend, helping Someone who is starving. In the second, he is a provocateur. In the third, he takes off the mask; he is The Enemy of God.

In each case, Jesus did not merely deal with the motives—His survival, gaining an audience, and securing the kingdom. He did not simply say no. He reflected back to three gross sins that Israel committed:  They rebelled against discipline, they tempted God, and they worshiped  idols. Jesus in effect said “Do you think I am going to repeat their errors?

It was I whom they offended by their rebellion.
I was the Rock Moses struck to give water to the people.
I was their manna, the Bread of Life sent down from Heaven.
I am that I AM they refused to worship.”
(See I Cor.10:1–5)

Jesus not only answers Satan's temptations, He speaks to us through His trial.
*Live by the Word of God. Accept His discipline.
*Do not doubt His Presence. He has said "I will never leave your nor forsake you." (Heb.13:5). "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; " (Heb.13:6)
*Do not worship idols. The LORD must be the Only One on the throne of your life.


4:12–17  Jesus’ main site of work was around the sea of Galilee, a lake 7 miles wide and 14 miles long. This territory that belonged to Naphtali and Zebulun. Galilee of the Gentiles was on the border of Israel with her northern neighbors. It had been attacked repeatedly during the Monarchy (1040–587BC). The Syrians invaded three times and sent many raiding parties. The Assyrians attacked at least twice, conquered the northern kingdom  and deported the survivors. The Babylonians swarmed in to conquer Judah. The Jewish population had been largely replaced. The Persians, Greeks and Romans had all passed through. The mention of Syria (4:24) confirms that many Gentiles were being ministered to. It was a dark place, a site of chronic wars, the region of the shadow of death. And that is the best place for the Light to shine.

Isa.9:1–3 is the seventh prophecy Matthew has cited so far.
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has the light shined. You have multiplied the nation, You have increased its joy."

4:18–22 Jesus’ attractiveness was such that when He beckoned a pair of brothers, they got up, left their fishing, their life-work and went with Him. The Gospel record indicates that the first call was not final, however. Peter may have been called 3–4 times.

I will make you fishers of men?” Does that sound like a good thing? Catch them from what? For what?
“… he who wins souls is wise.” Prov.11:30 KJV
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Dan.12:3
“…save some, snatching them out of the fire….” Jude 23

4:23–25 Jesus’ healing ministry is outlined here. We have some notion of the diseases of the ancient world, as well as speculating that many were the same as we have today.
The healing task was so great that we cannot imagine accomplishing it. The list in the text is extended to indicate the magnitude of the problems--not unlike what one can find in the Third World today.
            All kinds of diseases, like tuberculosis, malaria, cancer, leprosy and worms.
            Torments, such as back pain, migraine, arthritis and kidney stones.
            Oppressions like post-traumatic stress, asthma, panic and depression.
            Demon-possession, always destructive, and very powerful.
            Insanity, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and paranoia.
            Paralysis as from stroke, Parkinsonism , poliomyelitis, spine and brain trauma.

Consider the aftermath of Jesus’ victory over the temptations.
Angels came and ministered to him. Limestone loaves? Angel food! 4:11
Crowds? Everywhere, coming for healing. 4:25
Building the Kingdom? Two disciples at a time.   4:18 –22