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Jesus Tempted and Tried

JESUS IS TEMPTED AND TESTED

Matthew 4: 1-11

Our challenge this year is to “Learn More About Jesus”…and that is what we are going to do again this morning.

But first, He must spend some time in the wilderness. Look if you will at chapter 4:1:

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Now, let me give you some important information to be harvested from this one verse.

  1. Jesus was the sole human witness of His temptation…no one else was there…therefore, this story must have originated from Him.
  2. Since it originated with Him it is obvious that He confirms the existence of the devil. Some today dispute that the devil exists at all.
  3. Since Jesus was tempted…and yet Jesus had no sin…then we know from this experience of Jesus that it is not a sin to be tempted.

Now, the express purpose for Jesus being “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” was “to be tempted by the devil.”

And the word “devil” in the Greek is the word “diabolos” and it literally means “slanderer, “false accuser.”

So look now at verse 2:  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

Mark and Luke indicate that Jesus was tempted during the whole of the 40 day and there is no reason to dispute that.

Look now at vs. 3: And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But notice Satan doesn’t just tempt Jesus as a result of hunger…Satan also tempts Jesus with some pride: “If you are the Son of God”…just prove it.”

You see, what the devil is doing here…his purpose was to get Jesus to obey him…

Now, look at Jesus’ response: The devil says, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Vs. 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'”

And look at what He says: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'”

So what Jesus does here when He refers to Deut. 8:3 is He is saying, “The Holy Spirit has led me here…this is a test to see if I will obey my Father’s commands and be faithful to Him…or if I will give in to Satan’s temptation…I will pass this test!”

So look what the devil does next, vs. 5:  Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand 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 give His angels charge concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, Lest You strike Your foot against a stone.'”

Now, we have no knowledge of how the devil took Jesus to the holy city and how he had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple…and the truth is it doesn’t matter.

But look at what the devil says to Him: “If you are the Son of God”…again there is this temptation of pride…”If you are the Son of God” then prove it!”

Look what he says. He quotes from Psalm 91:11-12: “Throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, Lest You strike Your foot against a stone.'”

But look at Jesus’ answer…again His immediate response is the word of God.

So the devil tries one more time…perhaps with his greatest enticement, vs. 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 things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

 

And what does Jesus do again…He immediately relies on scripture: Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'”

Now vs. 11: Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”

 Now, what is it that we need to learn from all of this?

Well, first…notice in vs. 1 that Jesus was “led up by the Spirit”…”to be tempted by the devil.”

Well, look at Heb. 4:15:  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

But then there is another side to this.

Also, His being tempted by Satan impresses on us the importance of knowing the scriptures.

And finally, we need to realize that with every temptation comes a test…and with every test comes a temptation.

Now, every one of us is being tested…and we are being tempted.