Transcript

Matthew 4:1-5 · NOBA @ Noon

Canon Justin Murff: The Gospel of Matthew chapter four verse one through five. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. But he answered, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. This is the gospel of the Lord. Immediately after his baptism, where the Father's voice declared Jesus to be his beloved Son, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil. This sequence of events is intentional and instructive. You see, spiritual high points often precede seasons of immense testing. The confirmation of Jesus' true identity becomes the very thing that the enemy would choose to attack. After fasting forty days and forty nights, obviously, Jesus was hungry. The simplicity of this statement masks its intensity, though. Forty days without food pushes the human body to its natural limits. Jesus didn't face this temptation from a position of strength, but from a position of profound physical weakness. The Son of God chose to confront the enemy. In humanity's most vulnerable state. The first temptation strikes at this vulnerability. The enemy taunts, If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. Notice the subtle attack here. If you are the Son of God. The devil questions the very words that the Father had just declared. He declares, This is my son, in whom I'm well pleased, and yet now the devil Is daring to question Jesus' identity. He also presents a seemingly reasonable request. You're hungry, you have power, why suffer unnecessarily? But embedded in this temptation is a deeper trap. The devil invites Jesus to use his divine power independently of the Father's will to meet his own needs on his own terms. Throughout his ministry, Jesus would multiply bread for others, but here he refuses to do so for himself. His power was not for self service, but was to fulfill the mission that the Father had given him. Notices Jesus' response here. He responds with the word of God, for it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy, drawing from Israel's wilderness experience, where Israel had failed, grumbling about food and doubting God's provision, Jesus. Would stand firm. True sustenance doesn't come from physical bread, but from dependence upon God and his holy word. The devil then takes Jesus to the Holy City and he sets him on the pinnacle of the temple. The scene shifts from the wilderness isolation to the very middle of a religious spectacle. The second temptation will likewise target Jesus' identity and his mission through setting atop the temple. This suggests that it will involve some type of religious performance and public demonstration. But it demonstrated Jesus' qualification as Messiah. He succeeded where Israel had failed. It revealed his strategy for overcoming evil not through power displays, but through scripture and submission to God the Father. It also prepared them for their own battles with temptation, and it prepares us as well. So how does this passage speak to our lives today? Well, if you've recently experienced a breakthrough or a confirmation, be alert. The enemy often targets us in the aftermath of such moments. Jesus models the proper response to temptation. Hold fast to the Word of God. Notice he doesn't engage in a philosophical debate with the devil or attempt to match power with power. No, Jesus simply speaks the truth of Scripture. Our best defense against the temptation of the enemy. is directly related to our saturation in God's word. When temptation hits, declare the words of Scripture, shining the light of Christ always will force darkness to flee. This passage exposes the subtlety though of temptation. The devil's first suggestion wasn't overtly evil, in fact it was practical, even rational and reasonable. But it would have represented independence from the Father's will. Many temptations Come to us not as obvious sins, but as reasonable alternatives to God's perfect plan for our lives. Today, identify an area where you're particularly vulnerable to temptation. What scriptures speak directly to that struggle? Find it, explore it, memorize it. Let Christ's example shape your own response. So when the tempter comes, let's meet him with the promises declared to us in the Word of God.