-LIFE OF CHRIST - EARLY JUDEAN MINISTRY

 Jesus is Tempted by the Devil

-Matt 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13

-Here we find that Jesus was “led by the Spirit”.  The fact that Jesus faced temptations directly from

  Satan did not result from random chance.  Instead, His facing these temptations and overcoming them

  was by design – the will of God. 

-The fact that this took place in the wilderness indicates that this was a one-on-one situation.  Jesus

  and Satan met face to face with the eternal hopes of all mankind (thanks to God’s plan of

  redemption) hanging in the balance.  Let’s be careful not to underestimate the significance of these

  temptations.  And, let’s remember that Jesus faced these, not only as the Son of God, but as a man. 

-Notice that Satan, the tempter, came to Jesus.  Undoubtedly, he thought he had a window of

  opportunity.

-In Matthew’s account and Luke’s account, the temptations are not recorded in the same order.  For

 our study, we’ll consider them in the order that Matthew presented them.

-First Temptation:

-In this temptation, Satan is attempting to take advantage of Jesus’ physical hunger due to fasting.  The

  idea of turning stones to bread certainly would have been appealing and tempting.  However, Jesus

  overcame the temptation through His reliance on God’s word and therefore answered “It is

  written…” and quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3.  This shows the importance of spiritual food over

  physical food.

-Second Temptation

-In this temptation, Satan takes Jesus to the “pinnacle” of the temple.  (This is not a reference to a

  literal pinnacle on the temple but simply indicates an elevated location.)  With a view of the temple

  and the city of Jerusalem, Satan then tempted Jesus by quoting scripture (Ps 91:11-12).   “Doubtless

  the tempter, having felt the power of God's word in the former temptation, was eager to try the effect

  of it from his own mouth” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown). 

-Here we find a very important principle of bible study – one can accurately quote a passage while

  misapplying it.  To combat this, Jesus responded, “It is written again…” (KJV), “It is also written…”

  (NIV).  Jesus proved that Satan misapplied the scripture due to the fact that it violated another

  passage.  (Deut 6:16).

          -Many, many people have been led away from the truth of God’s word because of individuals

            who have quoted portions of scripture with incorrect applications attached to them.  Jesus’

            response to Satan shows that the scriptures must be viewed and understood as a whole. 

            By viewing the scriptures in part, many people have failed to learn the truth. 

-With this temptation, Satan is trying to get Jesus to prove Himself through the fulfillment of scripture.

In other words, he’s trying to utilize the use of scripture in his deceitfulness.  He is basically saying to

Jesus, “The word says this.  Now let’s see it.”  Also involved in this, could be the appeal of worldly

attention.  After all, if Jesus did this it would be in full view of many of the people in Jerusalem. 

-Yet, if Jesus did as Satan suggested (for the purpose of fulfilling the scripture), whose will would He

  be following - God’s or Satan’s?  I think this temptation shows the deep deceitfulness of the devil.

-Yet again, Jesus overcame the temptation by relying on the scriptures.

-Third Temptation

-In this temptation, Satan was more direct.  His attempts at being deceitful had failed.  Therefore, he

  gets right to the point – “fall down and worship me”.  “This temptation was the boldest and most

  audacious of all.  In the first two temptations, Jesus had stripped the devil of his devious disguises and

  had revealed the true motives of evil.  In the third temptation, Satan himself abandoned all

  masquerade and ceased to utilize secondary devices.  He deliberately, directly, defiantly asked for the

  homage of Christ” (Roper, p38).

-Satan tempted Jesus by offering Him the kingdoms of the world and the “glory of them” (Luke 4:6).

  Perhaps Satan misunderstood Jesus’ purpose while here on Earth.  Did he expect Jesus to establish

  an earthly kingdom?  And, what good would this temptation be if Satan had nothing to offer?  “The

  implication is that all this was the devil’s to give (see Luke 4:6) – and Jesus did not deny it.  If the

  offer  had not been genuine, there would have been no temptation.  In the days of Jesus, it was as it

  is today:  Satan held sway over the kingdoms of the world.  They had submitted to his urgings; they

  were obedient to his commands; they had been led captive by his will.  Jesus later called him, ‘the

  ruler of this world’ (John 12:31)” (Roper, p38).

-We must remember that Jesus understood what awaited Him – rejection, persecution – the death of

  the cross.  Satan was offering Him the kingdoms of the world in an easy way out.  However, as with

  the other temptations, Jesus overcame Satan by relying on the scriptures.  Jesus’ response shows us

  that the right way is not always the easiest way.

-Jesus was victorious over the temptations of the devil.  Therefore, He preserved God’s plan of

redemption and our hope of salvation.  Satan then “departed from Him for a season” (Luke 4:13). 

The NIV states this verse as, “he left him until an opportune time”.  Jesus had closed the devil’s

window of opportunity but Satan would look for another one.  Angels then came and ministered to

Jesus.