THE TEMPTATIONS
Matthew 4:1-11. In the Lord sealed with the Spirit, we see the One who is Jehovah’s delight, as before in His baptism, we see His delight is with the sons of men (Prov. 8:30,31). He is “the Second Man, out of heaven” (1 Cor. 15:47, New Trans). If so, He must be tested to see if He can overcome the enemy of our souls. The first man was tested in the garden of Eden, where in his circumstances, he had everything to help him. The second Man is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he had nothing to help Him, there to be tried on every point wherein man had failed.
When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered; then the devil, the tempter, came to Him and said, “If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” Was He not hungry? And there was nothing wrong in making bread, and He had the power to do it. But Jesus had taken a servant’s place, a dependent man’s place, and He had no order from His Father. His Father’s will must be best. He has no question about that, such as our poor sinful hearts would raise. He is perfect, no sin in Him. He could not fail, though He felt it. All depended on His victory. He won it by obedience, a man that kept His place in dependence on God.
“He answered and said It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Deut. 8:3). This is what Israel failed in. Israel’s history begins afresh with the Lord. He would not exercise His own will. He did the Father’s will alone. His physical wants could not give Him a motive for action. His living, as men say, was not His object in this world. What a lesson for us!
The second temptation is on the ground of privilege. Will God be as good as His word? It is this time on the pinnacle of the temple in the Holy City that the devil says to Him: “If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone,” as if he said, See if God will keep His word. Jesus, ever perfect, answers “Thou shalt not tempt (or try) the Lord thy God,” It is written in Deuteronomy 6:16. (For the meaning of “tempt” see Ex. 17:7.) His confidence in His Father is perfect. He does not need to try Him. He knows and trusts God implicitly. The pattern for us all.
These two temptations were wiles of the devil. In the next, Satan the adversary is plainly seen. The devil takes Him up into an exceeding high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and saith unto Him, “All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me.” This is plainly against God. Jesus ever true to God the Father, will accept nothing from Satan. He will wait the Father’s time and go through all the needful suffering. He at once answers. “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord Thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve” (Deut. 6:13). Satan is foiled and driven from Him.
Here is an important lesson for us all: Satan promises a man that he will get on in the world, and get rich faster, if he will only take His way. How many young people, both men and women fall into this trap, because they did not put God first in their hearts. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Lord quoted the Scriptures, all from one book; the book given to Israel, with instructions to dwell in their land; one of the five books of Moses that higher critics (so-called) have set aside. The Son of God confirmed them as the word of God, out of God’s mouth, but these wolves in sheep’s clothing set aside the Lord, also to their eternal destruction.
What a lesson is here on the authority, truth, sufficiency, and suitableness of Scripture (Psa. 17:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Perfect Master, make us more like Thee.
It was here then that Satan was defeated; the second man is victorious; the strong man is bound; Jesus the stronger than he, can now spoil the strong man’s goods (Matt. 12:29).
Now the trial is over; the devil leaveth Him and angels came and ministered unto Him. A picture of the Father’s care over us also (Heb. 1:14).
Matthew 4:12-17. Having heard of John being in prison, Jesus leaves Judea and goes into Galilee. It was on this journey He passed through Samaria (John 4). The sphere of His ministry is Galilee, fulfilling Isaiah 9:1, 2. If the Romans held them in captivity, yet their King that could deliver them was there; He was the great and true light of the land.
But His people are in such a condition, blessing can only come to them on the ground of repentance. He announces this, and that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:18-22. Simon Peter, and Andrew his brother, at His call, straightway leave their nets and follow Him to become fishers of men. James and John also leave the ship, and their father, and follow Him; companions of Jesus during His ministry, and called to share His rejection and His glory.
Matthew 4:23 is a concise account of His ministry.
Matthew 4:24-25 tell us the effect of this ministry. It was the power of God manifested in goodness on the earth, telling out the gracious and longsuffering heart of God.