[And He Walks With Me] Matthew 4
1-2 The word rendered tempted by the CSB, NIV, KJV, and ESV is translated as tested by the NRSV. It is less about tempting someone to entice them into sin than it is testing something to ensure it is strong enough to serve its purpose. In the Septuagint (LXX), it was used to describe instances where God allowed terrible things to happen to people in order to prove their character and faith. It was used also to speak of how men tested God in times of distrust. This, then, should be seen less as God the Father attempting to entice God the Son into sin than about checking to make sure all systems are go for the mission ahead.[144]
3 It is important to notice that the tempter is distinct from the Spirit. Even though the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted, it was not God who did the tempting. Indeed, God does not tempt us (see James 1:13), but he does allow us to be tempted by the devil.
Notice also that the tempter did not approach until after Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights. A fast of this duration can only be accomplished with divine intervention, but even then, he was hungry. It is no coincidence, then, that the first temptation was to tell these stones to become bread. Satan does not tempt us with things we do not want or need. Rather, he waits until we have a desire, or even a need, and then suggests that we could satisfy that want on our own in a manner outside the will of God.
4 Jesus used Scripture to fend off Satan’s attack. A spiritual attack must be met with a spiritual response. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (see Ephesians 6:17, is a key part of the Christian’s kit. If we do not know what the Bible says and how to apply it to our lives, it is as if we are joining the battle unarmed. As we grow in our knowledge of Scripture and skill in applying it to our lives, we become more effective in using it to parry the attacks of the tempter. It will never be easy to resist temptation. Otherwise, it would not be called temptation. Yet, it will become easier as we grow in Christ.
5-6 Again, the devil tested Jesus with something that would be enticing to him. To throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple and be rescued by angels would have been a compelling demonstration of Jesus’ divine power. The people would have immediately rallied around him, and rightly so. Yet, God’s design was that they would choose Christ through faith, and such an undeniable public spectacle would have negated the need for faith. Worse, if people followed Jesus only because of his spectacular demonstrations of divine power, he would be compelled to periodically demonstrate his divine power to renew their allegiance, just as in the desert during the Exodus.
It is important to notice that the devil will not hesitate to use Scriptures to tempt us. The quote here is from Psalm 91:11-12, and it should not surprise us that he knows the Bible better than we do. Yet, Satan always uses Scripture out of context or twists it in some way. Yes, God promises in Psalm 91 to protect his followers, but we must understand that protection in light of other Scriptures. God does not promise absolute earthly protection. Neither does he promise to save us from stupid things we do to test him.
7 Again, Jesus parried Satan’s temptation with rightly used Scripture. See note on vs 4.
8-9 For his final temptation, the devil took [Jesus] to a very high mountain and offered to give him the kingdoms of the earth if you will fall down and worship me. Again, this must have been enticing because Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. That is, the kingdoms of the earth do rightly belong to him, and they will eventually bow their knee to him. This is one of Satan’s favorite tactics, and for good reason! This temptation was really about accomplishing God’s will without going through all the hard stuff. Jesus, however, knew that the ends do not justify the means, and if he skipped to the end, then there would be no atonement for sin. He may have dominion over the earthly kingdoms, but none of his subjects could enjoy eternal life with him, which was his design from before the start of creation.
Notice that the devil implies that he has the right to give you all these things. In some ways, this is true. In this present time, sinners are enslaved to him and his will. However, he is a usurper. The kingdoms of the earth rightly belong to their creator, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus. Satan, then, was offering to give Jesus something that (a) Satan did not have legitimate authority to give and (b) already belonged to Jesus anyway. This, though, is another favorite tactic of Satan: to convince us that he has more power than he really does. The problem is that, when it comes time for us to collect on his promises, we will find them empty, and he will simply shrug his shoulders and laugh at us.
Notice finally the cost associated with this temptation. Falling down and worshiping the devil seems from our vantage point in history to be a terrible thing, but to Jesus, who was already looking ahead to the cross, it must have been enticing. Just one second of false worship would spare him the effort of three years of public ministry, the agony of the cross, and the waiting for the centuries before his return. On the other hand, we must never forget that falling down and worshiping the devil is the cost of all sin, whether we recognize it or not.
11 The devil may have left him for the moment, but you had better believe that he was whispering in Jesus’ ear at numerous junctures throughout the next several years. Every time his disciples doubted or questioned or did stupid things, these temptations must have been renewed. When the mob arrested him, Pilate tried him, and the centurion raised his hammer, these temptations must have been renewed. Whenever his tummy growled or another he had another want or need, these temptations must have been renewed. Just because Satan is not directly, personally attacking us does not mean that the temptation is over.
13 While Nazareth was a small, very traditional village, Capernaum was the relatively new town that served as the administrative center for Galilee. It had a stronger, more diversified economy because of its proximity to the Sea of Galilee and trade routes. It is interesting, then, that just as John the Baptist is arrested for his ministry, Jesus moves his ministry toward the spotlight. One would expect the opposite, but Jesus often defies the expectations we place on him.
17 John’s message was, Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! (3:2). Now, as John’s ministry comes to an end, Jesus picks up the mantle and pronounces, Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near. Jesus’ work is often built upon the efforts of others.
18 It is important to understand that this was likely not the first time Jesus met Peter and Andrew. Andrew first met Jesus when the latter was baptized at the Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:40-42). Therefore, this encounter did not happen in a vacuum. These men had already heard Jesus’ teachings and even met him. Likely, they wanted to follow him, but they thought themselves lowly fishermen unworthy and/or incapable of such a thing. Thus, they were doing their best to get on with their lives.
19 Jesus’ promise to Andrew and Peter was to make them into something fundamentally different than what they were, and yet still similar: I will make you fish for people. The condition for him to realize this promise is simply Follow me. To follow meant leaving behind what was and pursuing what was to be. So also, we must make the decision that we are willing to leave behind anything and everything about our former way of life in order to follow Jesus to where he wants to go and what he wants to do.
20 The use of the word immediately is important here. There was no hesitation or reservation with these guys!
21-22 The sons of Zebedee offer essentially a replay of the previous scene. Notice the repeated use of immediately. Notice also the resolve to leave the boat and their father in order to follow Jesus..
23-25 To John’s message, Jesus now added healing every disease and sickness among the people. These miracles validated the message that he proclaimed and prompted people to share what they saw and heard with others. Because Capernaum was on a trade route, it was not long before word reached Syria and drew additional crowds from that region. It is likely that these crowds were primarily Jews, but at least some – especially from the Decapolis and beyond the Jordan – may have included some Gentiles.
[144] “G3985 – peirazō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.