Matthew 4
Jesus fasted forty days and nights before temptation verse 1- 2
THEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be
TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL
AND when HE had FASTED forty days and forty nights
HE was afterward an hungered
Jesus tempted first “lust of the flesh” verse 3- 4
AND when the TEMPTER came to HIM
he said
IF YOU be the Son of God
command that these stones be made bread
BUT HE answered and said – It is written
Man shall not live by bread alone
but by every word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God
Jesus tempted second “pride of life” verse 5- 7
THEN the DEVIL takes HIM up into the holy city
and sets HIM on a pinnacle of the temple
And says to HIM
IF YOU be the Son of God – cast yourself down
for it is written
HE shall give HIS angels charge concerning YOU
AND in their hands they shall bear YOU up
lest at any time YOU dash
YOUR foot against a stone
JESUS said unto him – It is written again
You shall not tempt the Lord your God
Jesus tempted third “lust of the eyes” verse 8- 10
AGAIN – 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 says to HIM
All these things will I give YOU
IF YOU wilt fall down and worship me
THEN said Jesus unto him
Get you hence – Satan – FOR it is written
You shall worship the Lord your God
and HIM only shall you serve
Angels ministered to Jesus verse 11
THEN the devil leaves HIM – and – BEHOLD
angels came and ministered unto HIM
Jesus moved to Capernaum verse 12- 16
NOW when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison
HE departed into Galilee
AND leaving Nazareth – HE came and dwelt in Capernaum
which is upon the sea coast
in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali
THAT it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by Esaias the prophet saying
The land of Zebulun – and the land of Naphtali
by the way of the sea – beyond Jordan
Galilee of the Gentiles
The people which sat in darkness saw great light
AND to them which sat in the region
and shadow of death light is sprung up
Message of Jesus verse 17
FROM that time Jesus began to PREACH – and to say
REPENT – for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
Calling of Peter and Andrew verse 18- 20
And Jesus – walking by the sea of Galilee – saw two brethren
Simon called Peter – and Andrew his brother
casting a net into the sea – for they were fishers
AND HE said unto them
FOLLOW ME – and I will make you fishers of men
AND they straightway left their nets – and followed HIM
Calling of James and John verse 21- 22
AND going on from thence – HE saw other two brethren
James – the son of Zebedee – and John his brother
in the ship with Zebedee their father
mending their nets
AND HE called them
AND they immediately left the ship and their father
and followed HIM
Crowds were following Jesus verse 23- 25
AND Jesus went about all Galilee – TEACHING in their synagogues
PREACHING the gospel of the kingdom
HEALING all manner of sickness
and all manner of disease among the people
AND HIS fame went throughout all Syria
and they brought unto HIM all sick people that were taken with
divers diseases and torments
and those which were possessed with devils
and those which were lunatic
and those that had the palsy
AND HE healed them
AND there followed HIM great multitudes of people from
Galilee – Decapolis – Jerusalem – Judea – beyond Jordan
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (3985 “tempted” [peirazo] means tried, proved, examined, try to trap, test one maliciously, or enticement to sin.)
DEVOTION: The Godhead is all mentioned at the baptism of Jesus. Here we find the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness for the next step in HIS ministry.
Before the temptation, Jesus fasts for forty days and forty nights. Moses was one who did it on the mountain with the LORD receiving the Ten Commandments. Remember that fasting and prayer are encouraged when there are major decisions to make in our life.
After the time of fasting the LORD met with the devil for a time of trial. HE is God the Son. HE is the second person of the Godhead. God never sins. Sin is against HIS nature. Here we have the God/man Jesus Christ coming to a time when the devil was going to throw everything he could at Jesus.
What did Jesus do? HE quoted Scripture to the devil. The devil quoted Scripture to prove HIM. The devil knows the Bible better than we ever will. However, we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us to fight the attacks of the enemy.
Jesus faced each area of trials that we face without sinning. HE was tested in the areas of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (I John 2: 16).
Also the same testing that Adam and Eve were tested but failed: Genesis 3: 6 “And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree to be desired to make one wise.” They ate of the tree the LORD commanded them not to eat of.
Now each day we can face anyone or all of these temptations as we live our life. The same enemy is using his other fallen angels to test us. We fail sometimes like Adam and Eve failed. Our strength for victory comes from our putting on the armor of God each day, which is the LORD Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: Our handling of temptation shows where we are in our spiritual growth in the LORD. How mature are you in the LORD?
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 But HE answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (1607 “proceeds” [ekporeuomai] means to move out of, depart, to issue, to spread abroad, go or come out, or leave.)
DEVOTION: Daily food is necessary for us to have energy to face each day. Jesus had gone forty days and nights without food. Remember that HE knew HE was going to face great temptation. HE knew how to prepare for it. We need to remember to follow HIS example.
Too often we think we have the strength in ourselves to face anything. We don’t turn to prayer until we are overwhelmed with the problem. Prayer should be first but our nature is to rebel against looking anyplace for help until we have tried to handle it on our own.
I have thousands of people who receive the devotionals each day but very few write for prayer regarding problems they are facing because they are embarrassed that they are facing problem where they need help. The problem is that everyone faces problems where they need help. Christ even prayed in the Garden that the cup would be taken from HIM but still accepted the cross as the will of the LORD.
Even pastors have a problem admitting that they need prayer on some occasions. All the disciples asked for prayer from those in their support group. Churches need to be praying for their pastors.
Our physical bread and spiritual bread comes from the LORD. Our responsibility is to pray for our food both physical and spiritual each time we eat. All should be in the Word of God throughout the day, even if it is Scripture verses on 3 by 5 cards. Memorize a verse a week at least, so that when temptation comes you can be like Jesus.
CHALLENGE: The LORD challenges us to learn what HE has said. If we learn what HE has said and apply it to our lives we will be pleasing HIM.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 19 And He said to them, Follow ME, and I will make you fishers of men. (1205 “Follow” [deute] means come here, come now, to accept the leadership, command or guidance of, or usually literal walking after.)
DEVOTION: When Jesus called HIS disciples it was with one purpose in mind. They were to be fishers of men. They were not starting a family business. They were not going to earn a lot of money. They were to travel with HIM and invite people to repent of their sins and follow HIM.
The responsibility has not changed. Every believer is a disciple. Every disciple is to be a fisher of men. There is no calling to be someone who sits on the sideline and only attends church once or twice a week and can call himself/herself a disciple. They are just fans of Jesus not followers.
“Follow ME” was the call and they did. They left everything behind and followed HIM. HE told someone who volunteered to follow HIM that HE didn’t have a regular home to lay HIS head down in. HE told another one who volunteered that he had to sell everything he had and follow HIM.
There is sacrifice involved in serving the LORD. There are times when there is no glory in serving the LORD. There are times when discouragement can affect a disciple. All of this is part of being a follower rather than a fan.
CHALLENGE: How many fish have your tried to catch this YEAR
________________________________________________________________
: 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (1321 “teaching” [didasko] means to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses, to be a teacher, conduct one’s self as a teacher, to explain or expound a thing or instill doctrine into one.)
DEVOTION: Before the start of the Jesus ministry HE was taken up into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted of the devil. The devil tempted him in all three areas we are tempted in: the world, the flesh and the devil. The temptation was genuine in that HE faced all we face yet without sinning. When we face temptation, we have the same choice but most of the time we sin.
Jesus is shown to be a genuine human in that he was hungry before the temptation. HE went forty days and nights without food or drink. Moses did the same on the mountain with the LORD. Fasting is something that HE told the disciples to practice after HE left this world. We are to practice this discipline on a regular basis also. Imagine the strength the church could have if all the members were fasting and praying for revival.
Now at the age of thirty Jesus started HIS earthly ministry. HE had a threefold ministry. HE would go into the synagogues to talk with the religious leaders of the Jewish people. They knew the Old Testament and the prophecies regarding the coming Messiah. The Messiah was to set up a kingdom and rule of HIS people. HE could instruct them if they would listen – some did. HE also unpacked the Word of God to the common people in the cities.
The second part of HIS ministry was to preach the good news of repentance to the common Jew who knew very little of the book of the Law. Everyone had an opportunity to repent of their sins and turn back to God. HE warned them of the coming kingdom. They had to be ready.
The third aspect of HIS ministry was healing the sick. One part of this ministry was to cast out the demons. Demons still exist today. Demons are the fallen angels that went with Satan when he left heaven. Their primary purpose is to hinder the growth of the kingdom of God. One of the best books to read regarding their actions is Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis.
The LORD has the ability to heal all those who are sick even today. We are to go to HIM in prayer and watch HIM work. Sometimes sickness is used to bring HIM glory. Is it God’s will for everyone to be healed today? NO! Sometimes it is better that HE works through the one who has the illness or disease. We need to trust HIM.
We that have become followers of Jesus are called to be HIS disciples just like Peter, Andrew, James and John in this chapter. We have to sit as HIS feet before we can stand before others.
Our responsibility is to listen to the teaching of the LORD and then putting it into practice on a daily basis. There are major temptation coming our way and prayer and fasting is the only way we can get through them. Once we defeat the devil with the strength of the LORD, we have more power in our prayer to see the LORD work through us to help others.
CHALLENGE: The example has been set by Jesus. HE ministers to all the needs of the people. If we are called to do the same, we have to avail ourselves of the power that comes through HIM daily.
____________________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights verse 2
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Temple verse 5
Devil asks Christ to worship him verse 9
Jesus tells him that only God receives worship verse 10
Jesus tells him that worship is service to God verse 10
Synagogues verse 23
_________________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
It is written (Deut. 8:3) Jesus verse 4
It is written (Ps. 91: 11, 12) Devil verse 6
It is written (Deut. 6: 16) Jesus verse 7
It is written (Deut. 6: 13) Jesus verse 10
Isaiah (Esaias) prophesied (Is. 9: 1, 2) verse 14- 16
The people which sat in darkness saw a
great light; and to them which
sat in the region and shadow of
death light is sprung up
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God (Theos)= supreme Divinity verse 3, 6, 10
Mouth of God verse 4
Lord (Kurios) verse 7
Lord your God verse 7
Kingdom of heaven verse 17
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesus (Iesouis) verse 1, 7, 10, 12, 17, 18, 23
Jesus led by the Spirit verse 1
Tempted verse 1
Hungry – fasted forty days and forty nights verse 2
Son of God verse 3, 6
Jesus quoted Scripture verse 4, 7, 10
Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God
You shall worship the Lord your God and
HIM only shall you serve verse 10
Jesus departed into Galilee verse 12
Left Nazareth and came and dwelt in Capernaum verse 13
Jesus fulfilled Scripture verse 14
Great light verse 16
Ministry of Jesus verse 17, 23
Preaching: repent
Preaching gospel of the kingdom verse 17, 23
Kingdom of heaven is at hand
Teaching verse 23
Healing all manner of sickness verse 23, 24
All manner of disease verse 23
Walking by the sea of Galilee verse 18, 19
saw two brethren – Simon called Peter
and Andrew his brother
asked them to Follow ME
to make them fishers of men
Fame verse 24
All sick people taken with divers diseases and
torments and those which
were lunatic, and those that had the
palsy and HE healed them
Great multitudes followed HIM
from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem
and Judaea and from beyond
Jordan verse 25
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spirit led Jesus into wilderness to be tempted verse 1
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Evil angel – Devil – tempted Jesus verse 1, 5, 8, 11
Devil called Tempter verse 3
wanted Jesus to turn stones into bread
Devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem verse 5
set Jesus on a pinnacle of the temple
Devil can quote Scripture verse 6
Good angels have charge concerning Jesus
to bear HIM up lest at any time HE
dash HIS foot against a stone verse 6
Devil takes Jesus to mountain verse 8
Devil claims ownership of Kingdoms of world verse 9
tempted HIM to worship him
Evil angel – Satan (or Devil) verse 10
Devil leaves Christ verse 11
Good angels came and ministered to Jesus verse 11
People can be possessed by evil angels (demons) verse 24
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Kingdoms of the world verse 8
Gentiles verse 15
Fisherman verse 18
Syria verse 24
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Yielding to temptation verse 1
Stones made bread verse 3
Worship of Satan verse 9
Sit in darkness verse 16
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Tempted verse 1
Fasted verse 2
Not live by bread alone verse 4
Live by every word of God verse 4
Quote Scripture verse 4, 7, 10
Worship the LORD only verse 10
Only serve LORD verse 10
Jesus preached repentance verse 17
Called to follow verse 19, 21
Fishers of men verse 19
Salvation involves following Jesus verse 18- 22
Preaching the gospel verse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jerusalem = holy city verse 5, 25
John cast into prison verse 12
Galilee verse 12, 15, 18, 23- 25
Nazareth verse 13
Capernaum verse 13
Zabulon verse 13, 15
Nephthalim verse 13, 15
Isaiah (Esaias) the prophet verse 14
Jordan verse 15, 25
Simon called Peter – fishing verse 18- 20
Andrew – Peter’s brother -fishing verse 18- 20
Straightway they left their nets and
followed HIM
James the son of Zebedee – called to follow
Jesus – followed HIM verse 21, 22
John – brother of James – called to follow
Jesus – followed HIM verse 21, 22
Decapolis verse 25
Judaea verse 25
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
________________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
__________________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
4:3–4 Matthew now refers to the devil by his function. “The tempter” addresses Jesus with the same title God applied to him at his baptism (3:17). The first-class conditional clause, “If you are the Son of God,” does not imply any doubt on the devil’s part (cf. Jas 2:19). Rather, what is in doubt is what type of Son Jesus will be. If stones can become children of Abraham (3:9) or provide water for the Israelites (Exod 17:1–7), then they can surely satisfy Jesus’ hunger.
Jesus, however, replies by quoting Deut 8:3. In fact, for each of the three temptations he will refute the devil with Scripture, always from Deuteronomy, continuing the link with the Israelites’ desert experience. In this instance the text he cites originally underscored God’s provision of manna as an alternative to the Israelites’ reliance on their own abilities to feed themselves. The principle applies equally well to Jesus’ situation and to any other context in which people are tempted to give physical needs priority over spiritual needs. (Blomberg, C. (1992). Matthew (Vol. 22, p. 84). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
_____________________________________________________________________
1. The Devil (τοῦ διαβόλου). The word means calumniator, slanderer. It is sometimes applied to men, as to Judas (John 6:70); in 1 Tim. 3:11 (slanderers); and in 2 Tim. 3:3, and Tit. 2:3 (false accusers). In such cases never with the article. The Devil, Satan, the god of this world (ὁ διάβολος), is always with the article and never plural. This should be distinguished from another word, also wrongly rendered devil in the A. V.—δαίμων, and its more common neuter form δαιμόνιον, both of which should be translated demon, meaning the unclean spirits which possessed men, and were cast out by Christ and his apostles. The Rev., unfortunately, and against the protest of the American revisers, retains devil for both words, except in Acts 17:18, where it renders as A. V. gods.
The Son of God. By its position in the sentence Son is emphatic. “If thou standest to God in the relation of Son.”
Bread (ἄρτοι). Lit., loaves or cakes. So Wyc., loaves. These stones were perhaps those “silicious accretions,” which assume the exact shape of little loaves of bread, and which were represented in legend as the petrified fruits of the cities of the plain. By a similar fancy certain crystallizations on Mount Carmel and near Bethlehem are called “Elijah’s melons,” and the “Virgin Mary’s peas;” and the black and white stones found along the shores of the Lake of Galilee have been transformed into traces of the tears of Jacob in search of Joseph. The very appearance of these stones, like the bread for which the faint body hungered, may have added force to the temptation. This resemblance may have been present to Christ’s mind in his words at Matt. 7:9.
4. It is written (γέγραπται). The perfect tense. “It has been written, and stands written.” The first recorded words of Jesus after his entrance upon his ministry are an assertion of the authority of scripture, and that though he had the fulness of the Spirit. When addressing man, our Lord seldom quoted scripture, but said, I say unto you. In answer to Satan he says, It is written. (Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 28). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
____________________________________________________________________
4:3–4. The first test pertained to the matter of sonship. Satan assumed that if He were the Son, perhaps He could be persuaded to act independently of the Father. Satan’s test was subtle for since He is the Son of God, He has the power to turn the stones all around Him into bread. But that was not the will of His Father for Him. The Father’s will was for Him to be hungry in the desert with no food. To submit to Satan’s suggestion and satisfy His hunger would have been contrary to God’s will. Jesus therefore quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, which affirms that man does not live on bread alone, but by God’s Word. It is better to obey God’s Word than to satisfy human desires. The fact that Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy showed that He recognized the inerrant authority of that book, one often criticized by scholars. (Barbieri, L. A., Jr. (1985). Matthew. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 26). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
___________________________________________________________________
Just as the first Adam met Satan, so the Last Adam met the enemy (1 Cor. 15:45). Adam met Satan in a beautiful Garden, but Jesus met him in a terrible wilderness. Adam had everything he needed, but Jesus was hungry after forty days of fasting. Adam lost the battle and plunged humanity into sin and death. But Jesus won the battle and went on to defeat Satan in more battles, culminating in His final victory on the cross (John 12:31; Col. 2:15).
Our Lord’s experience of temptation prepared Him to be our sympathetic High Priest (Heb. 2:16–18; 4:15–16). It is important to note that Jesus faced the enemy as man, not as the Son of God. His first word was, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” We must not think that Jesus used His divine powers to overcome the enemy, because that is just what the enemy wanted Him to do! Jesus used the spiritual resources that are available to us today: the power of the Holy Spirit of God (Matt. 4:1), and the power of the Word of God (“It is written”). Jesus had nothing in His nature that would give Satan a foothold (John 14:30), but His temptations were real just the same. Temptation involves the will, and Jesus came to do the Father’s will (Heb. 10:1–9).
The first temptation (vv. 1–4). This involved the love of God and the will of God. “Since You are God’s beloved Son, why doesn’t Your Father feed You? Why does He put You into this terrible wilderness?” This temptation sounded like Satan’s words to Eve in Genesis 3! It is a subtle suggestion that our Father does not love us.
But there was another suggestion: “Use Your divine powers to meet Your own needs.” When we put our physical needs ahead of our spiritual needs, we sin. When we allow circumstances to dictate our actions, instead of following God’s will, we sin. Jesus could have turned the stones into bread, but He would have been exercising His powers independently of the Father; and He came to obey the Father (John 5:30; 6:38).
The Lord quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 to defeat Satan. Feeding on and obeying God’s Word is more important than consuming physical food. In fact, it is our food (John 4:32–34). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 18). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
____________________________________________________________________
4:4 It is written. All 3 of Jesus’ replies to the Devil were taken from Deuteronomy. This one, from Dt 8:3, states that God allowed Israel to hunger, so that He might feed them with manna and teach them to trust Him to provide for them. So the verse is directly applicable to Jesus’ circumstances and a fitting reply to Satan’s temptation. every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. A more important source of sustenance than food, it nurtures our spiritual needs in a way that benefits us eternally, rather than merely providing temporal relief from physical hunger. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Mt 4:4). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
_____________________________________________________________________
Ver. 4. But he answered and said, it is written, &c.] The passage referred to, and cited, is in Deut. 8:3 the manner of citing it is what was common and usual with the Jews; and is often to be met with in the Talmudic writings; who, when they produce any passage of scripture, say דכתיב as it is written. The meaning of this scripture is; not that as the body lives by bread, so the soul lives by the word of God, and doctrines of the Gospel; though this is a certain truth: or that man lives by obedience to the commands of God, as was promised to the Israelites in the wilderness, and in the land of Canaan: but that God, in satisfying man’s hunger, and in supporting and preserving his life, is not tied to bread only, but can make use of other means, and order whatever he pleases to answer these ends; as, by raining manna from heaven, which is mentioned in the passage cited; and therefore there was no occasion to change the nature of things, to turn stones into bread; since that was not so absolutely necessary to the sustenance of life, as that it could not be maintained without it. Our Lord hereby expresses his strong faith and confidence in God, that he was able to support him, and would do it, though in a wilderness, and destitute of supply; whereby he overcame this temptation of Satan. Christ, in this, and some following citations, bears a testimony to, and establishes the authority of the sacred writings; and though he was full of the Holy Ghost, makes them the rule of his conduct; which ought to be observed against those, who, under a pretence of the spirit, deny the scriptures to be the only rule of faith and practice; and at the same time points out to us the safest and best method of opposing Satan’s temptations; namely, by applying to, and making use of the word of God. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 30). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
____________________________________________________________
The testing of Jesus in the wilderness was not to see whether He would sin, but to prove that He was absolutely the sinless One and therefore the fit substitute for those who were both sinners by nature and in practice. (H. A. Ironside)
__________________________________________________________________
b. What Scripture Stated (4:4)
In foiling this temptation, Jesus set what Satan suggested alongside what Scripture stated. The sole resource of the Lord during the entire temptation was the Word of God, the weapon Satan fears more than anything else in this world. Christ said, “It is written” and quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3.
This first ministerial utterance of Jesus, His first utterance after His anointing, showed His absolute confidence in the written Scriptures as the authoritative Word of the living God. The question of errancy or irrelevance never occurred to Him. Those notions are of Satanic origin (Genesis 3:1). In tempting Eve, the devil set out to get her to distrust or distort the Word of God. Jesus picked up and wielded the weapon that she so foolishly neglected in her struggle with the tempter.
When Satan said, “If thou be the Son of God,” Jesus answered, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3–4, italics added). The Lord was in the wilderness to meet Satan’s attacks not as God, but as man. Jesus refused to be shaken in His trust in the grace and goodness of His Father or to take any ground other than that found in God’s written Word.
This first temptation of Christ represents our temptations to commit sins that have to do with appetite, the kinds of sins we associate with lust. These sins are essentially physical. Bodily drives are not wrong; they are necessary to the preservation of life. But they must never be allowed to get out of hand or to control our lives. (Phillips, J. (2014). Exploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary (Mt 4:4). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch.)
FROM MY READING:
Old Testament WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe
Grace is love that pays a price to save people who don’t deserve it. (p. 105)
During the Old Testament days, on each Day of Atonement (Lev. 16) two goats stood before the sanctuary. The high priest killed one of them and took some of its blood behind the veil into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it on the golden mercy seat that covered the ark. Then he went outside, put his hands on the head of the living goat, and confessed the sins of the nation. A man then led the living goat out into the wilderness, never to seen again. We have her two pictures of forgiveness: the blood covering the people’s sins and the sins taken away, never to be seen again. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us” (Ps. 103: 12) (p. 105)
The balance of godly fear and godly joy is not easy to maintain, but it’s one of the essentials for godly living. (p. 105)
_____________________________________________________________
Why it’s hard to love JESUS by Joseph M. Stowell
Christ hates prejudice in any form. He detests racism, classism, and even religious snobbery. (p. 112)
And if we can’t love our “neighbor, we can’t love Christ. (p. 113)
Opposition to gay liberation and abortion are justifiable concerns, yet they often turn our hearts against the sinner who perpetrate the sin. (p. 113)
But for Jesus, the issue was never what the victim of sin should do to help himself. The issue was giving redemptive love to those in need. That was exactly why Simon could not identify with the love feast at Jesus’ feet nor understand the acceptance Jesus showed to an extravagant sinner. In Simon’s mind, the woman didn’t deserve forgiveness; she needed to stop doing what she was doing. If she would clean herself and her life up, there might be a chance of acceptance. (p. 117)
The target is to develop a spirit of kindness to all who pass our way and mercy to the needy who surround our lives. (p.119)
__________________________________________________________
Acts 25
Felix vacates his office without resolving Paul’s status.
INSIGHT
How strangely God fulfills His own word: “So you must also bear witness at Rome” (Acts 23:11). Paul knows he will have to go to Rome, but he doesn’t expect to go under Roman guard and at Rome’s expense. After two years the Jews still thirst for his blood! Had he been transferred to Jerusalem, his life would have been imperiled. However, God had called him to preach the Gospel in Rome. Through these circumstances, Paul is transferred. (Quiet Walk)
__________________________________________________________
THE CHRISTIAN AND THE WORLD
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness [or, in the wicked one]. 1 John 5:19
The New Testament teaches that however much the world may change on the surface, it is always under the control of evil and of sin. This admits that the powers of evil can be mollified a great deal, and they have been mollified during the passing of the centuries. There have been periods when the world has been getting better, but these have been followed by a terrible declension, and the teaching of the New Testament is that the whole time the world has been lying “in the wicked one.”
Now that is where, it seems to me, we have been so steadily fooled for the last hundred years; and when I say “we,” I mean the Christian as well as the non-Christian. How confident people were toward the end of the nineteenth century that the world was being Christianized! But we must not be deluded by all these changes that are merely superficial. The world, says John to these people, is under the dominion of Satan and sin. It is in the grip of evil; it always has been, and it always will be.
According to the New Testament (and here we get the realism), the world will always be the world; it will never get better. I do not know the future. There may be another period of apparent reform and improvement, but the world will still be lying “in the wicked one,” and indeed the New Testament tells us it may “wax worse and worse” (2 Timothy 3:13). Indeed the evil of the world is so essentially a part of it and its life that its final outlook will be judgment and destruction. You will find this teaching everywhere. The evil in the world cannot be taken out; it is to be destroyed. There is to be an ultimate climax, and there will be a terrible end.
A Thought to Ponder: The teaching of the New Testament is that the whole time the world has been lying “in the wicked one.”
(From Fellowship with God, pp. 17-18 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
___________________________________________________________
Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him
“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15)
We possess a special place in God’s heart. Many uplifting hymns have been written over the centuries that can lead us into a deeper love for and greater understanding of our Savior. One such hymn, “Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him,” introduces many important concepts and reasons to praise.
Praise the Savior, ye who know Him!
Who can tell how much we owe Him?
Gladly let us render to Him
All we are and have.
Those who know the Savior are bidden to join together in praising Him. As Christians, we not only “know” Him as Savior, He calls us His friends. He identifies His friends by their obedience to His loving commands: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). He proves His friendship through His own sacrifice: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (v. 13). How could we ever repay Him? We cannot.
We can, however, praise Him for all that He is to us and has done for us. We have the privilege of declaring “with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell[ing] of all thy wondrous works” (Psalm 26:7), and “speak[ing] of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works” (Psalm 145:5). “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).
(JDM. The Institute for Creation Research)
____________________________________________________________
Interestingly, many of the serious thinkers and philosophers who are not Christian at all are some of the most pessimistic. (p. 82)
__________________________________________
What men do collectively is as bad as what one person does individually, and men and nations do, these things because their natures are evil and perverted and foul. (p. 84)
___________________________________________
The second fallacy in the non-Christian view is that it forgets about the Devil. But surely, says someone, you don’t believer in the Devil in this enlightened age. I look at the world, and I ask what is manipulating men and women and making them behave as they do, and the Bible has given us the answer all along – the Devil. (p. 84)
(A Merciful and Faithful High Priest by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
_____________________________________________________________
Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3
“Life is not fair!” I used to tell my children that regularly when they felt that something was unjust or they were being treated unfairly. It was important that they understand that power and authority may not be always right or fair but there were rules and principles in place to address and correct failures.
After stating that there was a time and purpose for everything under heaven, Solomon addresses a topic that all have struggled to understand. This subject is the problem of injustice in society. He observes that unfairness was present in areas that should not be allowed, such as the courts, police, military, temple and even the palace.
What Solomon also exclaims is that although these truths are present, God was not ignoring or blind to the issue. In verses 17-18, Solomon states confidently that God had a present and future plan for oppressors and wrongdoers. Verse 22 reminds us that we are to labor and trust the Lord for the future. Oppression and injustice are a mark of mankind’s sinful and deceitful nature.
Many people are trying to change the system today and right the injustice and wrongs done. The challenge for the believer is to trust that God is in control and will require an account of the past, see the tears of the oppressed and comfort the recipients of those who inflict wickedness. Christ died by the hands of those who unjustly, falsely and cruelly used their power to seemingly crush the righteous, sinless Son of God. Through that oppression, victimization and injustice, Christ rose to give eternal life to all who would follow Him. Revelation 7:9-17 presents a picture of a multitude of people who come out of the great tribulation and God makes everything right. The Lamb (Jesus Christ) shepherds them and leads them, wiping away every tear from their eyes.
Life may not be fair but we who believe in Christ have a promise that we can cling to, that justice will prevail and Christ is Lord and judge of all mankind. Knowing the end of the story does assist us as we plod through the crisis of the moment. Jesus ends the book of Revelation with these words, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
With an Expectant hope, Pastor Miller
______________________________________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.