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Table of Contents
Matthew Chapter 4
The Temptation of Jesus (1 - 11)
Who led Jesus to be tempted? Why is this important?
The Holy Spirit did, not the devil. Therefore this testing was of God's doing, not the devil's.
Does God then lead us into temptation?
No, James 1:13 says “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.” While God doesn't tempt us to do evil, He may orchestrate periods of trial and tribulation to test or mold our character. Testing is not to prove anything to God but rather to prove something to ourselves and anyone watching us, including spiritual beings. Molding our character is arguably the whole point of “why we are here”.
Why did Jesus need to be tempted? Didn't He already experience temptation just by being fully man?
Jesus needed to be tempted in order to allow Him to identify with humans who are under constant temptation. He did experience temptation by being fully man (needs references). Perhaps He was tempted to demonstrate His holy and sinless character.
Is it possible to fast for forty days and nights?
Yes, the longest recorded food fast is 382 days, though five days is about it for no water. The Bible says that after the fast, Jesus was hungry, not thirsty, so He likely had water.
Why is forty days significant?
It is symbolic of Israel's forty years in the wilderness. Moses also fasted for 40 days and nights two times. Forty days is about how long a human can fast without doing any permanent bodily harm.
How did Jesus respond to His temptations?
By quoting scripture (from the OT), thereby demonstrating the power of God's word in fighting off evil.
What was wrong with Jesus turning stones into bread?
This was a temptation for using God's gift for selfish purposes. It would have meant doing a miracle outside of God's will.
What is significant about "for it is written"?
It shows that the devil can quote scripture, in this case Psalm 91, for his own nefarious purposes.
Could the devil have delivered on his promise "all these I will give you"?
No, even though the devil is said to be the ruler of this world (John 12:31 , John 14:30 , John 16:11 , 2 Cor 4:4, Eph 2:2 ), he is more like a squatter with a lot of influence rather than the landlord. Ultimately, all authority belongs to God.
What was the end result of the temptation? What is the importance of this?
Jesus resisted Satan's temptations and demonstrated that the way to win in spiritual warfare is with consistent meaningful use of the Scriptures. Ephesians 6:17 says “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God).”
Ministry in Galilee (12 - 17)
How long was Jesus's ministry?
It is traditionally thought to have been three years, one in obscurity, one of popularity and one of increasing rejection. The first year was covered the most extensively in John 1-4. Luke 4:16 covers Jesus's rejection in His hometown of Nazareth.
Where else have we heard "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!"?
John the Baptist also says this in Matthew 3:2.
The First Disciples (18 - 22)
Why would these tradesman just leave their jobs and follow Jesus?
It could be there was some divine influence involved, but I don't like that explanation because it has freewill ramifications. I believe God wants only willing followers. It's very possible they knew of Him since He had been preaching and performing miracles in Galilee for some time at this point. The other Gospels also add some detail. https://netbible.org/bible/Luke+5:Luke 5:1-11 talks about the great catch that Jesus caused. John 1:35-42 explains that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and heard about Jesus as the “Lamb of God” from him.