Wednesday, January 24, 2024

#018 Jesus Faces Temptations (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12,13; Luke 4:1-13) - Life of Christ = Week 04 - Wednesday

Devil Tempts Jesus (Mountain in the Wilderness)
Matthew 4:1-11
Mark 1:12,13
Luke 4:1-13

Jesus Tempted by Satan

Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13

Lk 4:1aThen Jesus returned from the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit. Mk 1:12–13Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels began to serve Him. Lk 4:2bHe ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, He was hungry.

Mt 4:3Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4But He answered, “It is written: ‘Man must not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

5Then the Devil took Him to the holy city, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will give His angels orders concerning you,’ and, ‘In their hands they will lift you up, so you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

7Jesus told him, “It is also written: ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

8Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”

10Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You must worship the Lord your God, and you must serve Him only.’ ”

Lk 4:13After the Devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him for a time. Mt 4:11bAnd immediately angels came and began to serve Him.[1]


[1] Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp. 30–31). Holman Bible Publishers.



Other Resources:
Temptation Matthew 4


If you were the emperor of the world, what would be your first decree?
Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted there by Satan. For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. Then Satan tempted him to get food by changing stones into loaves of bread. "It will prove you are the Son of God," he said. But Jesus told him, "No! For the Scriptures tell us that bread won't feed men's souls: obedience to every word of God is what we need."
Then Satan took him to Jerusalem to the roof of the Temple. "Jump off," he said, "and prove you are the Son of God; for the Scriptures declare, 'God will send his angels to keep you from harm,'… they will prevent you from smashing on the rocks below." Jesus retorted, "It also says not to put the Lord your God to a foolish test!"
Next Satan took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. "I'll give it all to you," he said, "if you will only kneel and worship me." "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "The Scriptures say, 'Worship only the Lord God. Obey only him.'" Then Satan went away, and angels came and cared for Jesus.


#Temptation

Footnotes:  
Holy Spirit Also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Comforter. Joined with God and Christ, he does God's work among people in the world.
Scriptures Holy Writings--the Old Testament.
temple The special building in Jerusalem for Jewish worship.
synagogue(s) Synagogues were places where Jews gathered for prayer, a study of the Scriptures, and other public meetings.

Research Questions — “Dig Deeper” to find God’s Will
  • God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
  • We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
  • Define “temptation.” Distinguish life’s tests and discipline from things that Satan uses to draw people into evil (James 1:12-15).
  • "Straightway” after what? (Mark 1:12) Why is it important that we notice the time of our Lord’s temptation?
  • Are we to conclude the Holy Spirit led Jesus into temptation? (Mark 1:12) Explain.
  • What can we learn from Jesus' temptation? What does the word “drove” mean to you? (Mark 1:12-13) Was Jesus tempted during the entire forty days? (Mark 1:13; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13).
  • Are we to understand there were actual animals with Jesus in the wilderness? Discuss. (Mark 1:13) Just what was the ministry of the angels to Jesus?
  • Under what circumstances (Luke 4:1-2) was Jesus tempted: After a spiritual high? At a weak moment? At a new stage in life?
  • Satan is the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2). How did he achieve such a status in God’s world?
  • Why was it necessary for Jesus to have this dramatic encounter with Satan?
  • Read 1 John 2:15-16 and explore the areas Satan uses to tempt. Which of these did Satan use to tempt Christ?
  • What was the essence of the Eden temptations? What about Jesus’ wilderness temptations?
  • In each temptation, what was it's appeal? Its price? How does Jesus resist them? How does Satan's use of Scripture differ from the way Jesus uses it?
  • How are the 3 temptations similar? Different?
  • Why were the temptations directed at Jesus immediately after he was affirmed by God at his baptism (Luke 3:22)?
Reflective Questions for a Response — Live it today.
  • If the devil had three shots at you, what three temptations would he use?
  • Name some ways that you believe Satan is working to destroy the things that are precious to God in our time.
  • What can help you resist? What encouragement does this story provide?
  • What does it mean to you that all the authority and splendor of the kingdoms of the world has been given to Satan (Luke 4:5-6)?
  • Jesus told his disciples to pray: “Deliver us from the evil one.” Consider taking some time now to offer this prayer for yourself and others.
  • I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
  • You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this?
  • How does this equip us to be better disciples and help empower us to “make disciples”?




Series: Be Different “Making Transformative Moves” Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Title: Different Desire

Bookmark: Click Here

Opening Thoughts: To be truly different means to crave eternal things -- the things that matter most -- rather than simply feeding on a constant diet of immediate gratification and temporary happiness. For what do you hunger?

v  What do you want?

o   Order anxiety

o   Largest menu = 1,800 in Budapest Hungry

o   Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

o   Romans 7:21-23 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

===============================================================

Text: Luke 4:1-13

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

 

===============================================================

Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the story in your own words.

v  Review and retell the story.

Reflections for applications:

v  Jesus resisted every temptation

o   The greatest enemy of hunger for God s not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. – John Tyson

o   What do you want?

o   What does God want?

o   John 4:34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

o   What if the desires of God’s heart were the desires of your heart?

o   To be filled with the Spirit means to first be emptied of self.

o   Fasting

§  Will you consider making a commitment to fast this week?

 

Digging Questions:

·         How will you respond in being different? What transformative move needs to be made?

·         What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?

·         What is God calling us to do?

Take Away Challenges

·         What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?

·         Whom do you know who needs to hear this?

·         What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?

Hash tags #Desire #Focus #

Sunday sermon link https://youtu.be/X2kRWOiwKh0

Kevin’s Blog Link to more resources:       Click here for Kevin’s Blog Notes

Comments and resources with some more resources:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4%3A1-13&version=NIV






 




Temptation

The devil, also called Satan, tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden; here he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Satan is a fallen angel. He is real, not symbolic, and is constantly fighting against those who follow and obey God. Satan's temptations are strong, and he is always trying to get us to live his way or our way rather than God's way. One day Jesus will reign over all creation, but Satan tried to force his hand and get him to declare his kingship prematurely. The devil's temptations focused on three crucial areas: (1) physical needs and desires, (2) possessions and power, and (3) pride. If Jesus had given in, his mission on earth—to die for our sins and give us the opportunity to have eternal life—would have been lost. But Jesus did not give in! When temptations seem especially strong, or when you think you can rationalize giving in, consider whether Satan may be trying to block God's purposes for your life or for someone else's life.


Jesus was tempted by the devil, but he never sinned! Although we may feel dirty after being tempted, we should remember that temptation itself is not sin. We sin when we give in and disobey God. Remembering this will help us turn away from the temptation.

The Whole Truth
Satan used Scripture to try to convince Jesus to sin! Sometimes friends or associates will present attractive and convincing reasons why you should do something you know is wrong. They may even find Bible verses that seem to support their viewpoint. Study the Bible carefully, especially the broader contexts of specific verses, so that you understand God's principles for living and what he wants for your life. Only if you really understand what the whole Bible says will you be able to recognize errors of interpretation when people take verses out of context and twist them to say what they want them to say. Jesus was able to resist all of the devil's temptations because he not only knew Scripture, he also obeyed it. Ephesians 6:17 says that God's Word is a sword to use in spiritual combat. Knowing Bible verses is an important step in helping us resist the devil's attacks, but we must also obey the Bible. Satan had memorized Scripture, but he failed to submit to it. Knowing and obeying the Bible helps us follow God's desires rather than the devil's.

The Temple was the religious center of the Jewish nation and the place where the people expected the Messiah to arrive (Malachi 3:1). The Temple was the tallest building in the area, and this "roof" was actually a pinnacle on the corner wall that jutted out of the hillside, overlooking the valley below. From this spot, Jesus could see all of Jerusalem behind him and the country for miles in front of him.

The Test
This time of testing showed that Jesus really was the Son of God, able to overcome the devil and his temptations. A person has not shown true obedience if he or she has never had an opportunity to disobey. We read in Deuteronomy 8:2 that God led Israel into the wilderness to humble and test them. God wanted to see whether or not his people would really obey him. We too will be tested. Because we know that testing will come, we should be alert and ready for it. Remember, your convictions are only strong if they hold up under pressure!

Did the devil have the power to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world? Satan may have been lying about his implied power, or he may have based his offer on his temporary control and free rein over the earth because of humanity's sinfulness.




Other Resources:
Step Up to the Challenge June 5, 2022 Glenn Robb


Tempting Jesus (Luke 4:1-13 Toby Levering

Jesus' Temptation in the Wilderness



Further Reading:
Jesus in the Wilderness
Lenten Reflection: Luke 4:5-8


No comments: