Jesus’ Temptation: Overcoming All, Matthew 4:1–11

Jesus’ Temptation: Overcoming All, Matthew 4:1–11

(Matthew 4:1–11) Faith—Proof—Evidence—Corruption: Jesus Christ was tempted three times by the devil.

4. (Matthew 4:8–10) Jesus Christ, Temptation: the third temptation of Christ was to prove His deity by compromise. The devil tempted Christ to prove that He was the Son of God by compromising.

a. Christ was tempted to compromise His ministry and His mission. He was tempted to secure the world without the cross, without paying the price. He was tempted to choose another way instead of God’s way—to achieve His purpose by another route. He was attracted to use the wrong means for reaching the end of universal sovereignty. If He bowed down and worshipped the devil, the kingdoms of the world and the loyalty of men were to be His.

b. Christ was tempted to compromise His life and His loyalty. He was tempted to switch loyalties. He was offered the world and the sovereign leadership of the world if He would just do one thing: worship the devil. What does this mean? It means that Christ was tempted to allow the world (including man) to remain corruptible and dying with no hope of life eternal with God. It was a temptation to allow the world to continue as it is, and to allow the devil to continue his work within the world in order to frustrate God’s eternal plan for the world.

There are two things wrong with the reasoning behind this temptation.

1. Compromise with the devil and the world is not God’s way. God’s way is to conquer the corruption and death of this world.

2. God alone is to be worshipped, not the devil nor the world and its power.

If Christ had given in to this temptation, He would have failed in at least two points.

1. He would have secured the kingdoms of this world through compromise, not by God’s hands. God had promised Him the world and the loyalty of its citizens, but it was to come by way of the cross. The way of God was far better, for the kingdoms promised by God were to be eternal (Mat. 19:23–24).

2. He would have switched His loyalty from God to the devil. He would have forsaken God for this world and its prince, Satan (Eph. 2:2; Rev. 12:9). (See Mat. 16:26; Rom. 12:2; 2 Tim. 2:3–4; 1 Jn. 2:15–16; Tit. 2:11–12).

Thought 1. Note four significant lessons in this point.

(1) A believer is often tempted to compromise both his life and his work or ministry. The tempter, Satan, wants a person to live for the world only, to ignore his spirit that is destined to live forever. He wants a person’s attention and energy and effort. He wants a person given over to this world and to this life only.

(2) Satan deceives and lies. The kingdoms of this world are only temporary—for a few short years. The life of a person and the life of the world itself is short, ever so short. It all ends.

(3) Believers cannot receive from Satan what God has promised them, that is, eternal life (Eph. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:4; 3:8–15.)

(4) Temptation must be resisted immediately. Jesus did not hesitate a moment in resisting temptation.

Thought 2. When a believer is tempted time after time, he faces two critical dangers.

(1) Discouragement. The sheer number and force of extreme temptations can discourage a person. Succumbing to temptation and sinning can discourage a person. In fact, the greater the fall of a person, the more unworthy and self-accusing he becomes. Self-pity, shame, guilt, and failure always discourage to some degree. (1 Pet. 4:12–13.)

(2) Over-confidence. When a believer overcomes temptation, he grows, becoming stronger and more mature and gains more confidence. However, there is danger in this. He can begin to feel strong and mature enough to conquer temptation. He can feel above temptation. Such feelings can lead to two gross errors.

(a) It can lead to liberal or loose behavior and beliefs. Before long, a person begins to think everything he does is right. He feels so mature and strong that he feels he can conquer any temptation. He feels that what he believes and does is bound to be right. He even pulls Scripture out of context to justify his ungodly and loose behavior.

(b) It can lead to conservative or narrow behavior and beliefs. Before long a person can begin to feel that he is so mature and so strong that he can conquer temptations on his own, that what he believes and does is also bound to be right. He lives by strict rules and regulations, judging himself and all others by the same rules. He, too, justifies his bigotry and narrow-minded behavior by Scripture.