Matthew - Blessed Are Those

In today's study from Matthew 5:2-6, we take a closer look at the Law of the Kingdom to see what it means to the Jew and how it applies to the Church.

Just as a Reminder

These Laws here in Matthew 5 were given to the Jews and not the church. They will not be fully implemented until the Millennial Reign of Christ or the full establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. However, God does expect us as Christians to follow these principles. So, let’s look at the Jewish application and the Christian application. By the way, the word “blessed” mean happy.

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

vv.2-3 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,  (3)  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. The word poor in our way of thinking is to have no money, goods, or other means of support. However, that is not what the word means here. It is referring not to physical poverty, but spiritual poverty.

Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Contrite means remorseful. In this verse, it means to be remorseful for one’s poverty.

Is 66:2 “For all those things hath mine hand made, and those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” The Jews that Jesus were speaking to directly were those who were contrite and brokenhearted because of the authority of the Romans and the Pharisees. Both were placing tremendous burdens on the people: the Romans through taxes and the Pharisees through legalism (cf. Matthew 23:2-4).

Christian Application

To the Christian, blessed are the poor in spirit means blessed is the one who recognizes their need for God (spiritual poverty). Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

v.4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are those who mourn. To mourn is to feel or express sorrow or grief.

Is 57:18 “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.”

Is 61:2-3 “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

The Jews that mourned for their King were promised comfort when their king does come. Of course, that King was Jesus and they failed to see him.

Christian Application

To the Christian, blessed are those who mourn is referring to those who mourn over their sin (cf. James 4:7-10). 

Blessed Are the Meek

v.5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are the meek. Meek be definition is the act of being humbly patient or docile when under provocation from others.

Zeph 2:3 “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.”

A Jew who was truly meek would place himself under the authority of God’s word and would seek the Lord. As a result, he would inherit the earth.

Ps 37:11 “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

Christian Application

To the Christian, blessed are the meek is referring to those who submit to divine authority.

1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”

Blessed are those who Hunger and Thirst

v.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (cf. John 6:35).

These Jews knew that they didn’t have righteousness and they wanted it so badly, they could taste it. Unlike the Pharisees who felt that they were righteous already.

Christian Application

To the Christian, blessed are those who hunger and thirst is referring to those who desire  justice or righteousness. Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Matthew - Our Lord and the Law

In today's study from Matthew 5:1 we continue looking at the Law as it pertains to our Lord, the Jew, and the church.

The Law of the Kingdom

v.1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: Some today have wrongly called this section of Scripture, “The Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes.”  They are neither. It is no sermon at all; instead it is a giving of the law by the new King. It should be called “The Law of the Kingdom”. In chapters 5-7, Jesus is giving the Law of his kingdom. If you study the Old Testament, all kings were defined, good or bad, by their relationship to the Law. A good king, kept the Law of his own Kingdom (cf. Deut. 17:14-20).

The First King

Speaking of kings, “Who was Israel’s first king?” Deuteronomy 33:1-5 says that it was Moses. So, just as Moses gave the Law, and every king thereafter reiterated that Law, so Jesus is doing the same. However, Jesus is going a little further and expanding upon it a little bit.

Just as an Aside

Just as a side note, the Pharisees did not attack Jesus for abandoning the Law but for running counter to their interpretation of the Law (cf. 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-39, 43-44, etc…). Jesus referred to it as the Traditions of the Elders (cf. Mark 7:5, 8-13).

Jesus had no problem with the Law; only the interpretation of the Law as given by the Pharisees. Sometimes, we ourselves can be guilt of dismissing the law to our own interpretation. The Law still stands until it is completely fulfilled, especially as it pertains to the House of Israel (cf. Matt. 5:17-18).

Internal vs. External

Jesus’ problem with the leadership of his day was their focus on the external and not the internal. The Jews felt that the law could be kept to the tee and bring about ultimate justification. However, we know that it’s impossible. Why?  External vs. Internal (cf. Matt 19:16-20; 5:21-22, 27-28).

Law Never Meant to Bring About Salvation

We must understand that the Law was never meant to bring about salvation. Paul said in Galatians 4:1-2 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Paul is comparing the heir to someone who is under the Law because the heir is really no different than a slave in that he really has no rights to speak of as a child. He has no control over the estate. Thus, he may be “lord of all” one day, but not until he has come of age. Until that day comes, he is in the same condition as a servant.

In Galatians 4:3 he says that even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. The point is that under the Law, the Jew primarily, but us secondarily were in infancy. Not yet mature like the heir.

In Galatians 4:4-5 he says but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. In God’s timing He sent Jesus to redeem us from the Law. The phrase, “made under the law”, means that Jesus was raised under the Mosaic Law.

In Galatians 4:6 he says, And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. The proof that Jesus has redeemed us from the Law is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us is proof of our salvation. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

However, it is also proof that we are no longer servants under the Law, but sons under Grace. Through Jesus and his fulfilling the requirement for us, we have come of age! Jesus said in John 15:15, “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.” He goes on to say in Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. We are no more a servant because we have matured. We are no longer infants under the Law.

Paul said in Romans 8:17, And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” In other words, we are going to share in Christ’s inheritance. Revelation 3:21 says, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Paul goes on to tell the Galatians in 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” In other words, don’t be tempted to go back under the Law. Let me ask you this at this time, “Why does Paul spend so much time talking about the Law? - Because we have a tendency to place ourselves back under it!

With that in mind, he warned the Galatians 4:2-6 “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” In other words, if you are keeping the Law to find your justification, you’re trusting in the wrong thing. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Matthew - The Law of the Kingdom

Today, we pick up our study in Matthew 4:23- 5:1 and see how Jesus did not come to fulfill the Law and how that he was following a precedent that all kings of Israel were commanded to follow.

The Gospel of the Kingdom

vv.23-25 Some make a distinction between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. Initially, Jesus preached the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven while he was in Galilee. When he was rejected, he began to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven concerns this physical life and the reestablishment of the Davidic throne upon which the Messiah will sit. The gospel of the Kingdom of God concerns the spiritual life and the righteousness through faith in the risen Savior who will return to Earth someday and set up the Kingdom of Heaven. John the Baptist and Jesus initially came teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven in hopes that Christ would be received as the Messiah.

When this message was rejected, the Kingdom of Heaven was no longer taught, but the Kingdom of God. Luke 19:42 “Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” Others will argue that the words are merely interchangeable in the context and there is no difference between the two.

The Healing Ministry of Jesus

We also see in these verses that Jesus had already begun his healing ministry. We need to understand that the purpose of the healings was certainly that he loved the people, but it also served to confirm that he was indeed their long awaited Messiah. John 5:36 “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” Jesus, and the later the apostles, also used the gift of healings as a means of not only proofing that they were indeed sent from God, but also as a means to draw a crowd for the deliverance of the gospel.

The Law of the Kingdom

Matthew 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: Some today have wrongly called this section of Scripture, “The Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes.”  They are neither. It is no sermon at all; instead it is a giving of the law by the new King. It should be called “The Law of the Kingdom”. In chapters 5-7, Jesus is giving the Law of his kingdom. If you study the Old Testament, all kings were defined, good or bad, by their relationship to the Law. A good king, kept the Law of his own Kingdom (cf. Deut 17:14-20).

The First King

Speaking of kings, “Who was Israel’s first king” (cf. Deut 33:1-5)? So, just as Moses gave the Law, and every king thereafter reiterated that Law, so Jesus is doing the same. However, Jesus is going a little further and expanding upon it a little bit.

Matthew - A Call to Discipleship

Today we are going to be looking at Matthew 4:17-22 and speaking on the subject of what it means to become a true disciple

Discipleship

In this passage, we find some of the basic aspects of discipleship. A disciple is a follower who has learned to believe in the truth of the teaching of another. Therefore, in discipleship, we should expect to find a similarity in teaching between the teacher and the student and see a similarity in their lives. I want to look at four things pertaining to discipleship:

            1. The Teaching of Discipleship

            2. The Following of Discipleship

            3. The Levels of Discipleship

            4. The Benefits of Discipleship

1. The Teaching of Discipleship (Matthew 4:17)

Although Jesus wasn’t literally a disciple of John the Baptist, he did let John baptize him before entering the ministry. Consequently, you would expect the gospel that Jesus preached to be the same as John preached. And that’s true. Jesus preached, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." That was also John the Baptist’s message as well as we see in Matthew 3:2.

This identical preaching marks one of the basic principles of discipleship. The disciple is going to follow the teaching of the fellow that trained him. Other examples include that Paul only taught what Jesus had taught him (Gal. 1:11-12) and Paul in turn taught Timothy what he had learned from Jesus. He said to Timothy in 1 Tim 1:2-3 “Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,” And that doctrine came right out of the scripture, which we have today (2 Tim 3:14-17). Paul told Timothy, in 2 Tim 2:2, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

Therefore, to this day, we still follow the Pauline epistles, and we preach and teach the things that Paul taught his disciples. We haven’t had to come up with new doctrines in order to be effective disciples of Jesus Christ. Trust me, there are no new doctrines and if you hear one, run (Acts 2:42-43)!

2. The Following of Discipleship

When Jesus found Peter and Andrew and James and John, they were mending nets. Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He wanted to make them fishers of men. But for that to happen, they had to follow him. There is a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower." If you want to be a disciple, you must learn to be a follower first.

3. The Levels of Discipleship

If you look closely, you can see in the Bible a a progression in the lives of these disciples (primarily Peter, James, and John) that sets up a pattern for us. We see them bringing souls to Jesus in John 1:40-42. We see them forsaking something and following Jesus in Matthew 4:18-22. We see them forsaking ALL and following Jesus in Luke 5:2-11.

4. The Benefits of Discipleship

G.C. Morgan once wrote concerning Peter, James, and John: "There can be no doubt that these men, Peter, James, and John, were the most remarkable in the apostolate. Peter loved Him; John He loved; and James was the first to seal his testimony with his own blood.  Even in their blunders they proved their strength.  They were the men of enterprise; men who wanted thrones and places of power...mistaken ideas, all of them… and yet they all three had the proving capacity for holding the keys and occupying the throne.  What men from among that first group reign today as these men?”

The First Benefit

The first benefit of discipleship is being a part of something special. On four special occasions, Jesus admitted them and them alone, to unheard of experiences. 1. They witnessed God’s power at the Raising of Jairus’ Daughter (Mark 5:35-42). 2. They witnessed the glory of God on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-9). 3. They received the teaching of God’s Word on the Mount of Olives when Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:3-8). 4. They enjoyed fellowship with Jesus and got a glimpse of the suffering that He was about to go through for their salvation in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark. 14:33-36). 5. They each had to opportunity to contribute to the writing of the New Testament. In the end, the disciple who forsakes all will be rewarded in not only this life, but the next (Matthew 19:27-30).

Second Benefit

The second benefit of being a disciple is entering into the Lord’s suffering. The closer a disciple follows, the more his life will conform to that of his teacher in life and death. James was killed by Herod (Acts 12:1-2). Peter glorified God by being crucified upside down (Jn 21:19). John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos after being boiled in oil (Rev 1:9). 1 Peter 2:19-21 “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.  For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”

Someone once observed: "I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me."  And yet Paul said in Philippians 3:10-11 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Something tells me that the vast majority of the church hasn’t figured this aspect of discipleship out yet!

Matthew - Our Lord's Public Ministry

Today we take a look at Matthew 4:12-16 and the beginning of the ministry of our Lord after the temptation and discuss the prophetical significance.

Jesus Moves to Capernaum

Remember when I introduced the book that I mentioned that the first three gospels have been labeled as the Synoptic Gospels. Synoptic means “seeing together". There is a structure found among Matthew, Mark, and Luke in their presentations of the ministry of Jesus. They all have what is called a “geographic sequence” in that they all focus on our Lord’s ministry in Galilee, his withdrawal to the North, his ministry in Judea on his way back to Jerusalem and final ministry there. This sequence is not found at all in the John (e.g., the sending out of the twelve, the transfiguration, the Olivet Discourse and the Last Supper are not found in John either). Now we see the retreat north.

This passage appears to be a simple prophecy concerning Jesus’ change of address after entering his earthly ministry. However, there is more to this prophecy than that. 

There are four things that I want you to notice today. 

First, Prophecy Fulfilled
There are 48 prophecies relating to the first coming of Jesus that was fulfilled when he was here. They ranged from his virgin birth in Bethlehem, he would be from the tribe of Judah, in the line of David, betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, and crucified between thieves. There are even prophecies of his burial, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation.

Their Significance

The significance of these fulfilled prophecies is immense as that they prove that the Bible is not just a book written by men. It is a divine book. 2 Tim 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: The Bible is the only religious book in the world that contains prophecy!

According to the “The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy” by J. Barton Payne, there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 prophecies in the New Testament for a total of 1,817. These prophecies are contained in 8,352 of the Bible’s verses. Since there are 31,124 verses in the Bible, the 8,352 verses that contain prophecy constitute 26.8 percent of the Bible’s volume. The Bible is a book of prophecy.

Second, the Salvation of the Gentiles

Second, this particular prophecy reveals that, although the earthly ministry of Jesus was aimed at Israel (Matt. 15:24 “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel”), Gentiles were ultimately going to be saved, as well (v.15).

Paul, when writing to the Romans, quoted several Old Testament passages dealing with the salvation of Gentiles (Romans 15:8-12).

Third, the Marvelous Light

Third, this prophecy has a great spiritual application for us. Verse 16 says, "The people which sat in darkness saw great light." When Jesus came to the world, he was the light of men that shined in the darkness of this world (John 1:4-5). John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

Paul told the Ephesians that they wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12).

When we came to Jesus, we came out of that darkness and into his marvelous light and now we are the children of light. 1 Pet. 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Th 5:4-5). 

Fourth, Application to Israel

Fourth, this prophecy has application to Israel during the tribulation period. They will literally be in the shadow of death before the second coming of Jesus. I say this because Matthew quotes this passage from Isa 9:1-7 which in context is in dealing with Israel during the Tribulation Period.

Matthew - The Lust of the Eyes

For those of you who do follow along quite regularly, you will notice that I am not including an audio version of this study. What I have found is that I get far more listens when the study is in a video format than I do if it were only in an audio format. As a matter of fact, the numbers are drastically different. So, going forward, all studies will be in video format, plus there is no cost for data storage on my part.

In today's study from Matthew 4:5-7, we are going to look at the final temptation of our Lord. 

The Third Temptation 

The devil took Jesus to a mountain to view all of the kingdoms of the world and their glory at the same time. The devil offered all of these kingdoms to Jesus in exchange for his worship. Again, the devil was working from a scriptural standpoint. He knew that Jesus would rule over all of the kingdoms of the world following his second coming. Revelation 11:15 says, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” The devil was simply offering him a "shortcut" to bypass the cross.

Lust of the Eyes

This temptation appealed to the lust of the eyes mentioned in 1 John 2:16. This is the third area of temptation common to man. This is the same way that the devil tempted Eve. We see this in Genesis 3:6 when Eve saw that the fruit was “pleasant to the eyes."

Quoting Scripture

Again, Jesus quoted Scripture from Deuteronomy 10:20 which says, “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.” When Jesus quoted that verse, the devil left him.

Practical Lesson
Someone once said that the lust of the flesh is the consuming desire to do, the lust of the eyes is a compelling urge to have, and the pride of life is a constant thrust to be. Sadly, when the temptation does come, even though God will lower the gate of warning, sound the bell, flash the red light, but He will not keep you from crossing the tracks!”

Temptation is Common to Man

We also need to understand that all of us are tempted in the same way. Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 10:1 that “there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

Solution Comes By Submission

If we want to be victories over our temptations we must heed the counsel of James when he said, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:7-10).

Matthew - The Pride of Life

In today's study from Matthew 4:5-7, we take a closer look at the second temptation of our Lord in regards to the pride of life as mentioned in 1 John 2:16. 

The Second Temptation

Jesus was tempted to jump off the pinnacle of the temple so the angels could catch him. Again, the Devil was questioning His deity. He also misquoted Psalm 91:11-12 “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." He left out “to keep thee in all thy ways”. The angles were already there protecting him (Matt. 4:11) as long as He stayed in God’s will (Romans 8:28).

Pride of Life

This temptation appealed to the pride of life mentioned in 1 Jn 2:16. This is the second major area of temptation. This is the same way that the devil tempted Eve when she saw that the tree desirable to make one wise in Genesis 3:6. 

Quoting Scripture

Jesus again quoted Scripture back to the Devil. Deut 6:16 “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God…”

Matthew - The Lust of the Flesh

In today's study from Matthew 4:3-4, we take a closer look at the first temptation of Christ to discover that we are all tempted in the same way and need to look to Christ's example to overcome. Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread to prove that he was the Son of God. The devil questioned Jesus’ deity.

The First Temptation

Notice that the Devil said, “If thou be the Son of God…" He was questioning Christ’s deity. The Pharisees did the same thing in Matthew 27:40.

Of course, many still question His deity today. Yet, John said in John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Our Lord himself claimed to be God throughout Scripture. He said of himself in Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…”

Lust of the Flesh

Notice that this first temptation appealed to the lust of the flesh.  After all, the Lord was hungry. Yet, the Bible says that we are all tempted in this way in 1 John 2:15-16 when we are encouraged to love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Eve was tempted in the same why in Genesis three six when she saw that the tree was good for food.

The Devil Knew that He Could Have

The Devil knew that Jesus was capable of turning the stone to bread because he had already said in Matthew 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Quoting Scripture

But Jesus didn’t fall for the deception, instead, he quoted scripture (in context) to the Devil. He actually quoted from Deut. 8:3 which says, “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”

The Word of God

That is how we are able to resist the temptations of the Devil today as well, by the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). 

Matthew - The Temptation

Today, we get into Matthew 4:1-4 and begin to take a look at the Temptation of Christ.

The Temptation of Jesus

In these verses we see that immediately following the Lord’s baptism, Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil. It is very important that we get something straight real quickly before we continue. God is NEVER the agent of temptation; however, He does often allow and even allows Satanic temptation to serve His own sovereign purposes. The end result is that God allows this to prove a man whom He plans to use or bless. We see this in James 1:12-13.

Other examples include: when God tried Abraham by telling him to leave his family to go to a place that He would later show him; God later him tried him by asking him to kill his only son Isaac, and now God is going to try His own Son before sending him into the ministry. Yes, God will try you and I as well.

40 Day Fasts

Another interesting point is that the Temptation of Jesus was compounded by a fast that lasted 40 days and nights. This 40-day fast matches the fasts of two other men in the Bible. Moses went without eating while receiving the Ten Commandments for forty days (Ex. 34:28). Elijah went without eating for forty days (1 Ki 19:8)

Very Important Number

Forty is a significant number in the Bible. In biblical numerology, it stands for trial, testing and tribulation. Other examples include: the Spies were in the land forty days, Ezekiel lay on his side for forty days, God gave Nineveh forty days to repent and Jesus instructed the apostles for forty days after his resurrection, etc…

The Temptation

Now, we’re going to look at what is called the Temptation of Christ. In Jesus’ temptation, we notice three very important things: 1. The devil tempted Jesus with “out of context” scripture. 2. Jesus responded with “in context” scripture. 2. There were three ways in which Satan tempted Christ (1 John 2:16).

The First Temptation

Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread to prove that he was the Son of God. The devil questioned Jesus’ deity. Notice that he said, “If you be the Son of God…" The Pharisees did the same thing in Matthew 27:40. Of course, many still question His deity today. 

John said in John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Jesus also said on himself in Rev. 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…” 

Lust of the Flesh

Notice that this first temptation appealed to the lust of the flesh. The Lord was hungry. The Bible speaks of the three temptations that the Devil uses against us in 1 John 2:16. 

Matthew - Our Lord's Baptism

In today's study from Matthew 3:13-17, we take a look at the significance of our Lord's baptism.

The first thing that we see in Jesus’ baptism is a clear manifestation of the Trinity. Notice that it says that “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,  (17)  and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

The second thing that we see is purpose and procedure for baptism.

Purpose of Baptism

Jesus said it Himself, to fulfill all righteousness. Now, Jesus was already righteous so he didn’t get baptized to obtain righteousness. He was baptized for two reasons. 1. Set the example for us, and, 2. to mark the beginning of His public ministry. So, too our baptism is also the beginning of our public ministry. It is actually our “public profession of faith.” 

Procedure of Baptism

We also see here the procedure for baptism: immersion. The Bible says that he went up out of the water. This would not have been the case had He been sprinkled. All baptisms in the Bible are by immersion. John 3:23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. Also, compare the eunuch in Acts 8:38-39. Baptism is by immersion because it pictures the death, burial and resurrection (cf. Rom 6:3-5). Burial is more than sprinkling dirt on a coffin!