Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus Tempted (1)

We want to begin our study of Jesus’ temptations with a few observations from specific words in the passage.

1.  v1: there are 2 almost identical phrases ... "by the Spirit" and "by the devil".  In other words, leading is the work of the Spirit in the believers life, and tempting is the devil's work in the believer's life.  The point is: expect it!  It's what he does!  Even Jesus succumbed to this work of the devil.

2.  v1: "tempted" (Grk. peirazo) is an important term to understand.  It refers both to what we call "temptations" (as here where we are enticed to sin), "trials" (as in Rev. 2:10, the persecutions of believers) and "testing" (as in Mt. 16:1 where Jesus is tested by a question from unbelievers, or the way God tested Abraham in offering up Isaac, Heb. 11:17). God never tempts to sin (Jas 1:13) but tests so as to reveal and develop character (Hb. 5:8; 11:17; 1 Peter 1:6-7).  (The process by which temptation becomes sin is found in Jas. 1:13-15).  These “peirazo” moments in our lives have this in common: they provide an opportunity for us to fall hard upon God in faith or to go our own way. (Photo is the “Mount of Temptation” west of Jericho.)

The Mount of Temptation west of Jericho.

4.  v1,5,8,11: "devil" (Greek diabolos) means slanderer or accuser.  v10: "Satan" (Greek Satana) is a proper name, meaning adversary.

5.  v10: two terms are used that speak of man's responsibility to God. Worship (Grk. proskuneo, also used by the devil in v9) is derived from a term meaning to "kiss the hand" (in reverence; not unlike a dog licking his masters hand).  It is kneeling, prostration before a king.  Serve (Grk. latreuo) is another "worship" term that stresses the method or action of worship, not merely in thought or emotion. 

We should remember that Jesus was not alone in beginning His ministry with a period of testing.  For Abraham it involved travelling around Canaan.  Jacob spent 20 years in Haran, Moses 40 years in the desert, David seven years running from Saul, and Paul two years in the Arabian desert.  The “desert” provides a real “peirazo” situation, a difficult or problematic circumstance where the options of obedience and disobedience can be strongly contrasted.  In the desert we are deprived of all the comforts and modern helps that might keep us from growing deeper in the knowledge of the Holy One.  Hebrews 5:8 makes a powerful statement about Jesus: He learned obedience by the things He suffered.  Let us not shy away from the “desert.”  Perhaps, as with Jesus, it is exactly where the Spirit is leading.