Matthew 4

Matthew 4:1

C. Jesus Is Tempted by Satan (4:1-11) 4:1 It may seem strange that Jesus should be led by the Spirit into temptation. Why should the Holy Spirit lead Him into such an encounter? The answer is that this temptation was necessary to demonstrate His moral fitness to do the work for which He had come into the world. The first Adam proved his unfitness for dominion when he met the adversary in the Garden of Eden. Here the last Adam meets the devil in a head-on confrontation and emerges unscathed. The Greek word translated tempt or test has two meanings: (1) to test or prove (Joh_6:6; 2Co_13:5; Heb_11:17); and (2) to solicit to evil. The Holy Spirit tested or proved Christ. The devil sought to lure Him to do evil. There is deep mystery connected with the temptation of our Lord. Inevitably the question arises, Could He have sinned? If we answer No, then we must face the further question, How could it be a real temptation if He could not yield? If we answer Yes, we are faced with the problem of how God incarnate could sin. It is of first importance to remember that Jesus Christ is God and that God cannot sin. It is true that He is also human; however, to say that He could sin as a human but not as God is to build a case without scriptural foundation. The NT writers wrote of the sinlessness of Christ on several occasions. Paul wrote that He knew no sin (2Co_5:21); Peter says that He committed no sin (1Pe_2:22); and John says, in Him there is no sin (1Jo_3:5). Like us, Jesus could be tempted from without: Satan came to Him with suggestions contrary to the will of God. But unlike us, He could not be tempted from withinno sinful lusts or passions could originate in Him. Furthermore, there was nothing in Him that would respond to the devil’s seductions (Joh_14:30). Despite Jesus’ inability to sin, the temptation was very real. It was possible for Him to be faced with enticements to sin, but it was morally impossible for Him to yield. He could only do what He saw the Father doing (Joh_5:19), and it is inconceivable that He would ever see the Father sinning. He could do nothing on His own authority (Joh_5:30), and the Father would never give Him the authority to yield to temptation. The purpose of the temptation was not to see if He would sin, but to prove that even under tremendous pressure He could do nothing but obey the Word of God. If Jesus could sin as a human being, we are faced with the problem of His still being a human in heaven. Could He still sin? Obviously, no. 4:2, 3 After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry. (The number forty in Scripture is frequently used in contexts of testing or probation.) This natural appetite provided the tempter with an advantage which in many people he could exploit. He suggested that Jesus use His miraculous power to convert the stones of the desert into loaves of bread. The introductory words, If You are the Son of God, do not imply doubt. They actually mean Since You are the Son of God. The devil is alluding to the words of the Father to Jesus at the baptism, This is My beloved Son. He uses a Greek construction which assumes the statement to be true and, thereby, he calls on Jesus to exercise His power to appease His hunger. To fulfill a natural appetite by using divine power in response to Satan’s prompting is in direct disobedience to God. The idea behind Satan’s suggestion is an echo of Gen_3:6 (good for food). John classifies this temptation as the lust of the flesh (1Jo_2:16). Our corresponding temptation is to live for the gratification of natural desires, to choose a pathway of comfort instead of seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The devil says, You have to live, don’t you?4:4 Jesus answered the temptation by quoting the Word of God. Our Lord’s example teaches that we don’t have to live, but we do have to obey God!

Getting bread is not the most important thing in life. Obedience to every word of God is. Since Jesus had received no instructions from the Father to turn stones into bread, He would not act on His own and thus obey Satan, no matter how intense His hunger. 4:5, 6 The second temptation took place in Jerusalem on the pinnacle of the temple. The devil challenged Jesus to throw Himself down as a spectacular display of His divine Sonship. Again, the opening word if does not imply doubt, as is seen in Satan’s reference to the protection promised to the Messiah by God in Psa_91:11-12. The temptation was for Jesus to demonstrate that He was Messiah by performing a sensational stunt. He could achieve glory without suffering; He could bypass the cross and still reach the throne. But this action would be outside the will of God. John describes this appeal as the pride of life (1Jo_2:16). It resembles the tree desirable to make one wise (Gen_3:6) in the Garden of Eden, as both were a means of achieving personal glory in disregard of God’s will. This temptation comes to us in the desire to attain religious prominence apart from the fellowship of His suffering. We seek great things for ourselves, then run and hide when difficulties come our way. When we ignore God’s will and exalt ourselves, we tempt God. 4:7 Again, Jesus resisted the attack by quoting Scripture: It is written again, You shall not tempt the LORD your God. (see Deu_6:16). God had promised to preserve the Messiah, but that guarantee presupposed living in God’s will. To claim the promise in an act of disobedience would be tempting God. The time would come when Jesus would be revealed as Messiah, but the cross must come first. The altar of sacrifice must precede the throne. The crown of thorns must precede the crown of glory. Jesus would await God’s time and would accomplish God’s will. 4:8, 9 In the third temptation the devil took Jesus up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. He offered them to Jesus in exchange for His worship. Although this temptation had to do with worship, an exercise of the spirit, it was an effort to induce our Lord to grasp imperial power over the world by worshiping Satan. The reward offered, all the kingdoms of the world with their grandeur, appealed to the lust of the eyes (1Jo_2:16). In a sense, the kingdoms of the world do belong to the devil at present. He is spoken of as the god of this age (2Co_4:4), and John tells us that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (1Jo_5:19). When Jesus appears at the Second Advent as King of kings (Rev_19:16), then the kingdoms of this world become His (Rev_11:15). Jesus would not violate the divine timetable, and certainly He would never worship Satan! For us the temptation is twofold: to barter our spiritual birthright for the passing glory of this world, and to worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. 4:10 For the third time, Jesus resisted temptation by using the OT: You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve. Worship and the service that flows from it are for God alone. To worship Satan would be tantamount to acknowledging him as God. The order of the temptations as recorded by Matthew varies from that in Luke (4:1-13). Some have suggested that Matthew’s order parallels the order of the temptations that Israel faced in the wilderness (Exodos 16; 17; 32). Jesus showed Himself in perfect contrast to Israel’s response to hardship. 4:11 When Jesus had successfully rebutted Satan’s temptations, the devil left Him. Temptations come in waves rather than in a steady flow. When the enemy comes in like flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him (Isa_59:19). What an encouragement for God’s tested saints! We are told that angels came and ministered to Him, but no explanation is given for this supernatural assistance. It probably means that they provided the physical nourishment for Him which He had refused to provide at Satan’s suggestion. From the temptation of Jesus, we learn that the devil can attack those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit, but that he is powerless against those who resist him with the Word of God.

Matthew 4:12

D. Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry (4:12-17) The Judean ministry of Jesus, which lasted almost one year, is not discussed by Matthew. This one year period is covered in John 1-4 and fits between Mat_4:11 and Mat_4:12. Matthew takes us from the temptation directly to the Galilean ministry. 4:12 When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He realized that this was an omen of His own rejection. In rejecting the King’s forerunner, the people were, for all practical purposes, rejecting the King also. But it was not fear that drove Him north to Galilee. Actually He was going right into the center of Herod’s kingdomthe same king who had just imprisoned John. In moving to Galilee of the Gentiles, He was showing that His rejection by the Jews would result in the gospel going out to the Gentiles. 4:13 Jesus remained in Nazareth until the populace tried to kill Him for proclaiming salvation for the Gentiles (see Luk_4:16-30). Then He moved to Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee, an area originally populated by the tribes of Zebulun and Napthali. From this time, Capernaum became His headquarters. 4:14-16 Jesus’ move to Galilee was a fulfillment of Isa_9:1-2. The ignorant, superstitious Gentiles living in Galilee saw a great lightthat is Christ, the Light of the world. 4:17 From then on Jesus took up the message which John had preached: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It was a further call for moral renewal in preparation for His kingdom. The kingdom was near in the sense that the King was present.

Matthew 4:18

E. Jesus Calls Four Fishermen (4:18-22) 4:18, 19 This is actually the second time Jesus called Peter and Andrew. In Joh_1:35-42 they were called to salvation; here they are called to service. The first took place in Judea; this one in Galilee. Peter and Andrew were fishermen, but Jesus called them to be fishers of men. Their responsibility was to follow Christ. His responsibility was to make them successful fishermen.

Their following of Christ involved more than physical nearness. It included their imitation of the character of Christ. Theirs was to be a ministry of character. What they were was more important than what they said or did. Just as with Peter and Andrew, we are to avoid the temptation to substitute eloquence, personality, or clever arguments for true spirituality. In following Christ, the disciple learns to go where the fish are swimming, to use the proper lure, to endure discomfort and inconvenience, to be patient, and to keep out of sight. 4:20 Peter and Andrew heard the call and responded immediately. In true faith, they left their nets. In true commitment and devotion they followed Jesus. 4:21, 22 The call came next to James and John. They, too, became instant disciples. Leaving not only their means of livelihood but their father as well, they acknowledged the priority of Jesus over all earthly ties. By responding to the call of Christ, these fishermen became key figures in the evangelization of the world. Had they remained at their nets, we would never have heard of them. Recognition of the lordship of Christ makes all the difference in the world.

Matthew 4:23

F. Jesus Heals a Great Multitude (4:23-25) The ministry of the Lord Jesus was threefold: He taught God’s Word in the synagogues; He preached the gospel of the kingdom; and He healed the sick. One purpose of the miracles of healing was to authenticate His person and ministry (Heb_2:3-4). Chapters 5-7 are an example of His teaching ministry and chapters 8-9 describe His miracles. 4:23 Verse 23 is the first use of gospel in the NT. The term means good news of salvation. In every age of the world’s history there has been only one gospel, only one way of salvation.

EXCURSUS ON THE GOSPEL The gospel originates in the grace of God (Eph_2:8). That means that God gives eternal life freely to sinful people who don’t deserve it. The basis of the gospel is the work of Christ on the cross (1Co_15:1-4). Our Savior fulfilled all the claims of divine justice, enabling God to justify believing sinners. Old Testament believers were saved through the work of Christ, even though it was still future. They probably did not know much about the Messiah, but God didand He imputed the value of Christ’s work to their account. In a sense they were saved on credit. We, too, are saved through the work of Christ, but in our case, the work has already been finished. The gospel is received by faith alone (Eph_2:8). In the OT, people were saved by believing whatever God had told them. In this age, people are saved by believing God’s testimony concerning His Son as the only way of salvation (1Jo_5:11-12). The ultimate goal of the gospel is heaven. We have the hope of eternity in heaven (2Co_5:6-10), just as OT saints did (Heb_11:10, Heb_11:14-16). While there is only one gospel, there are different features of the gospel in different times. For instance, there is a different emphasis between the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God. The gospel of the kingdom says, Repent and receive the Messiah; then you will enter His kingdom when it is set up on earth. The gospel of grace says, Repent and receive Christ; then you will be taken up to meet Him and to be with Him forever. Fundamentally, they are the same gospelsalvation by grace through faithbut they show that there are different administrations of the gospel according to God’s dispensational purposes. When Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom, He was announcing His coming as King of the Jews and explaining the terms of admission into His kingdom. His miracles showed the wholesome nature of the kingdom.

4:24, 25 His fame spread throughout all Syria (the territory north and northeast of Israel). All the sick people, demon-possessed, and disabled felt His healing touch. People thronged to Him from Galilee, the Decapolis (a confederation of ten Gentile cities in northeastern Palestine), Jerusalem, Judea and the region east of the Jordan River. As. B. B. Warfield wrote: Disease and death must have been almost eliminated for a brief season from … the region. No wonder the public was greatly astonished at the reports they were hearing from Galilee!