Matthew 4

Verses 1-4

• Verses 1-2. After first repenting and believing in Jesus, we all must learn how to obey God's Word under temptation, and how to have self-control. 

  • As the Spirit led Jesus, God leads us into situations in life were we will need to grow our obedience and self-control.

    • Fasting with prayer builds self-control. Fast and pray to grow in this area!

• Verses 3-4. As with Jesus, we need to learn to thrive and become content with the Word of God, even without food. 

  • Fasting, while focusing on the Word and prayer, helps you to not depend on food for life, which brings great self-control! Remember this!

 

Verses 5-7

• We are often tempted to doubt God and His word, and try to tempt Him to do something for us, in order to give us reason to believe Him. 

  • Trust God's Word without demanding proof. If God is trustworthy, then His Word is trustworthy. 

• Notice that the devil tried to twist God's Word here. The devil leads us astray by getting us to misinterpret something in the Bible. Always pursue and pray for accurate understanding of Scripture.

  • Also seek help from wiser and more mature believers for this help.

 

*Notice also, in all of this, the devil tried to get Jesus to question whether He was truly the Son of God, right after God had declared that He was the Son of God (Matthew 3:17). And he wanted Jesus to show some work or miracle in order to prove it.

• The devil tries to get us to doubt our salvation also. He likes to make us think that we should be able to perform some great work if we are truly God's children. 

  • Don't be tricked by this. You are God's child because you have His Spirit. That's all that you need for reassurance. 

  • Remember that your works do not make you God's child. God's grace through Christ, and your faith in Him, makes you His child!

 

Verses 8-10

• The devil takes advantage of people's desire for fame, glory, or wealth and uses it to tempt people to sin.

  • Jesus was going to inherit all authority from God (Psalm 2:8), but the devil offered Him a shortcut to this power, if He worshipped him. This was of course a lie. Sin is not a shortcut to anything good. Temptation is a lie that leads to death.

    • Do not desire glory, in pride, or you will be easily tempted. 

    • And do not think that disobedience will lead to anything good or desirable, otherwise you will easily sin.

 

 

Verse 11

• Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7)! Being great at resisting temptation and being greatly obedient to God is what makes devils afraid of you!

  • And the more that devils flee from you, the less you'll be tempted by them, because they won't come near you. Remember that continuing to obey will make resisting temptation in all areas easier and easier.

• As angels helped Jesus, remember that angels will help you in time of need!

 

*Notice that Jesus was able to resist the devil by being equipped with the Word. Put the Word in your heart and it will help you to resist temptation! 

 

Verses 12-17

• Jesus was a light to people in darkness. His preaching of the gospel brought this light.

  • Notice that Jesus preached repentance also, to pick up right where John the Baptist left off (Matthew 3:2).

    • Tell people, when you preach the gospel, that they need to turn away from their sins! This brings light and pulls people out of the darkness of living in sin. 

 

Verses 18-22

• Verse 19a. We are called to follow Jesus. This means that we learn to live like Jesus—to become like Him—not merely to hear what He says.

• Verse 19b. After we learn to repent and obey God, we will learn to make disciples ourselves. All believers who will grow in following Jesus will learn to bring other people to Jesus.

  • Strive to be like Jesus and desire to help others follow Him too!

  • Understand that following Him means leaving behind old ways, like the disciples left their fishing nets to become fishers of men.

    • This does not mean that you have to abandon your livelihood. This means live your life for Christ and for others, not for yourself. You can use your livelihood/financial gains for Christ-like purposes.

 

Verses 23-25

• Understand effective work for the kingdom includes teaching the Word, preaching the message of salvation, and doing miracles where they are needed. 

  • Learn to share the gospel, grow in understanding and teaching the Word, and pray for the sick!

• Verse 24. Miracles bring fame and attention to the gospel, so that more people are attracted to it.