The Commands, Teachings, and Life of our Lord Jesus Christ: Matthew 4:5-7

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

     Satan transported Jesus, when He was tempting Him this second time, to Jerusalem and set Jesus at the highest point of the temple.

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

     Notice what Satan does. He tells Jesus to prove that He is the Son of God by jumping off the temple, why? Because Satan knows very well that Scripture says that God has angles that He will dispatch to project His Son until Jesus lays down His life for the whole world and if Christ jumps then He is acting of His own will and not the will of His Father.

 

     Remember that Satan is not ignorant of the Word of God. As a matter of fact he probably knows it better than you and he is very skilled at deceiving by twisting its meaning. Satan even comes as with the appearance of being an angel of light (messenger of God). The Scripture does not say that Satan sometimes does this, but that he does this.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

2 Cor 11:13-15 (KJV)

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

     Jesus responds to Satan again with Scripture, again holding fast to the true meaning of God’s Word. Like Jesus, we should not presume to hold God to His promises in order to prove ourselves to others—that is tempting the Lord. For example, praying fervently for a sick member of our church is not a bad thing, but if we attempt to pray for healing or perform a miracle through God’s power just so that our identity as Christians will be confirmed before someone else, we are probably tempting God. Now, I am not saying God is not tempted (enticed) to sin but that we provoke Him. Let’s look at a definition and some Scripture to clarify this:

Webster’s 1828 defines tempt as to encite to something wrong by presenting arguments that are plausible or convincing, in Scripture, to try ; to prove ; to put on trial for proof.

 

Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God….

Deut 6:16 (KJV)

 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James 1:13-18 (KJV)

Matt 4:5-7 (KJV)

The Commands, Teachings and Life of our Lord Jesus Christ: Matthew 4:2-4

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

     Our Lord Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights and as a result, he was hungry. Look at what Satan tempted Christ with as extremely sharp hunger pangs were shooting through his body:

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

 

      Satan told Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God and use His power for His own comfort—to turn stones to bread to satisfy His hunger. As we saw in previous lessons, Jesus did nothing of His own will—Jesus was completely devoted to His Father. His Father’s will, empowered by the Holy Spirit, directed Jesus Christ’s every action, decision, and word.

       Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted…and what we see is that Satan tries to first of all to get Christ to yield to using God for His own comfort and ease. How often today have American Christians attempted to make their Faith comfortable and declare that because they serve the Lord that they will receive health, wealth, possessions, marriage, or some other selfish motive. Their goal and prayer is not crying out the Lord for a marriage partner or for the healing of a dear friend because they know God alone has the power to heal and direct, but rather they presumptuously attempt to use God’s power to make their own will (desire) come to pass.

 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

         How did Jesus answer? With truth: man does not live by bread (the physical) alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The prophets in the Old Testament almost always had hard lives. People were seeking to kill them, they wandered around in deserted places, they didn’t have wealth and depended on God for everything they had; but they truly had life because they lived by the words that came from the very mouth of God. Too often we attempt to substitute material things for the real prizes God offers us: a relationship with Him, His Body, and slavery to Christ. Jesus passed the test in this temptation by clinging to the truth of God and not acting because of His own physical desires, but rather, submitting Himself to God and quoting absolute truth (the Bible) back to Satan.

Matt 4:2-4 (KJV)

The Bridge Builder

The Bridge Builder

Will Allen Dromgoole

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim, near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;

You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"
The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,

"There followeth after me today
A youth, whose feet must pass this way."

"This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

http://www.cordula.ws/poems/bridge.html The Bridge Builder

The Bridge Builderhighway,

Came, at the evening cold and gray,

To a chasm vast and deep and wide.

Through which was flowing a sullen tide

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,

The sullen stream had no fear for him;

But he turned when safe on the other side

And built a bridge to span the tide.

 

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,

“You are wasting your strength with building here;

Your journey will end with the ending day,

You never again will pass this way;

You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,

Why build this bridge at evening tide?”

 

The Commands, Teachings, and Life of our Lord Jesus Christ: Matthew 4:1

 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

        It is very important to understand this one verse. Jesus set us a perfect example in everything He did. Jesus personified every gift of the Spirit in a proper, God-honoring way: prophecy, faith, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, giving, teaching, apostleship, pastoring, etc… Jesus even set us an example in how to follow the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not do anything of His own will, He did not even equate His authority equal to God the Father’s. Jesus did not do anything because of His own authority—look:

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 5:30 (KJV)

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil 2:6-11 (KJV)

    Jesus, was led by the Spirit. Jesus obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit! And look what this verse says: Jesus followed the Spirit into the desert to do what? To be tempted by the devil. Jesus was tempted in every single way we are, yet without sin. This is not a figurative thing, no Jesus underwent temptation but never submitted, setting us an example.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Heb 4:14-15 (KJV)

 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

James 1:13-16 (KJV)

Matt 4:1 (KJV)

Live Set Apart—Holiness to the Lord

Live Set Apart—Holiness to the Lord

But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Psalms 4:3 (KJV)

 

 

   Let’s examine being separate—living lives that are set apart to the Lord.

 

O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. 13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:11-18 (KJV)

 

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV)

 

      Now that we are in Christ and no longer lost, we are changing into the image of Christ. We are separating from our old nature day by day and are being transformed by the renewing of our mind in the Word of God and from glory to glory in Christ! This issue is one of action, my desire and prayer is that you see how the Lord has created us to be separate, set apart to Him and just how essential this is to our Christian lives. It is not a subject to just throw to the side and forget and it is certainly not a small theme in the Bible.

       I am not saying that we are to live a monastic lifestyle in an effort to become Holy: it is unscriptural to completely cut yourself off from contact with the world for your whole life in effort to become Holy. As we mature in Christ, there are aspects of our flesh and our old way of doing things that we need to throw off and cast away. The reason being this: sin separates us from God and whether we like it or not we all have sin that comes up between us and God in the form strongholds, chains, and blindspots even after we’ve come to Christ. Jesus forgives our sin at the instance we accept Him, but some sins remain a problem until they are dealt with through a pruning process. Consequently, we will all come to a point in our growth where there is one thing that we have to deal with and separate from to continue moving forward in Christ. You are called to be not only a Holy People and a Royal Priesthood, but also a Peculiar people to the inhabitants of this world, living as strangers here in reverent Fear of the Lord. As you read, I encourage you to open yourself up to the Holy Spirit’s voice and listen.

 

Read these verses slowly and listen for what the Lord is speaking to you.

 

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2 (KJV)

 

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Corinthians 10:4 (KJV)

 

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: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:9-12 (KJV)

 

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.

1 Peter 1:15-17 (KJV)