The Ultimate Test of the Father’s Word in His New Creation
The Verification of the Fulfillment of All Righteousness
Matthew 4:1-11
Remember the context: We have previously considered Christ’s Baptism and the Father’s Declaration of His Word—“This is My Beloved Son in Whom I Am Well Pleased.” As we proceed, remember satan’s words in Genesis 3:1—“Hath God Said?” He is attacking the "Firstborn of the New Creation", just as he attacked Adam in the first creation, by attacking the Word of God!!!
God's context & purpose—Deuteronomy 8:1-3 “to know what was in your heart”, “that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” Manna was the test case in the OT. Here, the very Bread of Life is put to the test.
Purpose—Verification of the WORD made Flesh!!! (Hebrews 1:1-2) Satan has nothing in Him!!! (John 14:30) This is the verification of the “new covenant in my Blood” (Matt. 26:27, 28, Heb. 12:24) the tearing of the veil which was His Flesh. (Matt. 26:26, Heb.10:19-20)
Note: In Christ’s response to satan’s temptations, Our Jesus is verifying that His Flesh is adequate Flesh, Righteous Flesh, to take away the first failed covenant, a failure because of the weakness of human flesh,(Romans 8:1-4) and to establish the Better Covenant, the Eternal Covenant based on the Righteous One and His Perfect Sacrifice through the Body prepared for Him. (Heb. 10:5-10) Vs 1. This is God’s Test!!! Matt 4:1; Mark 1:12 “and immediately, the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.” Luke 4:1 “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit—and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for the Ultimate Good!!!
Vs 2. The “Test Subject” is brought to a most weakened state in a wilderness. Contrast the perfect environment of the first creation people.
Vs 3. “If you are the Son of God.” Satan is ever questioning the Word of God. Remember Genesis—“Hath God said?” He will do anything to distract from absolute reliance upon God’s Word. And here, he is questioning the very Voice from heaven!!!
1. He cannot stand the Father’s Pleasure in His Son so he attacks Christ’s Sonship. And that is his continual goal with us, to get us to question our adoptive sonship, our Inheritance in Christ Jesus.
2. Satan is trying to get the One Who is the Bread of Life to turn stones into bread!
3. Remember Mt 7:9 Here satan offers the hungry Man stones. Only the evilest of men would do such a thing.
4. He is appealing to the root need of humanity—food. But he is tempting the One Who soon says, “Do not worry about your life, what you shall eat….” (Matt. 6:25
Vs 4. Notice, Jesus answers satan as THE MAN—“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
1. Jesus is reminding us of the nature of His Kingdom. First the Spiritual and then the natural. Romans 14:17—"not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." In Matthew 6:33 , He once again reminds of if the Kingdom order--"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
2. Do we live by the word of God, or are we “crisis christians’? Where do we go first, the stones of our own abilities or visible means or to our God and His Promises?
3. Satan’s trap: If Jesus had tried and failed, He would have been a mere man. If He had tried and been successful, He would not have been The Mere Man.
Vs 5 2nd temptation—from the pinnacle of the temple—the very building that prefigured the Son of God/Man. Testing God’s “insurance plan”!
Vs 6 Here is the big “If” again. Satan must discredit the Head Crusher. (Genesis 3:15) He isn’t omniscient, but He can read scripture!! But notice satan’s selective use of scripture: from Ps. 91:11-12, leaving out vs 9-10. He fails to quote "because you have made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come nigh your dwelling." And verse 14, Because hehas set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him...." Humans are bad about taking God's promises out of context, falling for satan' misuse of scripture. The Divine Human made no such mistake!!!
Vs 7 Jesus answers satan with Deut. 6:16 (Massah Ex 17:1-7, The water out of the rock episode.) 1. The Son of Man answers as created humanity should have always answered—God’s Word is to be believed and obeyed, not tested. (Deut. 4:1-7) To call into question the Word of the High and Lofty One is surely grievous in His sight.
Vs 8 The worldly kingdom temptation. Satan is here talking to the One of Whom the Father speaks in Psalm 2 and 110. The Beloved Son already has the Father's word as to His Inheritance. Satan should have followed the advice of Psalm 2:10-12. "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little."
Vs 9 The false promise of fake riches. In Luke 4:6 satan speaks of his right to do with the kingdoms of this world as he wishes. Be that as it may, he stands before the “Heir of all things”. (Heb. 1:2) Warning! The worship of satan is in things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vs 10 Again, Jesus answers satan as the Man—(Deut. 6:16-17, 10:12-22) Remember Psalm 40:4, 6-8!!! "Blessed is the man that makes the LORD his trust." To pursue any kingdom on this earth is to indulge in satan’s lie, to worship the wrong god.
Vs 11 Satan goes off to lick his wounds, he was over matched by This Man, and God’s ministers attend to the Son of Man, ministering to the One Who would bring salvation to the future objects of their ministry, the One Who has passed the Test!!! The need for food, safety, and wealth/power, none can move the Son of Man, for His Kingdom is not of this world. It is in Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost. Seek His Kingdom, and don’t sweat the small stuff!!! (Mt 6:33) (Hebrews 1:14, 4:15)
I Corinthians 10:13 Here is your Man, the ONE upon Whom the New Covenant is founded,The One Who Is the New Covenant!!! Israel failed miserably in the Old Covenant because of the weakness of the flesh (Rom 8:3). But God did all that His Righteous Word required “by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” Look unto Jesus, He is our King, our High Priest. He is the Truth. Don’t fall for satan’s lies. Live by every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God. (Hebrews 1:1-3)
The Verification of the Fulfillment of All Righteousness
Matthew 4:1-11
Remember the context: We have previously considered Christ’s Baptism and the Father’s Declaration of His Word—“This is My Beloved Son in Whom I Am Well Pleased.” As we proceed, remember satan’s words in Genesis 3:1—“Hath God Said?” He is attacking the "Firstborn of the New Creation", just as he attacked Adam in the first creation, by attacking the Word of God!!!
God's context & purpose—Deuteronomy 8:1-3 “to know what was in your heart”, “that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” Manna was the test case in the OT. Here, the very Bread of Life is put to the test.
Purpose—Verification of the WORD made Flesh!!! (Hebrews 1:1-2) Satan has nothing in Him!!! (John 14:30) This is the verification of the “new covenant in my Blood” (Matt. 26:27, 28, Heb. 12:24) the tearing of the veil which was His Flesh. (Matt. 26:26, Heb.10:19-20)
Note: In Christ’s response to satan’s temptations, Our Jesus is verifying that His Flesh is adequate Flesh, Righteous Flesh, to take away the first failed covenant, a failure because of the weakness of human flesh,(Romans 8:1-4) and to establish the Better Covenant, the Eternal Covenant based on the Righteous One and His Perfect Sacrifice through the Body prepared for Him. (Heb. 10:5-10) Vs 1. This is God’s Test!!! Matt 4:1; Mark 1:12 “and immediately, the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.” Luke 4:1 “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit—and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for the Ultimate Good!!!
Vs 2. The “Test Subject” is brought to a most weakened state in a wilderness. Contrast the perfect environment of the first creation people.
Vs 3. “If you are the Son of God.” Satan is ever questioning the Word of God. Remember Genesis—“Hath God said?” He will do anything to distract from absolute reliance upon God’s Word. And here, he is questioning the very Voice from heaven!!!
1. He cannot stand the Father’s Pleasure in His Son so he attacks Christ’s Sonship. And that is his continual goal with us, to get us to question our adoptive sonship, our Inheritance in Christ Jesus.
2. Satan is trying to get the One Who is the Bread of Life to turn stones into bread!
3. Remember Mt 7:9 Here satan offers the hungry Man stones. Only the evilest of men would do such a thing.
4. He is appealing to the root need of humanity—food. But he is tempting the One Who soon says, “Do not worry about your life, what you shall eat….” (Matt. 6:25
Vs 4. Notice, Jesus answers satan as THE MAN—“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
1. Jesus is reminding us of the nature of His Kingdom. First the Spiritual and then the natural. Romans 14:17—"not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." In Matthew 6:33 , He once again reminds of if the Kingdom order--"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
2. Do we live by the word of God, or are we “crisis christians’? Where do we go first, the stones of our own abilities or visible means or to our God and His Promises?
3. Satan’s trap: If Jesus had tried and failed, He would have been a mere man. If He had tried and been successful, He would not have been The Mere Man.
Vs 5 2nd temptation—from the pinnacle of the temple—the very building that prefigured the Son of God/Man. Testing God’s “insurance plan”!
Vs 6 Here is the big “If” again. Satan must discredit the Head Crusher. (Genesis 3:15) He isn’t omniscient, but He can read scripture!! But notice satan’s selective use of scripture: from Ps. 91:11-12, leaving out vs 9-10. He fails to quote "because you have made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come nigh your dwelling." And verse 14, Because hehas set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him...." Humans are bad about taking God's promises out of context, falling for satan' misuse of scripture. The Divine Human made no such mistake!!!
Vs 7 Jesus answers satan with Deut. 6:16 (Massah Ex 17:1-7, The water out of the rock episode.) 1. The Son of Man answers as created humanity should have always answered—God’s Word is to be believed and obeyed, not tested. (Deut. 4:1-7) To call into question the Word of the High and Lofty One is surely grievous in His sight.
Vs 8 The worldly kingdom temptation. Satan is here talking to the One of Whom the Father speaks in Psalm 2 and 110. The Beloved Son already has the Father's word as to His Inheritance. Satan should have followed the advice of Psalm 2:10-12. "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little."
Vs 9 The false promise of fake riches. In Luke 4:6 satan speaks of his right to do with the kingdoms of this world as he wishes. Be that as it may, he stands before the “Heir of all things”. (Heb. 1:2) Warning! The worship of satan is in things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vs 10 Again, Jesus answers satan as the Man—(Deut. 6:16-17, 10:12-22) Remember Psalm 40:4, 6-8!!! "Blessed is the man that makes the LORD his trust." To pursue any kingdom on this earth is to indulge in satan’s lie, to worship the wrong god.
Vs 11 Satan goes off to lick his wounds, he was over matched by This Man, and God’s ministers attend to the Son of Man, ministering to the One Who would bring salvation to the future objects of their ministry, the One Who has passed the Test!!! The need for food, safety, and wealth/power, none can move the Son of Man, for His Kingdom is not of this world. It is in Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost. Seek His Kingdom, and don’t sweat the small stuff!!! (Mt 6:33) (Hebrews 1:14, 4:15)
I Corinthians 10:13 Here is your Man, the ONE upon Whom the New Covenant is founded,The One Who Is the New Covenant!!! Israel failed miserably in the Old Covenant because of the weakness of the flesh (Rom 8:3). But God did all that His Righteous Word required “by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” Look unto Jesus, He is our King, our High Priest. He is the Truth. Don’t fall for satan’s lies. Live by every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God. (Hebrews 1:1-3)