Lead Us Not Into Temptation - Matthew 4 Series

2025.02.02. Sermon Notes. Matthew 4 – MINISTRY BEGINS with the Temptation of Christ. Battling Temptation with GOD’s WORD. LEAD us not into Temptation!

William Akehurst, HSWC

BIG IDEA: After being baptized, anointed and presented to the world as GOD’s Beloved Son, JESUS is led by the Spirit into the Wilderness, where HE defeats temptation with GOD’s WORD, and then begins HIS ministry in calling the world to repentance to enter GOD’s Kingdom.

Scriptures: Matthew 6:13, Matthew 4:1-25, James 1:13, Deuteronomy 8:3,

Psalms 91:11-12, Deuteronomy 6 :16, Deuteronomy 6 :13, James 4 :7,

1 Corinthians 10 :13, Hebrews 4 :14-16, Ephesians 6 :11-17, Isaiah 9 :1-2

Last time, at HIS Baptism, JESUS identifies HIMSELF with Sinful man,

the HOLY SPIRIT anoints HIM, and then the VOICE from heaven introducing JESUS to the world as GOD’S BELOVED SON, in WHOM GOD is well pleased.

Now, JESUS identifies HIMSELF with sinful man once again, in severe temptation.

From Baptism to Temptation

Anointed by the Holy Spirit and led into the Wilderness and then attacked.

From the Voice of GOD in the heavens, to the hiss of Satan the tempter.

From the LORD's Prayer given to the disciples.

Matthew 6:13 Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Does GOD lead us into temptation? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Let us understand what JESUS taught us in this prayer HE gave to the Disciples, by HIS Example in the Wilderness.

A LESSON FOR EVERY BELIEVER CONCERNING SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

Matthew 4:1-25

Satan Tempts Jesus (Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1–13)

(1-2) Jesus is led to the place of temptation.

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

2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

TEMPTATION MORE SEVERE – by the devil himself

JESUS endured temptation so that HE could identify with us, but also demonstrated HIS holy, sinless character.

FASTING 40 days and 40 nights. Starving to death.

Forty days and forty nights: This is a familiar period of testing in the Bible, both in the days of Noah and for Israel in the wilderness. Jesus will succeed where Israel as a nation failed.

(3-4) The first temptation: an appeal to the lust of the flesh.

3 Now when the tempter* came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

*James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

“WHEN the tempter came”

Notice that Matthew writes WHEN the tempter came.

POINT: It is not a question of “IF” the tempter will come, but “WHEN” he will come. We will face temptation until we go to glory.

“IF YOU are the Son of GOD” Satan challenges JESUS to prove and demonstrate HIS deity through signs/works.

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Deuteronomy 8:3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, 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.

POINT: GOD’s WORD is a weapon of our warfare.

LESSON: GOD’s WORD is effective if we understand how to use it.

Jesus countered Satan’s seductive and dark lies by shining the LIGHT of GOD’s TRUTH upon them.

Knowing the TRUTH of GOD’s WORD will set you free.

If we are ignorant of GOD’S WORD and HIS TRUTH, then we are poorly armed and weak in the fight against temptation.

(5-7) The second temptation: an appeal to the pride of life.

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

Psalms 91:11-12 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

“For it is written”

Even the devil can use this phrase.

We can be certain that the devil has memorized the Bible himself, and is an expert at quoting it out of its context to confuse and defeat those he tempts.

Here the devil quoted Psalms 91:11-12 but took it out of its context to say, “Go ahead, Jesus; if You do this the Bible promises angels will rescue You, and it will be spectacular self-promotion.”