It Is Written

There is a war going on in the wilderness.

• Satan is out to tempt Jesus and stop him from doing God’s will.

• Jesus defends himself with the only weapon He has – God’s Word.

• Three times He responded, “It is written.”

Satan is out to deceive, to lure man into doing things contrary to God’s ways.

• He did that to Adam and Eve right at the beginning of creation, in Genesis 3.

• And now he is doing it to Jesus. His agenda has not changed.

• He is doing that today, so that man does not know God’s way and God’s truth.

Jesus stands by the Word of God.

• Each time Satan fires suggestions at Him, Jesus responded with a greater force.

• He said, “It is written.” And that was enough. Satan was silenced.

• There is authority and power in the Word of God. Satan has nothing to counter the truth of God’s Word.

• All he can do is to deceive you. But the choice is ours. You can choose to believe what God says, or the lies you hear from Satan.

Jesus won this encounter solely by his trust in the Word of God.

• We have to do the same today. Our enemy Satan has not changed.

• He wants to distract us from God’s plan for us and tempt us to sin.

• Our only weapon is God’s Word. The Bible is our only defence.

The first thing we noticed is that Jesus was able to say “It is written.”

• To be able to say “It is written” is very important. We need to learn this.

I. Jesus Knows the Word of God

It is obvious that Jesus had been reading the Scriptures.

• Enough times for Him to recall them in a crisis moment like this.

• He remembers what He has read. And He was able to quote them.

• He was able to apply God’s Word for each temptation.

He must have been reading and studying the Scriptures, way before He steps into this wilderness, long before He encounters Satan’s attacks and temptations.

• He did not enter the wilderness with a bible scroll in hand.

• He was prepared. He remembers what God has said in the Scriptures.

• The Word of God has become a shield and strength for Him.

• We need to be prepared. Now is the time, not when the temptations come.

When we have the chance, we want to read, hear and study the Scriptures.

• God has chosen to reveal His ways and His plan for us through the Bible.

• We want to know what is true, what is right, what is God’s will for our lives.

• Otherwise we would be guessing. And we can easily be deceived.

We need to do that now, not later.

• It just like going for a First Aid course. We learn it before a need arises, not when an accident happens.

• We practice Fire Drill before a real fire takes place, not when it happens.

• When a crisis comes, you need to know what God says.

Build your life on the foundation of God’s Word.

• When the shaking comes, you will be able to stand firm.

• You will know what is good, what is right, what is true, what is God’s purpose for your life.

• It is time then to apply the Word of God, not a time to learn. We learn now.

The second thing we notice is this…

II. Jesus Believes the Word of God

Jesus did nothing but quoted the Scriptures. He believes it is absolutely true.

• Matt 4:4 Jesus said, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.�"

• He believes the Scriptures as a revelation of God, not mere words of men. It is the truth and not some good suggestions.

• Paul said, “All Scripture is inspired by God…” (2 Tim 3:16) NIV: God-breathed.

• What the Bible says is what God says.

Jesus says man live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

• Not part of the Bible, but the whole Scriptures being the very Word of God.

• In order words, to fully understand God’s will, we need the whole Scriptures – not just the OT alone or the NT alone, or certain pet topics or books.

• The whole Bible is the whole counsel of God.

Jesus quotes it because He believes in it.

• It is one thing to know the Word, it is quite another to believe it.

• We may know it and not believe in it.

• Paul describes it this way in Eph 6 (the armour of God): the Word of God is our sword, and faith in that Word is our shield.