Matthew 4
Messiah by victory over Satan Chapter 4
Any claim to spiritual power must be put to the test, as with all of us, so with Christ, for He identifies with His people in all things.
This is the subject of this chapter “Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil”.
The word tempted is pierazo which can mean “put to the test”, or it can also mean “enticed”. From God’s standpoint it was the first of these, from the devil’s it was the latter; he actually believed he could bring Him down, as he had done every man. It remains a principle in the service of God that all servants will be put to the test, but in the case of Christ there was never any possibility He would be enticed. The claims of Christ have been proved now they must be tested against the opposition. His own words in Matthew 12 v29 could summarise this chapter “...how can one enter the strong man’s house, and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house”.
The chapter thus divides;
Chapter 4 v1- 11 Christ binds the strong man.
Chapter 4 v12-25 Christ spoils the strong man’s house.
Chapter 4 v1-11 He binds the strong man
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness; Mark records “Immediately the Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness(Mark 1 v12); the word is ekballo which is thrust, compelled, no choice in the matter, the servant must face and overcome Satan if he will assault his kingdom. Luke, who writes of the man, uses a less intense word (Gr. ago) which is to gently lead. The word in Matthew is anago which is to lead up, to take to a higher level, for he writes of the king. Thus each writer uses the words carefully to represent the context of their presentation. Nothing of this event was to prove what Jesus was, for God knew His perfections, He had already declared this; it has to do with us His followers who would experience similar attacks, and these are lessons on how we can ward off the attentions of the evil one. He used no miraculous means to conquer Satan, only those means that are available to us all. Thus, His victory can be our victory, and we must understand the tactics of the enemy, and the way to overcome. Ephesians 6 v10-13 says that every believer faces an enemy too strong for them, and we need to avoid the fiery darts and stand against the wiles of the devil. Matthew’s view that He was “led up”, refers to the confrontation with higher spiritual power. The best way to grasp this is to take each step as it is stated.
• “When He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward hungered...”.
Satan confronts Him in the realm of the body, Jesus was a real man, whose body required food, and Satan came when He was at His weakest bodily. He attacks at a vulnerable point. His body was weak and faint, and crying out for food. Jesus must identify with His people in their extremity, as many may go hungry at times. There are other factors here;
a) It was immediately after a great victory(the baptism and the adulation from heaven). We could cite Abraham who was met by the king of Sodom after the victory over the kings of Shinar; or Elijah just after the victory on Mount Carmel etc. We are vulnerable when we have succeeded;
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness; Mark records “Immediately the Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness(Mark 1 v12); the word is ekballo which is thrust, compelled, no choice in the matter, the servant must face and overcome Satan if he will assault his kingdom. Luke, who writes of the man, uses a less intense word (Gr. ago) which is to gently lead. The word in Matthew is anago which is to lead up, to take to a higher level, for he writes of the king. Thus each writer uses the words carefully to represent the context of their presentation. Nothing of this event was to prove what Jesus was, for God knew His perfections, He had already declared this; it has to do with us His followers who would experience similar attacks, and these are lessons on how we can ward off the attentions of the evil one. He used no miraculous means to conquer Satan, only those means that are available to us all. Thus, His victory can be our victory, and we must understand the tactics of the enemy, and the way to overcome. Ephesians 6 v10-13 says that every believer faces an enemy too strong for them, and we need to avoid the fiery darts and stand against the wiles of the devil. Matthew’s view that He was “led up”, refers to the confrontation with higher spiritual power. The best way to grasp this is to take each step as it is stated.
• “When He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward hungered...”.
Satan confronts Him in the realm of the body, Jesus was a real man, whose body required food, and Satan came when He was at His weakest bodily. He attacks at a vulnerable point. His body was weak and faint, and crying out for food. Jesus must identify with His people in their extremity, as many may go hungry at times. There are other factors here;
a) It was immediately after a great victory(the baptism and the adulation from heaven). We could cite Abraham who was met by the king of Sodom after the victory over the kings of Shinar; or Elijah just after the victory on Mount Carmel etc. We are vulnerable when we have succeeded;
b) It was in a wilderness, there was nothing pleasing to the eyes, no growth, just barrenness, depressing to the human spirit; Mark even remarks He was with the wild beasts, everything to remind Him of the fall and it’s dread consequences; nothing of any comfort to the soul. How are we when bereft of earthly comforts?
c) He was lonely, denied any human contact for 40 days and nights, only the Spirit and the Father, but Himself in a human body in solitude.
d) He was bodily weak, actually famished and crying out for food; this is probably the limit of human deprivation of food. Many are weak in body through pain, and weakness and unusual fatigue and perhaps starvation. Jesus hunger was real, as ours would be, and was at the forefront of His thoughts.
• “And when the tempter came to Him he said “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread”.
What human being can make bread out of a stone just by speaking? Satan knew exactly who He was, he was not in any doubt, what he was saying, “since you are the Son of God, eat bread just by changing the rocks of the desert”. There is a subtle inference here questioning the goodness of God, as much as to say, how can the Son of God be allowed to go hungry? He was fasting at the prompting of the Spirit in obedience to His Father. Satan says, “you’re hungry you’re the Son of God. It should not be”.
What human being can make bread out of a stone just by speaking? Satan knew exactly who He was, he was not in any doubt, what he was saying, “since you are the Son of God, eat bread just by changing the rocks of the desert”. There is a subtle inference here questioning the goodness of God, as much as to say, how can the Son of God be allowed to go hungry? He was fasting at the prompting of the Spirit in obedience to His Father. Satan says, “you’re hungry you’re the Son of God. It should not be”.
• “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 the Lord”.
Citing from Deuteronomy 8 v3, He answers; the command to fast stands, no command to eat has come and until it comes I will not eat. Satan enticed Him to disobey the Spirit because of extreme bodily weakness. How many of us succumb to this excuse to disobey the Lord? He will not eat until the word comes from God. Notice He pointed to the written word, God does not give mixed messages, one from the written word and yet another from the spoken word. There is a parallel passage in Johns 1st epistle which underlines the principle that the written word is the answer to victory over Satan;
“I have written unto you young men because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one”- 1st John 2 v14. It is the written word used in the situation that ensures the victory. Not just the ability to quote it but the resolution to obey it.
Citing from Deuteronomy 8 v3, He answers; the command to fast stands, no command to eat has come and until it comes I will not eat. Satan enticed Him to disobey the Spirit because of extreme bodily weakness. How many of us succumb to this excuse to disobey the Lord? He will not eat until the word comes from God. Notice He pointed to the written word, God does not give mixed messages, one from the written word and yet another from the spoken word. There is a parallel passage in Johns 1st epistle which underlines the principle that the written word is the answer to victory over Satan;
“I have written unto you young men because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one”- 1st John 2 v14. It is the written word used in the situation that ensures the victory. Not just the ability to quote it but the resolution to obey it.
• “Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, 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”.
First to note is that the devil can quote the holy scriptures, except he misquotes them. Citing Psalm 91 v11-12 he omits the words “in all thy ways”, which completely changes the meaning of the text. Satan perverts the meaning, and we ask, how many of his emissaries today are misquoting the word, and applying a false meaning to it? We must be careful indeed, we need to know the word to be able to use it. Jesus is God yet He learned the truth of Deuteronomy as a man, in the very same way we can do. This is an attack in the realm of the soul, for the suggestion was to perform a spectacular act before the multitude in order to speed His credibility with them. There are many today performing seemingly miraculous acts to gain a following, and this was the suggestion of Satan, as he knew public figures need the support of the masses. There is no way Psalm 91 is encouraging hurling oneself down a 500 feet drop to gain recognition, yet that is how he presented it.
First to note is that the devil can quote the holy scriptures, except he misquotes them. Citing Psalm 91 v11-12 he omits the words “in all thy ways”, which completely changes the meaning of the text. Satan perverts the meaning, and we ask, how many of his emissaries today are misquoting the word, and applying a false meaning to it? We must be careful indeed, we need to know the word to be able to use it. Jesus is God yet He learned the truth of Deuteronomy as a man, in the very same way we can do. This is an attack in the realm of the soul, for the suggestion was to perform a spectacular act before the multitude in order to speed His credibility with them. There are many today performing seemingly miraculous acts to gain a following, and this was the suggestion of Satan, as he knew public figures need the support of the masses. There is no way Psalm 91 is encouraging hurling oneself down a 500 feet drop to gain recognition, yet that is how he presented it.
• “Jesus said unto him, it is written again, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God”.
Again a quotation from Deuteronomy; He ignored the omission of words from the Psalm, but focused on the perversion of the meaning, and establishes a further ;principle as He quotes from Deuteronomy 6 v16; that is, that one word from God does not contradict another word from God, and any interpretation must be in line with the whole. It is a fundamental principle that we are not to put God to the test, rather are we to trust Him and obey Him, He does not send mixed messages! It is a wonderful principle that God’s word is foolproof against any attempt to change the message. Nowhere is this seen more today than in the multitude of bible versions where some have sought to alter the meaning of principles. Such is the accuracy and harmony of scripture that it defies any such attempt. Peter voices this in 2nd Peter 1 v20;
“..no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation”(or is of it’s own solution); scripture interprets scripture and there are many who misquote it and pervert it and “put it to torture”, contorting it to establish their own thoughts. Any interpretation must be in harmony with the rest of scripture. Are we seeking the approval of men, are we prepared to compromise the word of God for popularity? This is what Satan wants for us.
Again a quotation from Deuteronomy; He ignored the omission of words from the Psalm, but focused on the perversion of the meaning, and establishes a further ;principle as He quotes from Deuteronomy 6 v16; that is, that one word from God does not contradict another word from God, and any interpretation must be in line with the whole. It is a fundamental principle that we are not to put God to the test, rather are we to trust Him and obey Him, He does not send mixed messages! It is a wonderful principle that God’s word is foolproof against any attempt to change the message. Nowhere is this seen more today than in the multitude of bible versions where some have sought to alter the meaning of principles. Such is the accuracy and harmony of scripture that it defies any such attempt. Peter voices this in 2nd Peter 1 v20;
“..no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation”(or is of it’s own solution); scripture interprets scripture and there are many who misquote it and pervert it and “put it to torture”, contorting it to establish their own thoughts. Any interpretation must be in harmony with the rest of scripture. Are we seeking the approval of men, are we prepared to compromise the word of God for popularity? This is what Satan wants for us.
• Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto Him, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me”.
He now attacks the spirit of the man, the desire for better than what we have, the pride of life, power, authority, rule over kingdoms, the glory attendant with it. In reality what Satan was offering Him was only what will be His from His Father when the time is right. In fact he was offering a way to glory without the cross. All the suffering ahead can be avoided if only once you will worship me; that is what Satan craves, to be worshipped, to be like God. He attacked Him in body, soul, and spirit, that is in every part of His being as a man, presenting to Him an easier way, for God’s way was costly.
• “Then said Jesus unto him, “Get thee hence Satan: for it is written “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou worship”.
With kingly authority He dismissed Satan, saying “Get thee hence”. He will say the same again in chapter 16, when Peter is deceived over the issue of the suffering of the cross. Once again He uses the written word from Deuteronomy 6 v13 and 10 v20; only God is to be worshipped, all the angels of heaven know this, all the people of God must get to know it, and any suggestion to the contrary is from the devil.
At a time of severe bodily weakness, He warded off the devil’s wiles by the sword of the Spirit, using the written word, which is available to us. This is the victory, no matter the circumstances. Satan will return, again and again, and the victory in every case is the written word hidden in the heart, and used when needed. Isaiah, in chapter 40, advised the young not to depend on physical or mental strength, for it would fail, but those who “..wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” The retrogression from youth to old age need not rob us of spiritual strength, but calm rest in the will of the Lord.
• “Then the devil leaveth Him, and behold angels came and ministered unto Him”.
We presume the ministry was of a bodily nature, particularly food to nourish His body, what a lovely picture is this! In bodily weakness, He dispels the greatest power in the universe apart from God, yet is dependent on angelic ministration to recover. Later, at the end of His public ministry, in Gethsemane, an angel appeared to Him to strengthen Him in the extremity of His agony, at the prospect of Calvary(Luke 22 v43). Now enthroned in the glory of heaven, He provides the same service to His people, referring to angels in Hebrews 1 v13 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who are about to inherit salvation”.
He now attacks the spirit of the man, the desire for better than what we have, the pride of life, power, authority, rule over kingdoms, the glory attendant with it. In reality what Satan was offering Him was only what will be His from His Father when the time is right. In fact he was offering a way to glory without the cross. All the suffering ahead can be avoided if only once you will worship me; that is what Satan craves, to be worshipped, to be like God. He attacked Him in body, soul, and spirit, that is in every part of His being as a man, presenting to Him an easier way, for God’s way was costly.
• “Then said Jesus unto him, “Get thee hence Satan: for it is written “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou worship”.
With kingly authority He dismissed Satan, saying “Get thee hence”. He will say the same again in chapter 16, when Peter is deceived over the issue of the suffering of the cross. Once again He uses the written word from Deuteronomy 6 v13 and 10 v20; only God is to be worshipped, all the angels of heaven know this, all the people of God must get to know it, and any suggestion to the contrary is from the devil.
At a time of severe bodily weakness, He warded off the devil’s wiles by the sword of the Spirit, using the written word, which is available to us. This is the victory, no matter the circumstances. Satan will return, again and again, and the victory in every case is the written word hidden in the heart, and used when needed. Isaiah, in chapter 40, advised the young not to depend on physical or mental strength, for it would fail, but those who “..wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” The retrogression from youth to old age need not rob us of spiritual strength, but calm rest in the will of the Lord.
• “Then the devil leaveth Him, and behold angels came and ministered unto Him”.
We presume the ministry was of a bodily nature, particularly food to nourish His body, what a lovely picture is this! In bodily weakness, He dispels the greatest power in the universe apart from God, yet is dependent on angelic ministration to recover. Later, at the end of His public ministry, in Gethsemane, an angel appeared to Him to strengthen Him in the extremity of His agony, at the prospect of Calvary(Luke 22 v43). Now enthroned in the glory of heaven, He provides the same service to His people, referring to angels in Hebrews 1 v13 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who are about to inherit salvation”.
Verses 12-25 He spoils the strong man’s house
It is a sombre fact that the world is under the power of Satan, since our forefather Adam sold the whole race in Genesis chapter 3. Satan’s claim that “the kingdoms of this world” were his was not contested by Jesus during the temptation event, but His spiritual victory over him gives Him the right to free His people from the grip of the devil. This is the story of the rest of these verses, a story that continues today in every generation.
These verses are a summary of His whole life’s work. Matthew likes to bring everything together, as he does with His teaching in the next chapters 5, 6, and 7.
John was set aside(v12);
Jesus first area of service(v13-17);
Jesus calls the apostles who would be the foundation of His work(v18-22);
Jesus mission; the extent, both geographically, and spiritually, of His all-conquering work for God(v23-25).
Not one place was missed, not one disease He did not cure. This is the supreme victory of Christ, that continues to this day.
These verses are a summary of His whole life’s work. Matthew likes to bring everything together, as he does with His teaching in the next chapters 5, 6, and 7.
John was set aside(v12);
Jesus first area of service(v13-17);
Jesus calls the apostles who would be the foundation of His work(v18-22);
Jesus mission; the extent, both geographically, and spiritually, of His all-conquering work for God(v23-25).
Not one place was missed, not one disease He did not cure. This is the supreme victory of Christ, that continues to this day.
Jesus courtesy to John(v12). Jesus waited until the ministry of John was finished, before moving on to the public scene; this was a matter of respect for the great man who had so ably presented Him. Paul had the same respect for his fellow workers when he said “For so I have strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ is named lest I build on another man’s foundation”-Romans 15 v20. Paul followed his Master’s example. This is the start of a new dispensation in the programme of God, the age of law is over, and the age of grace begins.
The Divine programme moves according to a very definite time frame; perhaps that is the force of verse 17
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
This is repeated in chapter 16, when the church is mentioned for the first time-Matthew 16 v21 “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples how He must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and raised again the third day”. Thus Matthew presents the two dispensations, two ways in which God deals with the world; in the time of the prophets it was adherence to the law, in the time of Christ it is following Him. The old has passed away, the new day has come; Christ fulfilled the law, and we fulfil it in Him.
The Divine programme moves according to a very definite time frame; perhaps that is the force of verse 17
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
This is repeated in chapter 16, when the church is mentioned for the first time-Matthew 16 v21 “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples how He must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and raised again the third day”. Thus Matthew presents the two dispensations, two ways in which God deals with the world; in the time of the prophets it was adherence to the law, in the time of Christ it is following Him. The old has passed away, the new day has come; Christ fulfilled the law, and we fulfil it in Him.
God’s compensation to those in affliction(v13-17) This is a very informative portion describing the just ways of God. Jesus went straight to Galilee. Why did He choose to serve first in Galilee, why not Jerusalem, where the temple, and the priesthood, and the services were? If He would build an empire, surely Jerusalem would be the first place of operation? The ways of God are higher than ours; Isaiah the prophet in the very quotation Matthew uses, tells us why. Historically, Jerusalem has always come under attack, and, geographically, those attacks came from the north side of the city. Jerusalem is almost impregnable from the south, being at the edge of a 500 feet cliff, with rocks and ravines around. However the north side was very exposed and when marauding armies came, they would come through Zebulon and Naphtali, causing damage to people and property, this fact is verifiable and is mentioned in Isaiah chapter 9 v1-5. There, the Lord, in His governmental dealings with Israel, said that as a result, this area had suffered most, in what He called His vexation and affliction of the nation. There was first of all a light vexation, followed by a more grievous one. God’s sense of justice is wonderful, and those who suffered most(not necessarily for their own sins), will be compensated by being the first to receive the light of Christ. In grace He appears first to the northern provinces;
“And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt at Capernaum which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulon, and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people that sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up”.
Jesus calling of His disciples who would form the foundation of His work(18-22).
“And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt at Capernaum which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulon, and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people that sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up”.
Jesus calling of His disciples who would form the foundation of His work(18-22).
With one exception(Judas Iscariot), all of them came from Galilee, He chose His trusted men from Galilee; they were known, in derogatory terms, Galileans.
Galileans were despised among the elite, yet it was in Galilee Jesus announced the “acceptable year of the Lord”(Luke 4);
it was here He performed His first miracle;
it was from here He called the apostles;
it was here He did most of His mighty works.
This is what Jesus meant when He said of Capernaum, “thou art exalted to heaven”(Matthew 11 v23). Three of these whom He called(Peter, James, and John), became the inner circle of the twelve. The call of the King was decisive, they immediately left their careers to follow Jesus. The nature of the call to each was to characterise their future work, Peter and Andrew, the great evangelists(casting the nets); John and James,(called whilst mending the nets) the pastor- teachers. When the King calls the only response is immediate. He still calls today.
Galileans were despised among the elite, yet it was in Galilee Jesus announced the “acceptable year of the Lord”(Luke 4);
it was here He performed His first miracle;
it was from here He called the apostles;
it was here He did most of His mighty works.
This is what Jesus meant when He said of Capernaum, “thou art exalted to heaven”(Matthew 11 v23). Three of these whom He called(Peter, James, and John), became the inner circle of the twelve. The call of the King was decisive, they immediately left their careers to follow Jesus. The nature of the call to each was to characterise their future work, Peter and Andrew, the great evangelists(casting the nets); John and James,(called whilst mending the nets) the pastor- teachers. When the King calls the only response is immediate. He still calls today.
Jesus curriculum of teaching and healing(23-25) Note the superfluous information in these verses. “Jesus went about all Galilee...”.
According to the historian Josephus, there were about 204
villages/towns, not one less than 15000 population; this involves approx. 3 million people. His vision of evangelism is to visit every place(He expands this in chapter 10).
“..teaching in their synagogues and preaching of the kingdom..”.
He used the well known gathering centres, and preached the rule of God in their communities.
“..healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people”.
The kingdom not only teaches responsibility, it also brings blessing, in God’s kingdom there will be no sickness that cannot be cured, no disease that cannot be healed. His fame went beyond the borders of Israel into Syria, and they brought unto Him all that were sick, all that were demon possessed, all that were mentally ill, and all that were paralysed, and He healed them. This was but a taste of what the kingdom will be like, and the people responded in droves from Galilee and Decapolis(the ten-city conglomerate around the sea of Galilee), and Jerusalem, and from Judea and beyond Jordan.
The crowds followed Him for the healing, but there was little heart repentance as chapter 11 will show. The Sermon on the mount in the next three chapters 5, 6, and 7 will reveal that there is much more to the kingdom of heaven than bodily healing, and that entrance to it is much more than external conformity to human righteousness.
According to the historian Josephus, there were about 204
villages/towns, not one less than 15000 population; this involves approx. 3 million people. His vision of evangelism is to visit every place(He expands this in chapter 10).
“..teaching in their synagogues and preaching of the kingdom..”.
He used the well known gathering centres, and preached the rule of God in their communities.
“..healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people”.
The kingdom not only teaches responsibility, it also brings blessing, in God’s kingdom there will be no sickness that cannot be cured, no disease that cannot be healed. His fame went beyond the borders of Israel into Syria, and they brought unto Him all that were sick, all that were demon possessed, all that were mentally ill, and all that were paralysed, and He healed them. This was but a taste of what the kingdom will be like, and the people responded in droves from Galilee and Decapolis(the ten-city conglomerate around the sea of Galilee), and Jerusalem, and from Judea and beyond Jordan.
The crowds followed Him for the healing, but there was little heart repentance as chapter 11 will show. The Sermon on the mount in the next three chapters 5, 6, and 7 will reveal that there is much more to the kingdom of heaven than bodily healing, and that entrance to it is much more than external conformity to human righteousness.
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