Matthew 4

Matthew 4 Jesus was sent into the wilderness for 40 days. Israel was in the wilderness for 40 years. God uses the wilderness to prepare us for what He has in store for us. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The Spirit might lead us to places we would rather not go. We must be obedient and trust God.

Jesus felt all the limitations of being human. He was hungry after fasting for 40 days. Jesus knows us fully - I'd say even better than we know ourselves.

The devil tried to temp Jesus three times, in three specific ways, all of which were intended to cause Jesus to make the same mistake that Adam and Eve made. Adam and Eve failed the first temptation - to eat. Jesus did not. Food is our most basic necessity, and our biggest weakness. A person who can control their stomach has true self control. A person given over to satisfying the cravings of their appetite can rarely abstain from any other desires.

Adam and Eve did not trust God. Jesus did. If we trust God we don't need to test Him. A test only proves that you do not already trust Him. There are things that we should test, and not blindly trust, and if you are a new believer God may have grace for you wanting to test Him. But for those of us who know God, there is no reason to continue testing Him. To do so would be an insult.

Adam and Eve gave up their dominion over the earth to satan when they sinned. Satan could not have given something he did not possess, and Jesus would not have been tempted if He knew that Satan could not deliver what he was promising. Jesus did not come only to have dominion over the earth, but over heaven and earth. Satan offered to give Jesus dominion over the earth, but he wanted to be worshipped in return. Anyone who worships satan would be disqualified from heaven. Jesus could have avoided earthly suffering, but He would only have achieved earthly glory in doing so - at the price of His, and our, eternal souls.

Jesus showed us that His word provides everything we need, from the bread of life to the shield against the attacks of the enemy.

After having gone through this time of preparation and battle with the enemy, Jesus began His ministry by preaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, gathering disciples, and healing. The critical importance of the time of preparation and the strength gained by being tested should not be overlooked. We all must submit ourselves to the leading of the Spirit, and always trust God when He is testing us, because that is how He prepares us to enter into the work and the blessings He has prepared for us.