4:1-11. THE TEMPTATION.
1-3-. Before the Temptation.
-3-10. The Separate Temptations.
11. After the Temptation.
Matthew 4:1 Then
(Immediately after His anointing as Messiah, "the second man" [1 Cor. 15:47], "the last Adam" [1 Cor. 15:45], must be tried like "the first man Adam" [1 Cr. 15:45,47], and in the same 3 ways [1 John 2:16. Cp. with Gen. 3:6)
was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness
(The 1st man was in the garden; Messiah's trial was in the wilderness, and His agony in the garden. Contrast Israel: fed with manna and disobedient, Christ hungered and obedient.)
to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights,
(40 is the number of probation)
He was afterward an hungred.
(He put His flesh in a place where it was very weak. Don't you try this! The closer you draw to our Father, the more Satan will try to draw you away with temptations. He will always attack your weakest point. You should be prepared and handle the temptation as Jesus did. Learn to "take names and kick dragon". Be ready for Satan's "ifs".)
3 And when the tempter came to Him,
(As also to Adam and Eve)
he said,
THE TEMPTATIONS OF OUR LORD.
(It is well known that the order of the temptations in Matthew is not the same as in Luke. Commentators and Harmonizers assume that the one is right and the other is wrong; and proceed to change the order of one in order to make it agree with the other. See Ap. 96.
But an examination of the combined accounts, giving due weight to the words and expressions used, will explain all the differences, and show that both Gospels are absolutely correct; while the differences are caused by the three temptations being repeated by the devil in a different order, thus making six instead of three.
Mark and Luke agree in stating that the temptations continued all the forty days (Mark 1:13. Luke 4:2); they are described as follows :--
I. (Luke 4:3,4) "The devil (ho diabolos) said to Him, 'Speak to this stone (to litho touto) that it become a loaf (artos).'" This appears to be the first temptation: and there is no reason whatever why it should not have been repeated in another form; for it is nowhere stated that there were three, and only three temptations (*1).
II. (Luke 4:5-8) "And the devil, conducting (anagagon) Him, shewed to Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world, or land (Gr. oikoumene, Ap. 129. 3), in a moment of time." Nothing is said about "an exceeding high mountain". Lachmann brackets the words "into an high mountain", and Tischendorff, Tregelles, Alford, WH and R.V. omit them.
The devil claims to possess the right to the kingdoms of the world, and the Lord does not dispute it. Satan says : "To Thee will I give this authority (exousia) and all their glory, for to me it has been delivered, and to whomsoever I wish I give it. Therefore, if Thou wilt worship before me, all shall be Thine."
Nothing is said here about "falling down", as in Matthew. Here only "authority" is offered; for all the critical Greek texts read "pasa" (not "panta") fem. to agree with exousia.
The Lord did not say, "Get thee hence" (as in Matt. 4:10), but "Get thee behind Me", which was a very different thing. Satan did not depart then, any more than Peter did when the same was said to him (Matt. 16:23).
III. (Luke 4:9-12) "And he conducted (egagen) Him to Jerusalem, and set Him upon the wing (or battlement, Dan. 9:27m.) of the temple, and said to Him, 'If Thou art the Son of God, cast Thyself down hence, for it is written, that to His angels He will give charge concerning Thee, to keep thee (tou diaphulaxai se)'", &c.
There is nothing said about this "keeping thee" in Matthew; moreover, it is stated that having finished every form of temptation, "he departed from Him for a season". Note that the devil departed (apeste) of his own accord in Luke 4:13, while in Matthew the Lord summarily dismissed him, and commanded him to be gone. (Matt. 4:10). IV. (Matt. 4:3, 4) After the "season" (referred to in Luke 4:13), and on another occasion therefore, "he who was tempting Him (ho peirazon), having come (proselthon), said, "If Thou are the Son of God, say that these stones become loaves (artoi)". Not "this stone", or "a loaf" (artos), as in Luke 4:3. Moreover he is not plainly called "the devil", as in Luke 4:3, but is spoken of as the one who had already been named as tempting Him (ho peirazon); and as "having come" (proselthon); not as simply speaking as being then present.
V. (Matt. 4:5-7) "Then (tote)" -- in strict succession to the preceding temptation of the "stones" and the "loaves" -- "Then the devil takes (paralambanei) Him unto the holy city, and sets Him upon the wing (or battlement) of the temple", &c. Nothing is said here about the angels being charged to "keep" Him (as in Luke 4:10); nor is there any reason why any of these three forms of temptation should not have been repeated, under other circumstances and conditions.
VI. (Matt. 4:8-10) Here it is plainly stated that the second temptation (Luke 4:5-8) was repeated : for "Again the devil takes Him unto an exceedingly high mountain, and shews to Him all the kingdoms of the world, kosmos (Ap. 129. 1), not oikoumene (Ap. 129. 3), as in Luke 4:5, and their glory, and said to Him : "All these things, not "all this authority", as in Luke 4:6, will I give to Thee if, falling down, Thou wilt worship me". Here, in this last temptation, the climax is reached. It was direct worship. Nothing is said in Luke about falling down. Here it is boldly and plainly said, "Worship me". This was the crisis. There was no departing of satan's own accord here. The moment had come to end all these temptations by the Lord Himself. "Go! said the Lord (hupage), Get thee hence, Satan ... Then the devil leaves (aphiesin) Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him".
This angelic ministry marked the end. There is no such ministry mentioned at the end of the third temptation in Luke 4:3-12; for then Satan "departed" of his own accord, returning (in Matt. 4:3) after "a season" (Luke 4:13).
True, the Lord had said "Get thee behind Me, Satan" (Luke 4:8); but He did not, then, summarily dismiss him, nor did satan depart : he continued with his third temptation, not departing till after the third had been completed.
We thus conclude that, while there were temptations continuous during the whole of the forty days (Mark 1:13. Luke 4:2), they culminated in six direct assaults on the Son of man, in three different forms; each form being repeated on two separate occasions, and under different circumstances, but not in the same order.
This accords with all the variations of the words used, explains the different order of events in the two Gospels and satisfies all the conditions demanded by the sacred text.
The two different orders in Matthew and Luke do not arise from a "mistake" in one or the other, so that one may be considered correct and the other incorrect; they arise form the punctilious accuracy of the Divine record in describing the true and correct order in which Satan varied the six temptations; for which variation, he alone, and neither of the Evangelists, is responsible.
(*1) This is like other traditional expressions: for where do we read of "three" wise me? We see them only in medieval paintings. Where do we read of angels being women? Yet as such they are always painted. Where do we find in Scripture other common sayings, such as "the talent hid in a napkin"? It was hidden "in the earth". Where do we ever see a picture of the crucifixion with the mark of the spear on the left side?)
3-10. THE SEPARATE TEMPTATIONS.
-3. Temptation. "If You be".
4-. Answer. "It is written".
-4. Scripture. Deut. 8:3.
5,6. Temptation. "If You be".
7-. Answer. 'It is written".
-7. Scripture. Deut. 6:16.
8,9. Temptation. "If you will".
10-. Answer. "It is written".
-10. Scripture. Deut. 6:13; 10:20.
"If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."
(This is tempting, it also is Scripture)
4 But He answered and said, "It is written,
(This is the Lord's first ministerial utterance; 3 times. Cp. the last 3 [John 17:8,14,17. The appeal is not to the spoken voice [3:17] but to the written Word. Quoted from Deut. 8:3)
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
(Not some, every word. He makes the footprints which we follow. Was Christ temped to find out if He was real? No! There was no temptation for Him. He is giving you the method to cast aside anything that is thrown at you. The Word of God shows you how to handle Satan. Jesus didn't argue with Satan. You will never go wrong, if you follow His example.)
5 Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city,
(So called in 27:53. Rev. 11:2. The Arabs still call it El Kuds = the holy place. It was so called on account of the Sanctuary)
and setteth Him on a pinnacle
(Used of that part of the Temple [or Holy place] where the "abomination of desolation" is to stand, Cp. Luke 4:9 and Matt. 24:15)
of the temple,
(Not the house itself or Sanctuary. Satan is given power over this world, see v.9)
6 And saith unto Him, "If thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down:
(An attempt upon His life)
for it is written,
(Satan can quote Scripture and garble it by omitting the essential words "to keep You in all Your ways", and adding "at any time". Quoted from Ps. 91:11,12 [not v.13, see note there]. Do you know God's Word well enough to recognize when Satan twists Scripture?)
'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.' "
(Only an idiot would jump off a high place.)
7 Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' "
(Quoted from Deut. 6;16. Note the words which follow: "as you tempted Him in Massah". A reference to Ex. 17:7 shows that there it was to doubt Yahaveh's presence and care. It was the same here.)
8 Again, the devil taketh Him up
(Implying that he had taken Him there before, as 'it is written again' in v.7. and notes in v.3. This is the 2nd temptation in Luke 4;5])
into an exceeding high mountain,
(Not so in Luke 4:5; because there is only the inhabited world, or the Roman empire)
and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto Him, "All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me."
(Here we see Satan's big "if". You see, that is all Satan wants from you. He wants you to worship him instead of Jesus Christ. Many will have just that opportunity in this generation.)
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence,
(= Go! This is the end, and the Lord ends it. In Luke 4:13, after the 3rd temptation, Satan "departed" of his own accord and only "for a season". Here, after the last, Satan is summarily dismissed, not to return)
Satan:
(= the Adversary. What defense does Jesus Christ offer? The Word of God. The word of the Shepherd should be your defense against Satan's attempts to steal your very soul.)
for it is written, 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.' "
(Quoted from Deut. 6:13; where the possession of the earth depends on loyalty to God [v.12], Who gives it; and on obedience to Him [v. 17,18]. Christ would not bargain off the kingdom of heaven. See Matt. 13:11,14)
11 Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.
(Angels - see Luke 8:27-34. Thus closing the whole of the Temptations. No such ministration at the end of the 3rd temptation in Luke 4:13.
He hadn't had food for the past forty days. Ministered does not mean that they preached to Him, but tended to His physical needs.)
THE FIRST PERIOD OF THE MINISTRY. PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM.
12-15. The Lord. Departure to Galilee.
16. Depth of great darkness. The People sitting in it.
17. The Kingdom Proclaimed. Words.
18-22. Disciples called.
23-. The Lord. Going about Galilee.
-23. The Kingdom Proclaimed. Works.
24,25. Fame of the "Great Light". The People following it.
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison,
(There is no Greek for "into" or "prison". No disciple had yet been called [v.18-22]; therefore John could not have been in prison; for, after the calling of disciples [John 2:2,11] John was "not yet cast into prison" [John 3:24]. The is no "inaccuracy" or "confusion". The "not yet" of John 3:24 implies that the previous attempts and perhaps official inquires had been made, following probably on the unofficial inquiry of John 1:19-27. John's being "delivered up" may have led to this departure of Jesus from Judea. Christ's ministry is commenced at Matt. 4:12. Luke 4:14 and John 1:35, before the call of any disciples.)
He departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
(To explain what the words mean in the original text; "Nazareth" means "the guarded one". The word "Capernaum", comes from the Hebrew word, "Nahum" which is "to be given", or "consolation", and "Zebulon" means "habitation", and Naphthalim means "my wrestling's". These words were chosen, and gives prophecy within themselves.
So lets use the original test language. "And leaving the guarded one He came to the place of consolation, which is on the sea coast of the borders of habitation, and the start of His ministry [wrestling's]. Wrestling with Satan.)
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,
15 "The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
(This is a quotation from Isaiah 9:1,2: Notice that Galilee at this time was the land of the Gentiles. The people living there were not of the House of Israel, which were scattered seven centuries prior, and they also were not of the Jews [The house of Judah].
Isaiah 9:1; "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at first He lightly afflicted in land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and after ward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
Isaiah 9:2; The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."
We know that it was written long before Christ came as a Child to the earth, that this Scripture would be fulfilled. That most of His teaching and ministry would be in Galilee, just as the Prophet Isaiah had prophesied from God.)
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."
(This prophecy was given over seven hundred years before it came to pass, and that is how you tell a true prophet from that false one. The test is if what he said comes to pass, and if it doesn't, then he is a fake. We have many so-called prophets today that write their books on prophecy each year, because they make their correction on an annual basis. Yet people buy the books and just can't wait until the next version of lies and disinformation comes out.
Isaiah was a true prophet, for what he said was of God, and did come to pass. The "Great Light" was Jesus Christ and wherever Jesus went He brought light, spiritual light to the souls that saw and heard Him. When He laid hands on them, they were healed, and shadow of death went from them. Jesus ministry has begin. There is nothing in that ministry that was not foretold, and written in the Old Testament.)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
("Repent" is not just a magic word, but a true change of heart and mind. It is being truly sorry for the sin that is in your life, and the wrong that you have caused others. It is setting a new course in your life, a new path and the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will hold us up and give guidance and protect our minds, when that path is following the course set forth in His Holy Word.
A "Kingdom" is a "King and his domain", Christ is the King, and all those that repent are part of Jesus Christ's domain. God's dominion is where ever He chooses. The kingdom of Heaven is in your heart, which is the intellect of your mind. It is what you know to be true, and believe in. When you repent, your heart is clean and you enter into that kingdom of Heaven.)
18-22. DISCIPLES CALLED.
18. Two Brethren (Peter and Andrew).
19. Their call.
20. Their obedience.
21-. Two Brethren (James and John).
-21. Their call.
22. Their obedience.
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And He saith unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
(Notice that when Jesus saw them, He called out and they came immediately. There was no altar call, and begging to come with Him. They heard, understood and came immediately. Did they wait to straighten up their nets, and think about it first? Was there even a choice given to them?
When the truth of the living God enters your heart and strikes your mind, you will hear Him say "follow me", and there is no hesitation. You go! You know you have a destiny and a purpose.)
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him.
(Jesus just came out of the wilderness, and was tried by Satan; if you drop what you are doing and follow Christ in His pathway, will you be able to handle the strong temptations that Satan, and his band of Scripture lawyers can throw at you. That is why the first thing you must do when you follow Jesus is to get into His Word, so that you cannot be deceived.
Today there are many of Satan's warriors preaching from the pulpits to rip you off for your finances, and to gain control of your mind. Anything done to line ones own pockets, in the name of God is Satan's work. If you listen to them, you become their daily bread, and their pension fund. When you drop your old life of sin, and your mind is cleaned of those filthy ways, it must be filled with God's Word through study, or Satan's demons will come back and enter your mind, and you will be worse then before.
God expects for you to be intelligent and learn from His Word, and not allow some "snake charmer" [a dabbler in the Scriptures] to control your mind, with half truths and and distortions from the Bible. When Christ says to "follow Me", He expects you to take control and tell Satan to get off your back. He expects you to stand up and become one of His soldiers, in the service of the King. Physical health has nothing to do with this, this is a spiritual battle, and it is the preparation of your heart, by girding up your mind that prepares you for that spiritual battle.)
21 And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.
(These calls were to discipleship, not apostleship)
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him.
(Here again there is no altar calls, no time to consider "should I, or not?", they dropped what they were doing, and left their father in the boat, and followed Christ. When you have a destiny, and God touches your life, and gives you understanding, you will know it. Christ didn't fool around, and play games with them, He called them, and they responded "immediately". They knew the truth, and when the call came, like a true soldier, they went.)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
(Jesus took His four followers, and went right to the churches [the synagogues]. He began preaching the "Gospel of the Kingdom". He preached the entire Word, the Gospel of His kingdom, of the King [Christ] and his dominion [those that repent and become part of the body of Christ].)
24 And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them.
(Jesus not only tended to their spiritual needs, and filled their minds with the Gospel of the Kingdom, but He tended also to their physical needs. He healed their diseases and things that gave them pain, and cast out the devils [demons] that were in them. Notice the word "Lunatick", in the Strong' Greek dictionary, # 4583, "Seleniazomai, sel-ay-nee-ad'-zom-ahee; to be moon-struck, i.e. crazy: be lunatic." Jesus Christ even healed those with mental problem, which today we refer to as being crazy. He healed those paralyzed, and with all the sickness of that day.
Jesus Christ tended to both their spiritual and their physical needs, and He works today as He did then. It take much prayer and fasting on the part of the Christian, fasting is the same as feasting that will come in the end times, the famine, as written in Amos 8:11; "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:"
So-called ministers of healing can heal no one. You may say that he can heal, but he can not. It is Christ that does the Healing, and when anyone is healed, it is because they were touched of Christ. No man can heal, for only Christ can do the healing to those that He determines should be healed, and they are healed for His purpose. There are many time that people are healed, and the healing starts through the heart, however there are many times that Christ will not heal. Poor old Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, could never get his healing, while he was the one that Christ used to heal many others. Paul had been to the third heaven, and God kept that thorn in Paul kept him humble.)
25 And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
(What was Jesus fame all about? Jesus Christ fame went out as a healer, and to most people the Gospel was secondary. They were not so much interested in Jesus as the Messiah, but as one that could cast out demons.
"Decapolis" in the Greek, means "a ten city region", and shortly there will be another ten dominion ruler that will try to take captive the hearts of men. That man is Satan, and we read of it in the book of Revelation, and Daniel. The ten regions or cities are areas of power and authority that are beginning take charge of the entire world today. These powers are all linked to the new world order, that is a political beast, and shortly will be given over to the religious beast that Satan will rule over as the Antichrist.
So this is the start of Jesus Christ's three year ministry, and at this time four of His Apostles have been chosen, and commanded to follow Him.)