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Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Wiersbe - Jesus was not tempted so that the Father could learn anything about His Son, for the Father had already given Jesus His divine approval. Jesus was tempted so that every creature in heaven, on earth, or under the earth might know that Jesus Christ is the Conqueror. He exposed Satan and his tactics, and He defeated Satan. Because of His victory, we can have victory over the tempter. Just as the first Adam met Satan, so the Last Adam met the enemy (1 Cor. 15:45). Adam met Satan in a beautiful Garden, but Jesus met him in a terrible wilderness. Adam had everything he needed, but Jesus was hungry after forty days of fasting. Adam lost the battle and plunged humanity into sin and death. But Jesus won the battle and went on to defeat Satan in more battles, culminating in His final victory on the cross (John 12:31; Col. 2:15). Our Lord’s experience of temptation prepared Him to be our sympathetic High Priest (see Scriptures below). (Bible Exposition Commentary) Hebrews 2:16-18+ For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things (INCLUDING TEMPTATION), so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able (dunamai in present tense - Jesus continually has the power and ability - See God is Able) to come to the aid (boetheo = to run on hearing cry for help - lesson? Cry out!) of those who are (peirazo in present tense) tempted. Hebrews 4:15-16+ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (WHICH IS ALL THE TIME!!!). Then (see note on tote below) - This is a time sensitive word and begs the question "When is then?" It marks succession or sequence and in this case it marks the temptation as immediately after His baptism, specifically "the Spirit of God descending as a dove lighting on Him" (Mt 3:16+) and the voice of the Father out of the heavens declaring "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." (Mt 3:17+) From this "mountain top" experience THEN takes us into the "valley" experience in the wilderness. The baptism marked the beginning of Jesus' Messianic ministry and now temptation by the devil marks His learning "obedience from the things which He suffered." (Heb 5:8+). The attack by the devil comes on the heels of entering into the work of the Lord. Is this not the common experience of those who come down from the mountain (so to speak) to begin a fruitful ministry for the Lord? 🙏 THOUGHT - Jesus was tempted immediately following His baptism, when the Father affirmed Him from heaven and the Holy Spirit descended on Him as a dove. Jerome said, “Baptism does not drown the devil.” If Jesus’ baptism did not prevent His being tempted, neither will ours. We must walk with God every day and be especially on guard after a time of spiritual victory. (Steven
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Wiersbe writes that "Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but God can use these difficult experiences to put the best into us. Temptation is Satan's weapon to defeat us, but it can become God's tool to build us (see James 1:1-8+, James 1:13-17+)." (Bible Exposition Commentary) J
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Wiersbe - “Since You are God’s beloved Son, why doesn’t Your Father feed You? Why does He put You into this terrible wilderness?” This temptation sounded like Satan’s words to Eve in Genesis 3! It is a subtle suggestion that our Father does not love us. But there was another suggestion: “Use Your divine powers to meet Your own needs.” When we put our physical needs ahead of our spiritual needs, we sin. When we allow circumstances to dictate our actions, instead of following God’s will, we sin. Jesus could have turned the stones into bread, but He would have been exercising His powers independently of the Father; and He came to obey the Father (John 5:30; 6:38). (Bible Exposition Commentary) Criswell on if you are - "If You are" can be translated "since You are." The tempter knows the condition to be true and will tempt Jesus regarding the nature of His messianic mission (REDEMPTION BY THE SINLESS REDEEMER). He will be tempted to under-confidence, over-confidence, and other-confidence with respect to God. The first two temptations (Mt 4:2-7) attempt to make Jesus doubt His divine sonship, the basis for His role as Messiah. Jesus counters the first (Mt 4:2, 3), which appeals to physical appetite (Mt 4:4), with Deut. 8:3; the second (Matt. 4:5, 6), which calls for spectacular display (Matt. 4:7), He counters with Deut. 6:16. (Because Jerusalem became the center of redemptive history, Luke places this temptation last as a climax; cf. Luke 4:1-13. Thus, Luke's order is more theological/geographical, whereas Matthew's is the more chronological.) The final temptation listed here (Mt 4:8, 9), which deals with ambition, is countered by Deut. 6:13 (Matt. 4:10, 11). Thus, Jesus repels the temptation to compromise, choosing instead the path of the Suffering Servant Messiah. (Believer's Study Bible) Satan's seduction was for Jesus to "act in independence of the Holy Spirit who had led Him into the wilderness, and in independence of the Father who had permitted Him to be deprived of bodily sustenance. Satan was suggesting that Jesus use the resources of His sonship to violate the responsibility of His Sonship. The responsibility was never to act in independence of His Father. (Incidentally, a prolonged fast has to be broken gradually, and initially with liquids; solid food can kill.)(ED: WE DISCOVERED THAT IN FEEDING THE STARVING JEWS IN HEINOUS GERMAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS!) (Phillips)
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Wiersbe adds that "We must not think that Jesus used His divine powers to overcome the enemy, because that is just what the enemy wanted Him to do! Jesus used the spiritual resources that are available to us today: the power of the Holy Spirit of God (Matt. 4:1), and the power of the Word of God (“It is written”)." (Bible Exposition Commentary) The one who twists truth will fail to ensnare the one filled with the Spirit. --Daniel Block 🙏 THOUGHT - The preceding quote begs the question "Are you filled?" (Eph 5:18+ - see Filled with His Spirit/Richly Indwelt with His Word) If not, beware! The Holy Spirit is the great antidote against error. (1Jn 4:1-6+) Those who follow His guidance will be preserved from the cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive. Where the Spirit dwells, deception dies. Falsehood cannot long live in a heart where the Holy Spirit is Teacher. The mature believer, grounded in truth and indwelt by the Spirit, cannot be easily deceived (Heb 5:14+), because truth and error cannot coexist in a heart dominated by the Spirit of truth. The Spirit-filled believer discerns lies by intimacy, not intellect. The closer we walk with Truth Himself, the quicker we sense the counterfeit. Truth in the heart is the best armor against lies from without. The indwelling Spirit is both teacher and test, guarding the soul from the serpent’s snare (cf 1Th 5:21-22+). The one who twists truth will fail in his snare, When hearts are aflame with the Spirit’s care. The lie may glitter, the words may seem fair, But truth indwelling leaves falsehood bare. Related Resources: The Word of God - Quotations and Illustrations 1 Peter 2:2-3 Commentary 2 Timothy 2:15 Commentary 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Commentary A Primer On Biblical Meditation Application: Meditate on the Bible Colossians 3:16 Commentary Hebrews 4:12 Commentary How to Study the Bible-Stalker Illumination of the Bible Inductive Bible Study: Observation Joshua 1:8 Commentary Memorizing His Word Memory Verses by Topic The Bible On One Page-ESV The Bible On One Page-NAS The Power of God's Word Brian Bell - You must be filled with the Word of God to fight temptation! In response to the 3 temptations Jesus responded with Scripture! (Deut.8:3, Deut 6:16, Deut 6:13) Jesus understood the truth of Ps.119:11,"Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You." There is nothing magical about the words of Scripture. Jesus is saying, “here is a principle to live by…and I will live by it!” God’s word is given to be lived. Here is where Jesus found victory, and in doing God’s Word is where we’ll find ours also! 3. ILLUSTRATION - Anatoli Shcharansky, a dissident Soviet Jew, kissed his wife goodbye as she left Russia for freedom in Israel. His parting words to her were, “I’ll see you soon in Jerusalem.” But Anatoli was detained and finally imprisoned. Their reunion in Jerusalem would not only be postponed, it might never occur. During long years in Russian prisons and work camps Anatoli was stripped of his personal belongings. His only possession was a miniature copy of the Psalms. Once during his imprisonment, his refusal to release the book to the authorities cost him 130 days in solitary confinement. Finally, twelve years after parting with his wife, he was offered freedom. In February 1986, as the world watched, Shcharansky was allowed to walk away from Russian guards toward those who would take him to Jerusalem. But in the final moments of captivity, the guards tried again to confiscate the Psalms book. Anatoli threw himself face down in the snow and refused to walk on to freedom without it. Those words had kept him alive during imprisonment. He would not go on to freedom without them. The body can live without luxury, but the soul cannot live without the Lord. A well-fed body with a starving soul is still poverty. We eat to live, but we live to know God. What bread is to the body, Christ is to the soul. Neglecting the soul to nourish the flesh is trading the eternal for the perishable. Man’s greatest hunger cannot be filled from the earth but from heaven. There are two kinds of life, the lower sustained by bread, and the higher sustained by truth. To feed the body and starve the soul is man’s madness. The table may feed the flesh for a day, but the Word of God feeds the soul for eternity. Bread sustains life; truth transforms it. To fill YOUR body and neglect YOUR spirit is to strengthen the shell and starve the pearl within! THE first event in our Lord’s ministry which St. Matthew records after His baptism, is His temptation. This is a deep and mysterious subject. There is much in the history of it which we cannot explain. But there lie on the face of the history plain practical lessons, to which we shall do well to take heed. Let us learn in the first place, what a real and mighty enemy we have in the devil. He is not afraid to assault even the Lord Jesus Himself. Three times over he attacks God’s own Son. Our Saviour was “tempted of the devil.” It was the devil who brought sin into the world at the beginning. This is he, who vexed Job, deceived David, and gave Peter a heavy fall. This is he, whom the Bible calls a “murderer,” a “liar,” and a “roaring lion.” This is he, whose enmity to our souls never slumbers and never sleeps. This is he, who for nearly 6000 years has been working at one work, to ruin men and women, and draw them to hell. This is he, whose cunning and subtlety pass man’s understanding, and who often appears “an angel of light.” Let us all watch and pray daily against his devices. There is no enemy worse than an enemy who is never seen and never dies, who is near to us wherever we live, and goes with us wherever we go. Not least let us beware of that levity and jesting about the devil, which is so unhappily common. Let us remember every day, that if we would be saved, we must not only crucify the flesh, and overcome the world, but also “resist the devil.” Let us learn in the next place, that we must not count temptation a strange thing. “The disciple is not greater than his master, nor the servant than his lord.” If Satan came to Christ, he will also come to Christians. It would be well for all believers, if they would remember this. They are too apt to forget it. They often find evil thoughts arising within their minds, which they can truly say they hate. Doubts, questions, and sinful imaginings are suggested to them, against which their whole inward man revolts. But let not these things destroy their peace, and rob them of their comforts. Let them remember there is a devil, and not be surprised to find him near them. To be tempted is in itself no sin. It is the yielding to the temptation, and giving it a place in our hearts, which we must fear. Let us learn in the next place, that the chief weapon we ought to use in resisting Satan is the Bible. Three times the great enemy offered temptations to our Lord. Three times his offer was refused, with a text of Scripture as the reason, “it is written.” Here is one among many reasons, why we ought to be diligent readers of our Bibles. The Word is the sword of the Spirit. We shall never fight a good fight, if we do not use it as our principal weapon.—The Word is the lamp for our feet. We shall never keep the king’s highway to heaven, if we do not journey by its light.—It may well be feared, that there is not enough Bible-reading amongst us. It is not sufficient to have the Book. We must actually read it, and pray over it ourselves. It will do us no good, if it only lies still in our houses. We must be actually familiar with its contents, and have its texts stored in our memories and minds. Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be got by hard, regular, daily, attentive, wakeful reading. Do we grudge the time and trouble this will cost us? If we do, we are not yet fit for the kingdom of God. Let us learn in the last place, what a sympathizing Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ is. “In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” (Heb. 2:18.) The sympathy of Jesus is a truth which ought to be peculiarly dear to all believers. They will find in it a mine of strong consolation. They should never forget, that they have a mighty Friend in heaven, who feels for them in all their temptations, and can enter into all their spiritual anxieties. Are they ever tempted by Satan to distrust God’s care and goodness? So was Jesus.—Are they ever tempted to presume on God’s mercy, and run into danger without warrant? So also was Jesus.—Are they ever tempted to commit some one great private sin for the sake of some great seeming advantage? So also was Jesus.—Are they ever tempted to listen to some misapplication of Scripture, as an excuse for doing wrong? So also was Jesus.—He is just the Saviour that a tempted people require. Let them flee to Him for help, and spread before Him all their troubles. They will find His ear ever ready to hear, and His heart ever ready to feel. He can understand their sorrows. May we all know the value of a sympathizing Saviour by experience! There is nothing to be compared to it in this cold and deceitful world. Those who seek their happiness in this life only, and despise the religion of the Bible, have no idea what true comfort they are missing. The responsibilities for believers: (1) We must eat God’s Word as if our life depended on it. (2) We must memorize God’s Word (Ps 119:9, 11). Note that Jesus in His humanity alone (our example) had memorized the Scriptures so that He could apply them to specific situations and needs Our Lord did not have or need a Bible concordance or hand held computer Bible with Him in the wilderness! He reached into the Books of Moses, selected Deuteronomy, and quoted three verses using them as the sword of the Spirit to refute Satan. Most adults think that Bible memorization is for children in Sunday school, when actually it is for every believer. Adult Christians need the Word far more than the children, although it is good for children to memorize God’s Word. (3) We must meditate on God’s Word because meditation is to the inner man what digestion is to the outer man. If we did not digest our food, we would become weak, listless, tired, ineffective (think of these now in terms of one's spiritual effectiveness). (4) We must adroitly & accurately apply God’s Word to every situation we encounter. The believer’s mind should become like a “spiritual computer” so saturated with Scripture that when one faces a "fork in the road" or a temptation, he recalls to mind the Scriptures that relate to that situation. The Holy Spirit brings God’s Word to our remembrance when we need it but He will not bring to remembrance what is not there. Just as a well cannot yield water where none has been dug, the Spirit cannot draw forth Scripture from a heart that has never hidden it within. The Word hidden is the Word recalled. The Spirit uses what we store to strengthen us in the hour of temptation. The Spirit’s office is to bring things to remembrance, not to give new revelations. What Christ has spoken must be lodged in the memory before it can be brought to mind. He will not remind us of texts we never knew. The Holy Spirit quickens memory, but He does not supply ignorance. The Spirit is our Reminder, not our Replacer. He draws living water from the wells we have filled through the Word. A heart without Scripture is like an empty well for the Spirit may descend, but He finds nothing to draw. Yet when the Word is stored within, He stirs the waters of memory and truth flows forth in the very moment it is needed. Study the Word — give the Spirit material to work with. Meditate daily — turn verses over in your mind; meditation is spiritual digestion. (Learn to interrogate with 5W/H questions) Obey promptly — obedience seals truth into the heart. Trust continually — the Spirit will recall precisely what you need, when you need it. In summary, the Spirit reminds, but He does not invent. He illuminates, but He does not replace learning. His voice will whisper the Word you have hidden but not the one you have ignored. 33 He. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. 38 Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You. 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good. 40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness. Many of us live in countries where food is abundant and people are well-fed. That's why we may not be familiar with the symptoms of starvation. At the outset, victims have an insatiable craving for nourishment. As time passes, however, the body weakens, the mind is dulled, and the desire for something to eat wanes. In fact, starving people actually reach a point when they don't even want food that is placed before them. Spiritual starvation follows much the same course. If we have been feeding daily on God's Word, it's natural to feel "hungry" when we skip our quiet time. But if we continue to neglect it, we may lose all desire to study the Scriptures. In fact, we may be starving ourselves. How much time do you spend reading the Bible and meditating on its truths? Do you miss the Word when you neglect it? Thomas Guthrie wrote, "If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any persons better than Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope of heaven--take alarm." If you've lost your taste for the "bread of life," confess your negligence (ED: OR YOUR SINS AS IN 1 Peter 2:1 WHICH "BLUNTS" A NEWBORN'S DESIRE FOR MILK BECAUSE THEY ARE "SIN-SICK!" SEE SIMILAR PATTERN IN Psalm 1:1 CAN BLUNT DESIRE FOR THE WORD Psalm 1:2! CONFESS AND REPENT AND GOD'S SPIRIT WILL ENABLE YOUR "APPETITE" TO RETURN TO NORMAL!) and ask God to revive your appetite for His Word. Avoid spiritual starvation! --RWD Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea. Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord; My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word. --Lathbury A well-read Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul. ILLUSTRATION - Most of us are familiar with the Pony Express and its oft-romanticized contribution to the history of the Old West. But for all its glamour, the Pony Express was a business enterprise-and was run like one. To ferry mail across the open expanse of the western territories, the express route ran 1,900 miles from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. The trip was made in about 10 days, using 40 men who each raced about 50 miles, riding a total of 500 fine horses in the process. To conserve weight, riders wore light clothing, rode on extremely small saddles, and carried no weapons. Their mail pouches were also compact and lightweight. Letters cost $5 per ounce for postage. Yet for all these efficiencies in terms of weight, one thing was not sacrificed: every rider carried a full-size Bible, presented to him when he joined the Pony Express. By contrast, how often are we found without the Word of God at our side, in our day of comfort and convenience? The Pony Express made room for the Bible despite hardship; we often forget it despite ease. WOE! They treasured it as essential weight; we treat it as optional baggage. DOUBLE WOE! The Pony Express carried the Word as a treasure, not a token. They valued it for strength but how often we shelve it for convenience. If Pony Express riders could carry a full Bible through peril, how can we, in an age of abundance, leave it behind? If they rode with courage to deliver the mail of men, how much more should we walk in faith to deliver the Message of the Gospel. Supporting Scriptures - Deuteronomy 6:6–8 Psalm 119:11 Job 23:12 Colossians 3:16 2 Timothy 3:16–17 The man who carries the Bible in his heart is never unarmed. No Deal! It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” —Luke 4:4 We’ve all seen and heard advertisements that entice us to take shortcuts to happiness. Buy our product and make no payments for one year! Instant gratification! When the devil tempted Jesus (Luke 4:1-13), he offered a shortcut to “satisfaction.” He tried to tempt Jesus to take matters into His own hands rather than trust His Father. When Jesus was hungry from 40 days of fasting (Lk 4:2), Satan suggested that He use His power to turn stones into bread. Had the Lord done so, He would have been using His powers for His own benefit, but He refused. Why didn’t Jesus accept the devil’s offer of ruling all the kingdoms of the world right away? (Lk 4:5-7). He could have avoided the cross. But that would have gone against God’s plan for Him—to give His life on the cross, to be resurrected, and to sit at the Father’s right hand in His kingdom. Satan’s offer of a shortcut was no deal at all. Beware of enticements that seem to cost little for the present. Satan hopes to get you to do things his way. And he doesn’t give up easily. Even after Jesus overcame a third temptation, Satan left only “until an opportune time” (Lk 4:13). Whenever you are offered a shortcut to happiness, watch out to see who’s behind the cashier’s counter! The best way to escape temptation is to run to God. INSIGHT - Illustrations of Running to God Joseph (Genesis 39:12): “He left his garment in her hand and fled.” He didn’t debate; he departed — to preserve purity and honor God. David (Psalm 63:1): “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly.” Desire for God displaced desire for sin. Jesus (Matthew 4:1–11): Tempted by Satan, He ran to the Word — “It is written.” Scripture was His sanctuary; obedience His refuge. When sin’s sweet whisper calls your name, Don’t stand to argue — flee the flame. The safest flight, the surest plan, Is running to the Son of Man. His Word’s a refuge, His grace a shield, His presence guards the battle field. Temptation fades where Christ is near— Run to your Refuge; find rest there. Matthew 4:5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, took Him: Lu 4:9 Joh 19:11 into the holy city: Mt 27:53 Ne 11:1 Isa 48:2 52:1 Da 9:16 Rev 11:2 on the pinnacle of the temple: 2Ch 3:4 Matthew 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passage: Luke 4:9+ And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; The devil having lost round one, moves on to the second temptation, designed to test our Lord's trust in His Father. Satan's point was if Jesus refused to throw Himself off the high point on the temple, it would show He did not trust His Father. Chamblin adds "His first temptation having failed, the devil becomes bolder. He, the unholy one, having first ‘come to’ the holy Son (4:3), now ‘takes’ him (which presumes a certain authority over Jesus) into the holy city. Here he issues another command, and has the audacity to buttress it with an appeal to Holy Scripture. In going with the tempter, Jesus exercises his liberty as the Son of God, and positions himself to win a battle." (Matthew: A Mentor Commentary) Zodhiates points out that "This was not the first time Satan challenged God" referring to his prideful rebellion in Isaiah... But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ (Isa. 14:13, 14) Then (see note on Greek word tote) the devil (see above for diabolos) took Him into the holy city - For Holy City Luke says to Jerusalem (Luke 4:9+ cf. Ne 11:1; Isa 48:2; Da 9:24; Mt 27:53). This is quite a contrast as the unholy one the devil takes the Holy One of God into the holy city and onto the Holy Temple! Took (3880)(paralambano from para = beside + lambano = appropriate, receive) means to receive or to take to oneself. The idea is to take in close association with another (in this case unholy versus holy in close association!). Zodhiates says this verb represents the closest possible proximity. This verb is used in Mt 1:20, Mt 2:13 and Mt 2:20 with the same sense of to take possession of and thus also to take along.
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Wiersbe writes "Of course, he (devil) misquoted the promise (Ps 91:11,12) and besides he omitted “in all thy ways.” (Bible Exposition Commentary) Louis Barbieri - Satan may have thought if Jesus could quote Scripture to him, he could quote it too. However, he purposely did not quote Psalm 91:11-12 accurately. He left out an important phrase, "in all Your ways." According to the psalmist, a person is protected only when he is following the Lord's will. For Jesus to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple in some dramatic display to accommodate Himself to the people's thinking would not have been God's will. (SEE The Bible Knowledge Commentary Gospels) Nelson's NKJV Study Bible - In quoting the protective promise of Ps. 91:11, 12 to Jesus, Satan omitted the words “to keep you in all your ways.” Satan tempted Jesus to gain public attention through spectacle rather than through His righteous life and message.(SEE Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary) John