Matthew chapter 4

There are three main interpretations of Matthew 4:1-11 and the temptation of Jesus in the wildernes.

1. Jesus' testing recalls that of Israel in the wilderness; whatever God commanded his children, Israel in the wilderness, much more he would require of his Son the Messiah. While Israel failed time and time again; Jesus, the Messiah, God's only begotten Son, did not. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." reflects the Exodus image of God guiding Israel in the wilderness. We should also note that in responce to the temptations, Jesus quotes three texts from Deuteronomy 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' (Deut 8:3), 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' (Deut 6:16) and 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' (Deut 6:13) all of them commandments that Israel failed to obey but that Jesus is determined to obey.
2. Jesus provides a model for tested believers; Like John the Baptist, Jesus had to exit the confines of society for his supernatural encounter. The wilderness was not a pleasant place: some even believed the wilderness inhabited by demons. Jesus' victory over the temptation provides a model for believers, and the passage tells us about the true character of Jesus' mission. Jewish teachers or Rabbis instructed by example as well as by word. So this as well as other accounts of Jesus life teaches us, no less than his direct commandments do. For instance, if John had been a model of sacrificial obedience for living in the wilderness and surviving by eating locusts and wild honey, Jesus who fasts in the wilderness is even more so. This passage shows that the most troublesome temptatyions come when we are in a weakened state. It is not when we are strong in our faith and on a 'spirituall high' that we are tempted by Satan but rather when we are tired, weak, discouraged already and an easy target. The tempting I am referring to here is not the every day not to sin temptation but rather the temptation to turn away from God and walk in the darkness as opposed to the light. How does Jesus overcome this type of temptation? He does not use His own will (although he could have as He is God), He does not run from it, He does not even try to rationally and logically argue it away. What Jesus does to overcome temptations of the Devil is stand firm on the Scripture, He uses the power of the Word of God to overcome the Devil. Christians are destined for testing (Matthew 6:13; 26:41), but Jesus our forerunner has gone before us and shown us how to overcome.
3. The narrative affirms a correct understanding of Jesus' Messiahship, he came to show us the way to God, to rely solely on the strength of God in times of need, to unashamedly serve God and God's plan for His life, and be obedient ultimately to death, setting His people free from sin. This is in contrast to how the Jewish people envisioned their saving Messiah as either a political or militaristic power, as one who might liberate the Jews with force.

It is my belief that all three are valid interpretations of this passage and none of the three are without significance for a complete understanding.

The three things Jesus was tempted about are also significant.

1. Worldly expectations - The devil tempted Jesus by saying "If [or since] you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Here, the devil does not deny the Sonship of Christ but rather invites Jesus to act according to worldly expectations for that role, in essence "You have the power, use it". This is a warning not to let the world define the context of our calling. For instance, some who ought to be pulpit ministers may only be ministering as public school teachers or social workers, and some in other professions should be training to become preachers or teachers of God's Word. This is not to put more importance onto any field of study or work or even ministry, but we should be careful to be where God wants us or else we will risk being less efective witnesses of His kingdom.
2. The Promises of God - Then Satan tempted Jesus through scripture. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." This is a very tricky area! This temptation of Jesus shows us that we should not 'put the Lord your God to the test'. This is not to say that we should avoid the many blessings God has promised in His word, but we should definantly not DEMAND them. God has a plan for each of us and that plan may include great blessings and prosperity, however it may also include pain, the loss of friends or family, sickness, or persecution of any kind. One major problem (particularly with prosperity teachings) comes from trying to turn God into a formula and saying things like 'If I do X, God will then bless me with Y.' as this leads to a form of legalism. The blessings of God are just that Blessings, not rewards. God is also faithful, if He makes a promise He does not need a mere mortal to remind Him of it. It is helpful to find encouragement from the word of God, and allow Him to speak to us through it. We should not however, take any given promise from the bible, out of its context, and believe it will apply absolutely to our lives (eg. the prayer of Jabez). Our one aim as christians should be to serve God joyfully, with everything we have, for the purpose of seeing Him glorified. Not so He will give us a particular blessing.
3. Personal Gain - Jesus' third temptation is for riches, power and authority. Satan said "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus does not respond by saying "No you can't, these things belong to my Father" These things were within the capabilities of Satan. Satan can appear as an angel of light and offer us many things of this world; money, sex, power, fame, anything and everything that is desired by the flesh Satan can provide. We should be very wary of this kind of temptation as well. However as long as we keep Jesus, the giver of life, as our focus and not the gifts of this world, we can stand firm in Him. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6: 20-21)

Matthew 4: 12-17 tells the reader that John has been arrested and thrown into prison. This is another forshadowing of Jesus' own suffering, but also triggers the beginning of Jesus' ministry, as John has completed his mission of preparing the way. Jesus then moves to Capernaum to fulfill another Messianic prophesey from Isaiah 9: 1-2 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." As well as fulfilling this prophesey, Jesus' move to Capernaum could have been for two other reasons; to gain access to a larger population and a more vibrant trade route so His message could be spread more swiftly, and to emphasise that His comming was for the Gentiles as well as Jews. At this stage His message is the same as John's "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Matthew 4: 18-22 is where Jesus calls His first diciples. Jesus' call to leave profession and family was radical, the sort of demand that only the most radical teacher would make. Early Jewish and Greek tradition normally assumed that disciples are responsible for acquiring their own teachers of the law. Teachers sometimes even rejected prospective disciples, and considered the disciple's responsibility so weighty that it would be dishonorable for the teacher to seek out the disciple. Jesus' seeking out disciples himself may thus represent a serious breach of custom, "coming down to their level" socially. This is an image of Jesus' whole purpose, God lowered Himself to the level of humanity, in order that we might know Him and be able to come into His presence and worship Him.

It is encouraging to note that Jesus did not call professionally trained rabbis to be his disciples. He called ordinary working men, and encouraged them that the skills they already had were useful in His kingdom. God called shepherds like Moses and David to shepherd his people Israel, Jesus called fishermen, (Simon / Peter and his brother Andrew, James son and his brother Andrew) to be gatherers of men.

In Matthew 4: 23-25 we see Jesus' first miracles. Jesus began His ninistry within the established places of learning by "teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom." Teaching generally involves ethical or apologetic instruction, while preaching is generally aimed at bringing about conversion. Jesus however, not only proclaimed and explained the kingdom; he demonstrated God's authority by healing the sick and expelling demons That he healed " every disease and sickness among the people" means every kind of sickness rather than every sick person. Crowds heard of Jesus and His power and came to Him where they heard His message and were healed.

Jesus' example here directs us to a well-rounded ministry that not only preaches the gospel through evangelism, but also demonstrates the gospel through ministries of compassion, justice and Spirit-empowered healing. Jesus did not preach the Gospel on its own, but He lived it as well.