Video teaching coming soon
There is no online teaching for this study yet, but the written notes and any available study resources are still below.
These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
Review…
- The Gospel of Luke…
- The focus of Luke is on the humanity of Jesus – showing Him as the perfect flawless man…
- Key Verse – Luke 19:10 – “The Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.”
- Luke 1:5 – 2:52 – The birth and early years of Jesus…
- Luke 3:1-20 – The minsitry of John the Baptist…
- 1st – The Word of God came to John in the wilderness…
- Preaching a baptism of repentance – showing men were all sinners – needed saving
- Preparing the way for the Messiah – once we know the problem ready for the answer
- 2nd – Warning people to bear fruit worthy of repentance…
- Words are easy – John challenged the people to show repentance in their actions…
- If not – the ax was laid to the root – and God was ready to cut down the tree!
- After John baptized Jesus (the end of his ministry) he was arrested by Herod Antipas…
- Luke 3:21-28 – The beginning of Jesus’ minsitry…
- When Jesus was baptized – the Holy Spirit came down – the voice of the Father…
- He began his ministry when He was 30 years old…
- The Genealogy of Jesus in Luke…
- The Genealogy of Mary – descendent of King David through Nathan – Jehoiakim curse
- The son of King David – II Samuel 7:16 / Seed of Abraham – Genesis 22:18
- The son of Adam – one man’s sin brought death / one man’s sacrifice gave life!
- The Temptation of Jesus
- Led by the Spirit – into the wilderness… vs. 1
- Jesus returned from His baptism in the Jordan – Full of the Holy Spirit…
- And was constantly being led by the Spirit (Imperfect/Passive/Indicative)…
- Jesus lived His life – being guided and directed by the Holy Spirit!
- We are also called to walk in the Spirit – Romans 8:1, Galatians 5:16…
- When we are in a place where we don’t know what to do – where to go…
- If we are wondering where to work – who to marry – where to go to school…
- God gives us His Holy Spirit to show us the way – He is there to direct our steps…
- What does He sound like – II Kings 19:12 – a still small voice – gentile guidance…
- God will never contradict His Word – I Corinthians 14:32 – guiding our lives!
- But we have to learn to sit – wait – and listen – or we will miss the voice of the Lord…
- Led by the Spirit into the wilderness…
- The Holy Spirit led Jesus – to be tempted by satan!
- If that were not bad enough – He was to be tempted in the wilderness…
- Wilderness – solitary, lonely, desolate, deprived of the aid and the protection of others…
- Walking in the Spirit – does not mean everything in life will be easy – no troubles…
- God does not promise we will have an easy life if we choose to follow Him…
- In fact just the opposite – God promises us we WILL HAVE trials!
- Often we will face those trials alone – there will be no one who can help us…
- * John 16:3 – “I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
- If times are easy – no problems – we tend to forget about God – depend on ourselves…
- But when we have no money / food / are being attacked for our faith – LOTS of prayer!
- God will allow us – bring us into trials – so that we learn the most important lesson…
- We must learn not to trust in ourselves – or other people – instead learn to trust in God!
- 40 days and 40 nights… vs. 2
- There he was tempted by satan for 40 days and 40 nights…
- Forty is the number of trials or temptation in the Bible…
- Noah, Moses in Midian, Children of Israel’s wandering…
- Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days – a trial…
- Jesus had to go through the wilderness temptation before He began His ministry…
- We want God to use us – we want to draw closer to the Lord – but…
- Often we will find that before God a work through us – He first does one in us!
- Do not be surprised if you ask God to use you – only to find you are in a trial…
- * I Peter 4:12 – “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”
- God preparing us – molding us – shaping us – into Godly men and women!
- The 3 temptations of satan… vs. 3-12
- If you are the Son of God…
- It would appear that satan questions who Jesus really is – ‘if you are…’
- In fact in the Greek he affirms who Jesus is – better translated – ‘since you are…’
- Satan is not questioning who Jesus is – he is declaring it! Jesus is the Son of God!
- 1st – Turn this stone into bread… vs. 3-4
- During those 40 days Jesus had nothing to eat…
- There are 3 stages a person goes through in a fast that lasts 40 days…
- 1st – in the first 2 to 3 days you are very hungry – because you are used to eating…
- 2nd – but from day 4-30+ – you loose the desire to eat – body lives off stored energy…
- 3rd – approaching day 40 – the body has burned up all excess energy – fat/muscle…
- It begins to have to digest its own organs to survive – starvation sets in…
- Hunger returns with a vengeance – if you do not start eating again – you will die…
- So at the end of the 40 days – Jesus was VERY hungry!
- Satan came and commanded him to make a stone into bread – a very real temptation…
- Ever been hungry and you mind play tricks on you – everything looks like food…
- I am sure satan pointed to a rock that looked just like a loaf of bread…
- Satan will not try and temp you with something you do not want…
- He seems to know just how to get to us – he knows right where we are weak…
- Jesus could have given in – turned the stone to bread…
- No doubt He had the ability – He took 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed 5000 – John 6…
- But if He had then he would have trusted in His strength and not in the Father’s…
- Satan would love to get us to rely on ourselves rather than on God…
- The moment we rely on our ability – get our eyes off God- we loose…
- Instead Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3
- We do not just live for the physical (just for rice) we live for God!
- Satan loves to distract us from Jesus – by getting us focused on our daily needs…
- When we worry about what we will eat / drink / wear…
- When we focus on the ‘physical needs’ of this life – we are not focused on Jesus…
- Matthew 6:21 – “Don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing.”
- Our Father in heaven knows what we need – and promises to provide – only…
- Luke 12:31 – “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…”
- If we are only living for the ‘rice’ of this life – we miss the riches God intends for us…
- It is in God’s Word – the ‘Bread of Life’ – we find true life!
- Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of God’s mouth!
- 2nd – Satan offers all the nations of the world to Jesus… vs. 5-8
- Satan claims to be the ruler of the world…
- Jesus does not argue the validity of satan’s claim – satan owned the world…
- All satan’s authority – glory – he had the power to give to whomever he choose…
- It had been given to him to him (Perfect/Passive/Indicative)…
- When you buy a property – your proof of ownership is your ‘Title Deed’…
- God created the world – gave the ‘Title Deed’ to Adam & Eve – Genesis 1:28-30
- When Adam & Eve choose to sin in the garden – rebel against God – Genesis 3
- They handed over the ‘Title Deed’ of the world to satan…
- II Corinthians 4:4 / John 14:30 – satan is called the god and ruler of this world…
- Jesus came to ‘buy back’ the ‘Title Deed’ that had been lost…
- The cost – was the cross – Jesus had to pay the price for sin!
- * Revelation 5:2-5 – we are told the no one could open the scroll – ‘Title Deed’…
- John wept – no one was able to ‘redeem’ the world that had been lost to satan…
- But the Angel said do not weep – Behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah – Jesus!
- Jesus did redeem the world – He purchased back what had been lost!
- But satan was offering to give it to Jesus without having to die on the cross…
- The only catch – Jesus had to bow down and worship satan (Aorist)…
- Just once – one bow – a simple act – and satan would give it all to Jesus!
- But though Satan could give Jesus the kingdoms of this world…
- He could not redeem the hearts of men and give them eternal life!
- The only way for Jesus to fully redeem man was to go to the cross…
- If satan cannot get us completely caught up/distracted by the world…
- Then he will try to get to divide our loyalties – compromise our walk with God…
- Compromise is a very slow process – starts with one simple bend of the knee…
- One drink / one lie / one Sunday / one kiss – how much could it hurt…
- Instead Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13
- Jesus saw through satan’s tempting ruse – He refused to compromise…
- Get behind me satan! You shall worship the Lord your God – only serve Him!
- Notice it does not just say – ‘I’ will worship – Jesus says ‘You’ will worship…
- One day satan will bow his knee to Jesus too – Philippians 2:10
- You cannot go in two directions at the same time – you cannot worship two things…
- * Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters…”
- We choose who we worship – in the simple seemingly insignificant choices of life…
- We are either going to be devoted to the world – to the pursuit of money/pleasure…
- Or we are going to be devoted to the Lord – worshiping and following Him!
- 3rd – The pinnacle of the Temple… vs. 9-12
- Satan quotes from Psalms 91:11-12 tempting Jesus to temp the Father…
- Satan knows God’s Word – and he is willing to misuse it – to confuse people…
- Satan does not misquote the Psalm – what he does is take it out of context…
- Sometimes we can take the Bible out of its context…
- Nowhere in Psalms 91 does it suggest that we should tempt the Lord…
- Most errant doctrines / many of the cults / and untold confusion about God’s Word…
- Comes from a misuse of God’s Word – taking it out of context…
- Context is critical when it comes to properly interpreting the Bible!
- We need to be wise – get into God’s Word – see if what is said is true!
- Acts 17:11 – “They received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
- Satan was challenging Jesus – is God faithful to His Word…
- If God says He will catch you if you jump – do you trust He will do what He says!
- If satan cannot get us distracted by our daily needs / or get us to compromise…
- He will try to get us to doubt God – to question His Word!
- The first question mark ‘?’ in the Bible – comes in Genesis 3:1
- Satan asked Eve – ‘Has God indeed said?’ – he wanted Eve to question God’s Word…
- Satan’s tactics have not changed – he still tries to get us to doubt the Word…
- He wants us to question if God is faithful/able to help – look elsewhere for answers…
- He tries to keep us from church from the Bible – from listening to/reading the Word!
- Instead Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 – You shall not temp the Lord your God…
- Jesus was not thrown off by satan’s misuse of God’s Word – out of context…
- Jesus knew better – He knew God’s Word – He knew God is faithful to His Word…
- There is no need for us to test the Lord – He has already proven Himself…
- He has always taken care of us – never failed us – and He never will – Hebrews 13:8
- The devil departed from Jesus… vs. 13
- When satan had ended every temptation…
- Satan came at Jesus from every direction – daily food / compromise / testing God…
- And each time Jesus had stood the test – without sin…
- Hebrews 4:15 – “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
- Every time Jesus response to satan was to quote from the Word of God
- James 4:7 – “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
- The key to standing against satan is the Word of God – Ephesians 6:13
- He is powerless when we come against him with God’s Word
- It is as we are in the Word (and the Word in us) that we stand in the trials…
- Until a more opportune time…
- Satan would be back – the next time he would come to betray and crucify Jesus…
- We overcome satan through God’s Word – but victory does not mean no more trials…
- Trials in life are like storms – they come and go – but in Jesus we will never be moved!