Matthew 4:3-11 – Bible Study

The Temptation of Jesus
Matthew 4:3-11 - 1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3 During that time the devil came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread. 4 But Jesus told him, No! The Scriptures say, People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 7 Jesus responded, The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God. 8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. 9 I will give it all to you he said, if you will kneel down and worship me. 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, you must worship the Lord your God and serve only him. 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Jesus was tempted by the devil when he was most vulnerable; he had fasted in the desert for forty days. But Jesus did not allow his physical hunger to weaken his resolve to resist temptation. Jesus’ strategy was simple: He used the Word of God to protect himself against Satan’s attacks. God’s Word is always the best defense against temptation.

As you answer the following question contemplate your relationship with Christ in His fasting and temptation in comparison with your view of Christianity.

1. What are some ways different you try to deal with temptation?
2. Who arranged this confrontation between Jesus and Satan? (1)
3. What three human desires did the devil tempt Jesus to fulfill? (3, 6, 9)
4. How did Satan twist Scripture in his attempt to make Jesus sin? (6)
5. How did Jesus overcome temptation? (4, 7, 10)
6. What tactics does Satan use to tempt us?
7. How do we rationalize giving in to temptation?
8. How does it help you to know that Jesus was tempted?
9. What temptations are most difficult for you to resist?
10. How can you utilize God’s Word to overcome temptation during this Lenten Season?

PJ