Led To The Wilderness (Matthew 3:13-4:11)
In this introductory section of Matthew (1-4), we have just scratched the surface of how Jesus has fulfilled the Old Testament. Matthew has put before us several Old Testament passages that prove him to be the Messiah, the king, and the Lord himself. All of the stories up until this point involve Jesus, but they aren't about Jesus. Jesus does not come on to the scene until Chapter 3. Matthew brings him into his account by making a huge statement about who he is. Jesus is greater than John, glorified by God, and faithful in the wilderness.
Greater Than John (Matt 3:13-15)
After we are told about John coming to prepare the way for the Lord to come, we read that the Lord does come directly to John in verse 13. But his arrival is not as John would have expected.
Matthew 3:13--15 (ESV) --- 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.
John was going to prevent Jesus from being baptized by him. John's baptism was a baptism of repentance, and John recognized that Jesus had no reason to repent. He had no sin. We don't know how John could tell that, but obviously, God let him know. He said, "I need to be baptized by you." This indicates that Jesus is the one who has come to baptize with the Holy Spirit (3:11). But apparently, the time for that baptism has not arrived yet. At this point, Jesus wants John to baptize him to "fulfill all righteousness." I think the most rational explanation is to say that God's prophet was commanding that all men come to his baptism and repent in preparation for the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was merely submitting to the command of God. He has no desire to go against the Lord's prophetic command. The nation of Israel must repent, and Jesus was a part of that nation. He is not rebelling against John or God in any way.
Glorified By God (Matt 3:16-17)
The next two verses reveal something amazing that John and those standing around him would have witnessed.
Matthew 3:16--17 (ESV) --- 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
I wonder what this means as I try to envision it. Did the clouds simply part and a dove-like figure descend? Did the spiritual realm open up for John to see living creatures and the throne of God? The text doesn't provide any details, but it does say that a voice was joined with the Spirit of God descending. The voice said, "This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased." Being called the Son of God was not a new term. Psalm 2 refers to the anointed one or king of Israel being called that. Also, the phrase, "With whom I am well pleased," sounds like Isaiah 42. Since we have seen extensive use of Isaiah thus far, let's look at this text.
Isaiah 42:1--4 (ESV) --- 1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
This is the beginning of God's description of the suffering servant that will continue for many chapters in Isaiah. The point of all of this is to say that God brought Jesus glory by saying these amazing words. He is indicating that Jesus is the Messiah directly before he begins his ministry. God's stamp of approval is there for everyone to see.
Faithful in the Wilderness (Matt 4:1-11)
Immediately after his baptism, God's Spirit led Jesus into testing.
Matthew 4:1--2 (ESV) --- 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
We might ask, "Why would God lead his anointed one into the wilderness?" Is that rational? Israel also went through the wilderness shortly after being blessed by God and walking through the Red Sea, which was their form of baptism (1 Cor 10:1-5). Why did God lead them into the wilderness? Moses tells us in Deuteronomy 8.
Deuteronomy 8:1--2 (ESV) --- 1 "The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
God allowed his people to be tested in the wilderness to know what was in their hearts. It could be said that God already knew what was in their hearts. He wanted to reveal the heart of his people, who are blessed by God. This was for all of mankind to understand the best their hearts could become through God's physical blessing. Now, God wants to reveal to us what is in the heart of his beloved son.
The First Temptation: Materialism (4:3-4)
Matthew 4:3--4 (ESV) --- 3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Jesus has been without food for forty days and nights, and the text tells us in verse 2 that he now becomes hungry. It is at this time that Satan shows up to offer him some ideas. First, Satan tells Jesus to put the power of the Spirit to use by turning rocks into bread. God would not want Jesus to die out in the wilderness. So it makes sense for Jesus to use what God has given him the ability to do to survive. We could see Jesus justifying this one demonstration of power to serve himself. He has gone forty days and nights, it is time for bread, but God is nowhere to be found.
How many of us are tempted to turn stones into bread? If we were Jesus, I'm pretty sure we would turn those stones to Big Macs. How focused do we become in our physical circumstances? It is easy for us to do what we when we get afraid that God won't provide for us. Satan tempts us all the time to distrust the providential care of God. He tempts us to work longer hours and sacrifice our families. He makes us give up on the idea of placing our survival in God's hands. We have to take control of our own lives to survive.
But Jesus sees a problem with this idea. The problem is right there in Deuteronomy 8 as Jesus quotes it, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." In making this statement, we see that Jesus can overcome his hunger for the material things that he needs to survive. He can say inside of himself, "If God wants me to have bread as he has led me, I will have bread."
This temptation seems a lot like many temptations in the Old Testament. We remember how Saul was expecting Samuel to come on the seventh day to offer a sacrifice, and he delayed until Saul could wait no longer. His army was deteriorating down to nothing, and he became afraid because of his physical circumstances.
The Second Temptation: Utilizing God (4:5-7)
Matthew 4:5--7 (ESV) --- 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
After Jesus demonstrates his utmost trust in God, Satan tries to get him to go overboard. He pulls a section of scripture that promises salvation to the one whom God loves. Psalm 91 is full of promises that even though thousands around you might fall, God will be with you, and he will lift you up and save you. Satan says, "If you really do trust God, throw yourself off the temple, and reveal your true faith that God will save you."
This is so common in our society. People who teach the "health and wealth" gospel use texts like these to say that God will bless everyone who steps out in faith. He won't allow his righteous ones to suffer. All we have to do is risk significant loss and watch how God will turn it into great riches. God has shown great signs in the past, but they were always completed according to God's promises to provide reassurance. How many of us have expected God to give us a good life? Will we love him if he doesn't? Is he still worthy of our love? We want to see something that will remove all doubt from our minds and give us reassurance that God is there and that he loves us. We might step out, saying, "God, I know you will make this happen for me."
Satan is asking Jesus to use God in a manipulative way. This attack does not fool Jesus. Again, he responds with scripture, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" He will not create a situation that will test God's love for him. He believes in God's love, regardless of what some tests would reveal. He does not prove his trust by testing God's ability. He shows his faith by patiently waiting for the Lord to send his angel to minister to him when he is in real need.
The Israelites tried this in 1 Samuel 4. They were going up to battle against the Philistines, and it seemed like they were going to lose. So they grabbed the Ark of God and brought it to the battlefield. They were going to make God fight in the battle with them. Do you remember how that turned out? The Philistines stole the Ark. God is not a genie in the bottle. Trusting in him means that we believe in his word, not that we require him to pass a test.
The Third Temptation: Compromise (4:8-11)
Matthew 4:8--11 (ESV) --- 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
The final temptation appeals to Jesus' goal. Satan knows that Jesus has come to take over the kingdoms of the earth. So, he promises to give them to Jesus if he will only fall down and worship him. From the outside, this seems like a pretty sweet deal! Jesus spent thirty years as a nobody from nowhere, and now he is being shown all the kingdoms of the earth at once! I imagine that would be a grand vision that is hard to compare. All of these would belong to Jesus. He would receive all of the glory that these kingdoms have to offer. Think about it. Jesus would be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Isn't that what his whole purpose is in coming down to earth? If he goes this way, he could avoid the suffering that Satan is about to put him through. This is the ultimate shortcut. All it takes is a little compromise. He must bow down before Satan, who is the prince of the power of the air.
How often do we seek blessings for ourselves while compromising what is right to avoid suffering? When we are at work, we know that we can take shortcuts to get us where we want to be. We can do something that is just a little dishonest and reap great rewards. If we were caught, the punishment wouldn't even be that bad. Why do we do that? We love ourselves. We are more concerned with our glory than the Lord's will.
Jesus not only refuses Satan, but he commands him to leave! He says, "For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" Jesus refuses to be unfaithful to God in any way. He is not so focused on the end that he would compromise to get there quickly. He does not want to take the easy road and avoid the suffering that is to come. Satan is ultimately asking him to glorify himself over God, to put himself first. Jesus has opened his heart to love God alone. All of his emotions, will, adoration, and desires are wrapped up in a love of God. He does not care about himself, his glory, or his power. He is willing to endure tremendous suffering to glorify God and to save us from our sins.
What Does This Mean?
The thing we see Jesus doing in Matthew's account reveals the kind of king we need. We probably didn't even realize that someone like this could exist. Jesus is better than the greatest man who ever lived. He is greater than David, Daniel, Job, or even John, but he is also submissive. Jesus is the beloved son whom the Father is delighted in. He shows us perfect faithfulness amid tremendous testing, and we know that he felt every bit of the struggle that we would feel as he endured. We needed someone like this to lead us and to shine as our example. He is above all reproach, and he shows us that he can defeat the one real enemy of all mankind.
But his faithfulness amid trials also makes him the perfect sacrifice that we will need for sins. Matthew is setting this up to reveal later. It is only through resisting all temptation that Jesus' blood could be valuable enough to pay for all of mankind's sins. Because he was able to be perfect and spotless, every person we meet can find forgiveness if they will turn their hearts to God.
What About Us?
The first thing we see in Jesus' life is incredible faithfulness. He is such a contrast to Israel as he does everything God would want him to do. Do we see a message for us in this? Would we be more like Israel or like Christ in the wilderness? This text brings us to the harsh reality of our failures. Jesus has done what we could not do. As we see him passing every test, we realize that we have failed every test in our own lives. We have focused more on the material and our ability to provide than on the providence of God. We have tried to manipulate God, putting him to the test while acting like we trust him. Worst of all, we have taken a shortcut to glory to avoid suffering, and, in the process, we have failed to worship God alone. But there is good news.
Hebrews 2:17--18 (ESV) --- 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Now we see the path ahead of us more clearly. As Israel went from baptism to the wilderness, so did Jesus, and so do we. We can either submit to our desires for sin or submit to the will of God. But if we choose to submit to God and desire his will, he promises to help us. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we read, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." Jesus has come to show us that our enemy can be defeated. We do not have to fall to sin as they did. We can trust in God and become faithful, beloved sons and daughters. If we are struggling, we must remember what the Hebrew writer tells us. If we hide the word of God in our hearts and love him more than anything else, we will find help in our testing to overcome Satan.