9/15/13 & 9/22/13 Beginning of Jesus' Ministry: Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11)

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beginning of Jesus’ ministry

Week 2: Temptation

September 15 & 22, 2013

GETTING THINGS STARTED

Write down on a blank card three things that are most tempting to you—or if you feel uncomfortable writing your own temptations, you can write three things that are tempting to most teenagers. Let’s collect the cards and I’ll discretely read each of the cards out loud.

  • What was most surprising about some of the temptations in that list?
  • What did you learn from this list of temptations? What patterns or common themes did you hear?

We all experience moments of temptation. Even Jesus was tempted, as he spent 40 days with no food in the wilderness. There is a right and a wrong way to handle tempting situations. And the way Jesus handled it was perfect.

Read MATTHEW 4:1-11 (NLT)

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 all the kingdoms of the world and 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.

Matthew recounts the 40-day temptation experience Jesus endured in the desert (you also can find parallel accounts in Mark and Luke, with the Luke passage offering the more detailed account). The Bible doesn’t tell us why Jesus was sent by the Spirit into the desert for 40 days with no food to be tempted by Satan, but we can surmise that His desert undertaking served as a way for God in the flesh to be able to validate, understand, and have compassion for the temptations that we face. Since Christ went through times of anger, desperation, hunger, temptation, frustration, and fatigue, He completely understands when we walk through troubling times in our lives.

In each instance in Matthew 4, Jesus used Scripture to defeat Satan. He models the success of using God’s Word as a defense strategy against the devil’s evil schemes. This shows us that at the moments when we are tempted or hearing the lies and negative words of Satan, we, too, are able to use Scripture as a protection and a shield against Satan.

Jesus spent 40 days without food, having the devil tempt him. Knowing this can help us understand the grace and mercy of God. Let’s see what we can learn from this passage of Scripture.

1. Jesus got hungry and vulnerable

  • Think of a time you were hungry or tired and made a bad choice. What was that like?
  • What kinds of emotions do you experience when you’re hungry or exhausted?
  • How does knowing what Jesus went through help you when you are going through your own struggles with temptation?
  • How does knowing this help with your relating to God on a deeper level?

Some people assume that Jesus was this guy who walked around with a halo over His head teaching people. They think that He never really got His sandals dirty and everything worked out perfectly for Him. We can see from Scripture that this isn’t true at all. He got hungry and tired. Even though He was perfect and was God in human form, He still experienced the same things we experience as humans.

2. Even Jesus faced temptation

  • Have you ever felt guilty because you were tempted, even if you didn’t give in to the temptation? If so, tell us about that.
  • When are you more likely to face temptation: when you’re alone or when you’re with a group of people? Why?
  • Why do you think Jesus was sent to the wilderness to be tempted?
  • Look through the things that Jesus was tempted to do—how might they be rephrased if Satan was attempting to tempt you today?
  • Why are some people vulnerable to certain temptations that other people have no problem resisting?
  • Clearly, you face some specific temptations that Jesus didn’t face because of changes in culture and technology. But what truths and principles from this passage can still help you in those situations?

Jesus is perfect and unable to sin, but I bet that given the situation He faced and the hunger He was suffering from, He thought about Satan’s words. His anguish must have been overwhelming. But He didn’t give in, and that helps us remember that being tempted is not the same thing as sinning—just because you’re being tempted doesn’t mean you’ve chosen to sin. It’s how you handle the temptation that matters.

3. Scripture helps us overcome temptation

  • Why do you think that Jesus used Scripture to defeat Satan?
  • Why is Scripture a powerful tool in defeating temptation?
  • What do you think Jesus was trying to show us through his desert journey?
  • If you resist temptation today, it may return tomorrow—is that discouraging? Why or why not?

I love how Jesus shows us the struggle He faced as he spent 40 days in the desert being ridiculed by Satan. When we read the Bible and learn about what Jesus went through when he was on Earth, it helps us understand that Jesus is real, has emotions, gets angry, and knows how we feel. And even though temptation may return, we can continually turn to God and to Scripture for strength. Remember, if God helped you resist the temptation today, He can help you resist it tomorrow, too.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION

  • Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure”

  • What are some surprising ways God has helped you escape from temptation before?

  • Have you ever shared a struggle with someone and realized that they cannot relate to any of what you are sharing? How is Jesus different from that?

APPLICATION

  • What steps can you take this week to overcome temptation? Let’s come up with some specific strategies we all can consider using.

  • How can you read, learn, and memorize the Bible in a way that will help you with temptations?

  • How can you pray that God gives you the strength to move away from tempting situations and to bring verses to mind to beat down Satan?

SUMMARY

Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness without food, and during that time the devil tempted Him. Even though Jesus was hungry and tired, He resisted the temptation. Knowing this can help us understand the grace and mercy of God. This lesson helped us see how Jesus can help us in our battles with temptation because He has faced temptation, too.

FOR KEEPS [MEMORY VERSE]

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).

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