Matthew 4:1-11

On Satan's temptation of Christ, the usual elements are present, including a subtle tempter who can quote Scripture to serve his purpose. In this back-and-forth encounter, the intended victim consistently thwarts the tempter, and the test ends with Satan slinking away in defeat. This had a positive ending because Jesus stayed close to God and always remembered God's sovereignty.

How can a sinless person be tempted? We cannot be drawn to an object unless the object seems desirable to us. Examine each temptation of Christ. In every instance, the appeal was a genuine call to a completely innocent instinct or desire.

In the first temptation it was to hunger. In the second it was to faith. In the third it was to power as a means of establishing righteousness. In each case, Jesus felt the tug and pull of His human instinct. And we know how insistent the hunger demand is on the Day of Atonement.

Christ had fasted for 40 days when this happened, and yet He was able to resist, having God's Spirit. But when Jesus understood that fulfilling these desires was wrong in those situations, He immediately declined the request. He demonstrated that He could overcome the tempter and resist temptation. It was not that He was physically not able to sin, but that He is so pure that He was not able to sin. Titus 1:15 says,

Matthew 4:8-9

Satan's power is over all the nations of the earth. In a way, that could be very frightening when we realize he is able to influence men and he is able to do it in such a way that they are not even aware that they are being influenced toward evil. His power is so extensive that he is over all the nations of the earth. Jesus called him the ruler of this world (John 14:30). He affects people's attitudes by moving our reasoning processes toward satisfaction of the self.