Study of Matthew |
||
Matthew Chapter 4
Immediately after Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit led Him into a wilderness to go through a trial. Because we suffer temptations, Jesus had to suffer temptations. He came into the world in the same type of flesh and body that we also have. If He could not have been tempted to do evil, the devil would not have bothered to try to tempt Jesus. The devil was hoping He could get Jesus to by pass the cross to get authority over the world by offering Him an easier way. If the devil could not have given Jesus power over the world, he would not have tried to do so. This same devil was able to take a third of the angels with him when he rebelled against God. He had a great influence as we see in the world today. Some do good and some do evil showing that some listen to Satan and others do not. Jesus said to us to "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." David wrote in the Psalms, "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." So we see that Jesus resisted temptation not by the power of being the Son of God but by the power of the Holy Spirit and the written word in His heart just the same as we can do. He did it first showing us that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can do likewise. James said:
While Jesus was on the earth He became one of us. He was still the Son of God but allowed Himself to become flesh and was limited in the same way we are limited. All miracles He did was by the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power available to all who believe and receive Him.
Fasting and praying is a like taking time apart to concentrate wholly on God and the work of God. It is a time to seek God. Fasting is good for the body if it is done right but without prayer it does no good spiritually. We need an occasional time to fast and pray setting aside all our worldly pursuits and seeking God alone. Notice that Jesus was first filled with the Spirit and then He took time to fast and pray. Immediately after His time of fasting was ended, He was hungry showing us that His body of flesh was telling Him that it needed food to survive. It was time to eat or He could die. The body is weak when it is hungry and we are more likely to become irritable and sin against God in our weakness. Yet through Jesus we are shown how to overcome the temptations in the flesh and walk in the spirit.
Naturally it would not have been wrong to eat at this time but Satan wanted Jesus to use His power as a side show type of miracle to attract attention sort of like magic, not for the glory and power of God. This we must keep in mind when thinking of miracles. "Will this bring glory to God or to myself?" Is this good for the cause of Christ or will it cause people to focus in the miracle instead of the one who brings salvation? Miracles that are truly from God will result in the salvation of souls. They will cause people to praise God and glorify Him. They are never to bring glory to the person who God uses to bring the miracle. We are but vessels of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the spirit are given to bring souls to Christ and show that Jesus is the way of salvation. Jesus made for us a reconciliation back to God to whom we have been separated because of sin. Jesus came to save us from sin. Miracles confirm the word of God that Jesus is the Christ. They are not for a side show to build a great ministry to exalt an organization or a person. Here is an example:
Look what happened here: The man was healed but who gets all glory. He was walking and leaping and praising God. That is the result of miracles that are done for the glory of God. It is sad to see people leaving a church building talking about how great Pastor so and so preached today or what a great service Brother so and so conducted today. Instead I would rather here: "Praise God, He saved a someone that was lost, today, " or Praise God Sister Irene was healed, surely the power of God was with us today." The devil wanted Jesus to use His power to prove that He was the Son of God and to kind of show off his power. Jesus of course knew who He was and didn't need to prove anything in that manner. He was not going to use His power to personal gratification of His own need. We saw later when He fed the 5000 and then the 4000 that the power of God can feed the hungry so that in itself was not wrong but to exercise the power of God when someone demands proof, is not the way God wants to do things. The miracles Jesus did was as His Father instructed Him to do, not just because He was the Son of God and could do them. He was setting the example that we were to do after Him. He didn't do anything that we could not do also except save a soul from sin. That only God can do. God worked through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit that was given to Him after His water baptism. He was not to do miracles for Himself or to entertain. It was for the purpose God sent Him into the world to do. He was not to obey any of Satan's commands for any reason. The fact that Satan made this suggestion was a good enough reason not to do it even if Jesus didn't have any other reason.
This is recorded in Deuteronomy:
Jesus answered Satan by using the written word of God. This is why we need the word implanted within our spirit. This is why God provided the written word for us. We are privileged to live in a day and age when the word of God is written in a volume and made available to all to read. And yet how many of us take advantage of that freedom? I've read of people who didn't have that freedom and when they were given a bible, they would divide it up and distribute it between themselves cherishing each page as a valuable possession. Wow, what kind of revival would we have if that was our attitude toward God's word? We also have been given the power of the Holy Spirit within us to resist temptation and yield to the will of the Father instead. This is what Jesus did. He didn't do anything that we could not do if we have the same power of the Holy Spirit abiding within us and are directed by the Holy Spirit. Some ignore the fact that we must at all times act in the will of God as the Holy Spirit leads. We can't just get up in the morning and start healing the sick on our own. It is God's will to heal, yes but we must do all things in His timing and His direction. That doesn't mean we can't pray for the sick anytime. If someone asks for prayer, we pray and leave the results up to God. We do not know why some are healed and some are not. Some just take longer and some are instant. We do the praying and God does the healing. Unbelief can hinder yes, but sometimes some are not healed and we just don't know why. All He was doing that is recorded here in the book of Matthew was for us. Satan knew that if he could get Jesus to sin in just one point, be a little selfish, do something that God didn't command, forsake His trust in God to provide for Him, then He could not die for the sins of mankind because He would be defiled with sin Himself.
This is in the Psalms:
Jesus used the word against Satan the first time so we see Satan trying to use the word to convince Jesus that what he (Satan) asked Him (Jesus) to do was not wrong. I've seen people do this today. Satan really quoted the actual word of God but still Jesus didn't buy it because it would have been wrong to do something on purpose to endanger Himself and tempt God. This is why snake handling would be wrong in trying to fulfill Mark 16:18:
The signs automatically follow believers who are walking in the spirit and doing the will of God. We are not to purposely endanger ourselves by drinking poison knowingly, withholding medicine, picking up poisonous snakes for a sideshow and so forth. As Jesus followed God's will in all things, we also are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, not just decide we are going out to do a miracle on our own. Scripture will interpret scripture if we let it. All things are to be done to glorify God and bring people to Christ. As for serpents, we see an incident that happened to Paul to show us what that scripture means. Paul never went into the woods looking for a serpent to demonstrate the power of God. He was being sent to Rome as a prisoner, they had a shipwreck and on an island, a viper (snake) fastened on his hand. Paul just shook it off in the fire and came to no harm. Paul didn't pick the thing up, show it off and proclaim with a loud voice, "See the great power of God." He just calmly shook it off and cast it back into the fire from which it came. It did convince the heathen that Paul was a man of God but God arranged the whole thing not Paul himself. We are never to purposely endanger our lives to show off God's power, let God do the leading when it comes to miracles and healings. The flesh profits nothing. Never attempt to use the spirit of God to glorify and man or a ministry. Bring souls to Jesus Christ should be our focus.
We are never to purposely do things to see if God will save us. We are to walk and be led by the spirit, not misuse the word to do things in the flesh.
To by pass the cross and have dominion over the world under him (Satan) instead of under God (the Father) is what is being offered here. Satan is saying, "Hey you don't have to suffer and die, you can have dominion without all that. I have an easier way if you would only worship me." Satan was not making an empty promise. If he did not have the power to give this thing to Jesus, he would not have offered it. When Adam sinned, he literally gave his dominion over the earth to Satan. That is why disease, murder, rape, idolatry and all kinds of sin came upon us and corrupted the whole race. Satan took over authority automatically when Adam sinned. Adam had authority over all before that. The first Adam gave this to him by his disobedience to God. Jesus is called the second Adam because He made the way to take this authority back. Man gave it away and only man could get it back but man was full of sin and couldn't get it back on his own. God had to become man and do it for him. By allowing Himself to be a pure sacrifice for our sins, Jesus was able to get back what Adam lost. The first coming was to make a sacrifice for sin. In His second coming He takes over the kingdom and fulfills the rest of prophecy. That time is coming. The whole earth will be given back to its rightful owner, Satan will be removed and God will come down to dwell with man after sin and Satan is removed. The 1000 year reign will be a time to allow the world to see what it is like to have a righteous perfect ruler. After that 1000 years, Satan is let loose for a season for a final trial upon mankind again to make a choice to follow Satan in rebellion or to stay true to Christ. Only those in their natural bodies will be tempted. All those that made the first resurrection and received their new glorified bodies will never be tempted again. Then comes the final end when Satan and all who follow him are cast in the bottomless pit forever, never to come out again. See how important it is to be saved from sin now so that we do not follow him to that final destination. We must worship the Lord our God and Him only. Idols, icons, and representatives even of Christ or Mary must go. Worship God in spirit and in truth. Cast out the substitutes. God hates idolatry and has forbidden us to make images to bow down to even if the images are supposed to represent Him. If we worship anything except the true God or Jesus Christ the Son of God, we are really worshipping devils and not God.
Once the temptation was over, the angels took care of Jesus and made sure He had food and basic needs. I sometimes wonder what the angels thought of all this. Imagine seeing Jesus on the cross knowing who He was and seeing the pain, suffering and agony the very Son of God was suffering. Imagine seeing our filthy sins being laid upon the perfect, pure Son of God and then dying for the sins we committed. I believe the angels were looking on all that and just looking for a nod from the Son of God and they would have taken Him down and destroyed all His enemies. At His word or a nod from His precious head, the angels would have saved Him. But no; that is not why Jesus came. He did not come the first time to save Israel from their political enemies. He did not come the first time to become the king of the earth. He came the first time to die for sins and make a way for all who believe in Him to be saved and have eternal life with God. He made the way for us to be reconciled back to God that sin had separated us from. Jesus had to die for our sins in order to fulfill the law that says, "The soul that sins shall die." We sinned, we die spiritually and physically. Jesus died for our sins so that we don't have to die for our own sins. Our natural body temporarily dies but our soul and spirit will inherit a new body that cannot die. That is provided for those that simply turn away from sin and believe in Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
Jesus was to increase and John was to decrease. John knew this. He was cast into prison for telling the king that he was living in adultery. John knew that it was time for him to depart.
This prophecy is here:
Jesus surely was the light that shines in the darkness. To abide in sin and not be saved is to abide in darkness. Jesus brings us out of the darkness of sin and gives us the light of the gospel which goes into our hearts and makes us alive spiritually.
This again shows us the necessity to repent as well as believe on Jesus as savior. We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven while we are still in sin. Jesus is the only way to be saved from sin so we must believe in Him to save us as well as be willing to forsake our former sins and walk in the newness of life that He will give us the moment we believe.
They had a good occupation and it was not wrong to be fishermen and catch fish but from now on God was calling them to be fishers for the souls of men (women included of course.). Some may be called as fishers of men but still remain in their occupations because food is needed as long as there are people living on the earth but these are called to forsake that occupation and give themselves totally to the word of the Lord. All of us are called to share the gospel is some capacity. Here is an example of what I mean in the book of Acts:
While all of us have a part in the ministry of the word in some capacity, they couldn't take time for the business of taking care of temporal needs or it would take away from their main calling. They turned that over to someone else while they gave themselves completely to the word of God and prayer. This is good advice. This is why there are different ministries and gifts of the spirit. This is why there are different parts of the body and they function in different ways. All work together that one area is not neglected. I've seen ministries that focus entirely on giving food and clothing which is good but the gospel has even become forbidden because they receive government funding. This is not what we are called to do. Then I know of one ministry that provides a home for the homeless but they also provide bible studies and lead souls to Christ. This is more like how we are supposed to do but sometimes we have to refuse government help to do it.
To be a real disciple of Christ sometimes it may require leaving behind our vocations and lifestyles. The fishermen left their fishing business and followed the Lord.
Everyone has their own calling. Children still need care, sometimes we have to work secular jobs so this is where God never left us alone and gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and into our calling.
When we leave all to follow Christ, we lose nothing in the long run.
No doubt these men had something inside them tell them that the person calling them out is not ordinary man. They may have already heard John the Baptist's preaching. They may have heard John say that there was one coming after him who is preferred before him because He as before him. John the Baptist testified of the fact that Jesus preexisted before He came as a babe in the manger. This is awesome.
If God calls us into a certain area, I truly believe He will let us know for sure. We will have the witness of the spirit. Be careful of someone else trying to choose your calling though. I believe God does use people to confirm something He has called us to do but if someone suggests something and we don't get the confirmation within ourselves by the Holy Spirit, it would be ok to hesitate and make sure it is God's calling before following down a path that may not be where God is leading.
Signs followed Jesus as He preached the gospel that would save the soul. The gospel is the focus of His ministry and saving the lost the main message. This is where we go wrong sometimes. We try to major on the miracles and healing instead of preaching the gospel instead of merely allowing the miracles and healing bring us to the one that saves the soul, Jesus the Messiah or Christ. Healing and miracles confirm the word that we are to teach and preach. It should just happen automatically as we preach the truth of the word. If they don't happen then just keep preaching the word whether they happen or not. Sometimes we may see them and sometimes we may not see any signs. That is when we walk by faith. The main message must be the gospel, not on the signs. I do notice that the signs and wonders happen mostly in heathen countries where there was no gospel previously preached to convince them of the truth of the gospel. Why should a heathen person believe in Jesus if they have never heard of Him? Why would they believe someone died for their sins if they never heard it before and didn't know that they had any sin? The miracles and divine healing would show them that the word is true but the gospel that saves is still the main message. This is not to say that God does not heal and do miracles today. He does, but it is to confirm the word and bring glory only to God. It is according to His direction. Jesus did the works God told Him to do and we are to do what the Holy Spirit leads us to do. Some healing and miracles are to to relieve suffering and save a life to show that God is present and wants to work, but the main reason for miracles are to lead people to Christ. Christ is the foundation. We are never to get away from that and start using the name of Christ to further our own agendas and build our own kingdoms. Perhaps we do not see them as much because we rob God of glory or major on the sign rather than the message. We are not to major on the miracles and just put on shows, we are to preach the gospel and teach the word.
Jesus was our example. He said to do as He did. He always gave His Father the glory and did what His Father instructed. God gave the authority over to His Son and now Jesus gives that authority over to those that have received Him. All Glory goes to Him though not to us as vessels to carry on His work.
If we are actually doing all that God calls us to do, we will not have to worry about a lack of anything to do or a lack of someone to teach. This is not to say that big numbers means success. Sometimes we may have a small number and very few. That even happened to Jesus. There was a time when all but a small remnant forsook Him.
Great numbers never proves anything. We can tickle the ears and be a person who can attract the crowds and still not be doing God's will. We may grow large and we may remain small but it is faithfulness and doing the will of God that counts. Yes, multitudes followed Jesus when the miracles occurred but how many were following Him when He taught about being the bread of life, the only way to heaven or when he talked of repenting of sin, forsaking all to follow Him and enduring tribulation and even giving up one's life to follow Him? When the going gets tough we lose the ones that just want to follow God for the good things God gives them in this life. God calls us to follow Him no matter what. It's like our marriage vows. We agree to remain with our spouse through sickness, sorrow, through good times or bad times, not just when things are good. That is what it should be with the Lord. DC
|
||
|
HOME |
SITE MAP |
BIBLE STUDY INDEX
|
||