Jesus Tested and Launched Into Ministry (preaching resource for 1/25/26, Epiphany 3)
This post exegetes Matthew chapter 4, providing context for the Gospel reading on 1/25/26, the 3rd Sunday in the season of Epiphany. Insights are drawn from "The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament" by Craig Keener, "The New Bible Commentary" by RT France, and "The Bible Knowledge Commentary" by Louis Barbieri.
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| "Temptation of Christ" by Immenraet (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) |
Introduction
In Matthew chapter 3, Jesus is baptized for all humanity, anointed by the Holy Spirit for ministry to all humanity, and approved (accredited) by the Father as his Son who is given authority over all humanity (and all the cosmos). And now in chapter 4, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to be tested in the desert, further preparing him for his ministry and further accrediting him as Messiah. Then at the end of the chapter, Jesus is launched in the power of the Holy Spirit into public ministry. His first task is to call his first disciples. Let’s walk with him.
Jesus tested in the desert
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
A common recitation in the Old Testament is that God “led” Israel in the wilderness (e.g. Isa 63:14), where they were tested (the meaning of “tempted” in Mat 4:1). Now Jesus, representing all humanity (including Israel), is led by the Holy Spirit into “the desert.” There he encounters the devil. The Old Testament rarely mentions the devil, but concern about his activity as “the tempter” (v3 and also see Job 1–2) had become prominent among Jews in Jesus’ day. Thus the surprising feature in this account for Matthew’s original Jewish readers would not have been that the devil tempts, but that he does so in person.
Jesus’ time in the desert begins with 40 days and nights of fasting (Mat 4:2). Matthew intends that we see here a parallel to Moses, for Jesus is the prophesied “new Moses” promised to Israel (see Deut 18:15). Many Jewish people at the time are hoping that this new Moses would lead them out of bondage via a new exodus—complete with new manna (bread from heaven). Matthew is showing us that Jesus is all these: the new (and final) Moses (who is the new law giver, see Mat 5), the new exodus for Israel (and all people), and the new bread from heaven.
But now comes the devil to call into question through three tests (temptations) the recently declared status of Jesus as the Son of God (Mat 3:17). Each test examines an aspect of that status and ways in which to misuse it could ruin Jesus’ ministry. Jesus must be ready to accept privation in fulfilling his God-given task without ‘pulling rank’ (Mat 4:2–4); to trust his Father’s care without the need to test it by forcing God’s hand (Mat 4:5–7); and to reject the ‘short cut’ to the fulfillment of his mission which would be achieved at the cost of compromising his loyalty to his Father (Mat 4:8–10).
In each case, Jesus rebuts the devil’s temptations with a quote from Deuteronomy chapters 6–8. That section of Scripture relates Israel’s experience of testing in the desert (‘as a man disciplines his son’, Deut 8:5; 8:2). The verses quoted focus on the lessons Israel should have learned by that experience. Now a new ‘son of God’ is being prepared for his role, and the same principles of obedience, imperfectly learned by Israel, become the basis of the ministry of Jesus, who is the ‘new Israel of God.” Let’s examine each test:
1. First test (vv2-4)
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Here the devil tempts Jesus, who is famished due to his long fast, to turn stones into bread (v3). Such feats in the ancient world were attributed to magic, so the devil tempts Jesus to be a magician rather than the Son of God that he is. In this temptation, the devil panders to human pride and calls into question Jesus’ divine sonship (thus challenging God’s earlier affirmation that Jesus is God’s Son, see Mat 3:17). But Jesus knows who he is, for he knows his Father and he knows the scriptures. So he counters Satan’s temptation by quoting Deut 8:3b that declares that God alone is our true provider, with the implication that Jesus truly is God’s Son (see Deut 8:5).
2. Second test (vv5-7)
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Here the devil tempts Jesus by taking him to a part of the temple in Jerusalem that overlooks a deep valley. A fall from there would have meant certain death. Here the devil cites Psalm 91:11–12, but out of context—this passage makes clear that God’s angelic protection is for events that befall his servants, not an excuse to seek out such dangers. In response, Jesus cites Deut 6:16, which refers to how the Israelites had tested God at Massah by refusing to accept that God was among them until he wrought a sign for them (Ex 17:7).
3. Third test (vv8-10)
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
Here the devil tempts Jesus by taking him atop a “very high mountain” to give Jesus a vision of “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” This realm (being shown to Jesus apparently in a vision) does not technically belong to the devil (see Daniel 4:32), who owns human hearts only as a usurper. The best the devil can do is to make Jesus the political, military sort of Messiah most Jewish people who expected a Messiah were anticipating. Jesus counters this temptation by citing Deut 6:13, which prohibits idolatry (see Deut 6:14), a commandment anyone who worships the devil would obviously violate.
4. Summary
Note in this section the following key points:
- Though the devil seeks to tempt Jesus to misuse his position as God’s Son, God uses Satan’s devices to advance his own purpose: preparing his Son for what lies ahead.
- Jesus’ fasting and hunger show that the Son of God is not free from real human suffering. He is (and today, still is) fully human, while also being fully divine.
- Through this path of obedience to his Father, Jesus receives all authority not only on earth but also in heaven.
The section closes with verse 11:
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Jesus defeats Satan in each of these tests, and is cared for by righteous angels, who lovingly prepare him for the next step in his journey on mission with God…
Jesus launched into public ministry
Matthew 4:12-22
1. Jesus moves to Galilee (vv12-16)
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
Jesus does not begin his official public ministry until John the Baptist is imprisoned (the reason for this imprisonment is explained in Mat 14:3). When Jesus learns that John is in prison, he leaves Nazareth (his hometown) and settles further north in Capernaum in the region that had been settled in the time of Joshua by the Israelite tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. Isaiah prophesied (Isa 9:1-2) that light would come to this region, and Matthew sees Jesus’ coming to Capernaum as fulfilling this ancient prophecy. This light of the Messiah comes to both Jews and Gentiles, as evidenced by the name given region: “Galilee of the Gentiles” (v15), an area geographically, politically and culturally cut off from Judea. Its people are regarded by Judeans as uncultured and irreligious, leading to strained relations between the two regions. As a Galilean, Jesus is viewed as virtually a foreigner in Jerusalem.
Galilee becomes the headquarters of Jesus’ public ministry—a ministry well received by the Galilean masses. In contrast, Jerusalem (in Judea) will become the place of the Messiah’s rejection and death. Matthew intentionally and carefully contrasts these regions throughout his gospel, culminating in the return of the resurrected Jesus from Jerusalem to Galilee where he launches his post-Easter Christian mission (Mat 28).
2. Jesus’ proclamation (v17)
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
“From that time” is a key phrase used by Matthew to signify a new phase in the ministry of Jesus. Here Jesus’ begins to preach publicly and his message picks up where John the Baptist left off – declaring that the kingdom of heaven is near and calling for the people to repent. As noted earlier, to declare the nearness of the kingdom is to claim that the rule of God is being made effective. That, of course, is because King Jesus is present and being made known. How will the people respond?
3. Jesus calls his first disciples (vv18-22)
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus now begins to assemble his ministry team. It was common for Jewish Rabbis to call disciples to follow them. And here Jesus calls two pairs of brothers. They all are fishermen by trade. He calls them to leave this vocation and join with him as “fishers of men”—joining Jesus in winning new subjects of God’s rule (kingdom). We see here the complete commitment that following Jesus as one of his disciples entails. As we will see, Simon (Peter), James and John (and to a lesser degree Andrew) form a central core of Jesus’ disciples.
Conclusion: summary of Jesus’ ministry
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Chapter 4 concludes with this summary of Jesus’ public ministry. It shows him as being accepted in the synagogues (contrast the later hostility) and widely popular as a teacher and especially as a healer. His mission in Galilee is essentially a success story. While localized in Galilee, Jesus’ ministry attracts attention throughout ‘greater Palestine’ (which formed part of the Roman province of Syria). The prominence of healing marks a significant advance beyond the ministry of John the Baptist: the power of the kingdom of heaven to which John looked forward is now being experienced in distinctive action.