The Kingdom of God is Near

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 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.”

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.’”

The Kingdom of God is Near

Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 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.’ ”

Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’”

The Kingdom of God is Near

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. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’”

Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. (Matthew 4:1-11, NLT)

The Kingdom of God is Near

Matthew 4:1-11

Replacing failure with success.

The Kingdom of God is Near

Just who or what is “The Devil?”

The Greek word for devil is diabolos and means, “One who separates.”

The devil has three tools:

1. Thwarting God’s plans

2. Accusation

3. Temptation

The Kingdom of God is Near

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God

The Kingdom of God is Near

Why would God want his Son to go hungry? Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deut. 8:1-3)

The Kingdom of God is Near

Another indicator that Jesus is the new Israel: Each of the answers that Jesus gives come from Moses’ preaching just before the people of Israel left the Wilderness and entered the Promised Land.

Jesus as a replacement for Israel: 40days = 40 years

Jesus succeeds where Israel failed and so the promise of world wide blessing can become a reality. This worldwide blessing comes in the form of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is Near

Jesus is God’s Son, won’t God protect him?

For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. (Psalm 91)

The Kingdom of God is Near

Jesus is God’s Son, won’t God protect him?

If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. (Psalm 91)

The Kingdom of God is Near

Jesus is God’s Son, won’t God protect him?

You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah. You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. (Deut. 6:16-18)

The Kingdom of God is Near

Jesus came to rule. Why not just take it at this time? The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. You must fear the LORD your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name. (Deut. 6:10-13)

The Kingdom of God is Near

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. (Hebrews 2:18) This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)