Tempted With Food

Matthew 4:1-4

We’ve been talking about Jesus being God in the flesh in many different lessons, sermons, and  Bible studies since this church has opened. This is a very important doctrine to know and understand. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and he is God in the flesh.

Jesus Christ was tempted with food. This 100% proves that Jesus was in this same flesh.

He came just like us, in this same flesh and blood, to save us. He didn’t get an advantage over us. He didn’t take any advantages. He went through more than any of us will ever go through. If someone teaches that Jesus didn’t come in this same flesh and blood that we are in, they should be rebuked sharply at the moment they say this or teach this.

Jesus Christ is Come in the Flesh

1 John 4:3
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Jesus Christ came in this flesh. Jesus Christ came with this same blood that we have running through our body. The life is in the blood.

Hebrews 2:17-18
Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.  18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

So, you have temptations. You are tempted to do things. You are tempted to fornicate, drink alcohol, smoke marijuana (which by the way is killing your brain cells), smoke cigarettes, drink soda and coke, eat horrible foods, eat way too much, and more. All of these things are bad for you. All of these things will make life much harder for you.

Jesus Was Tempted in all Points Like as We Are

Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Since you’re now saved by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus is with you. You can resist sin. You can stop sinning. For example, you might be tempted to smoke marijuana. I can tell you right now that I have no desire at all to smoke marijuana. I have never touched it.

I can tell you it has one of the worst smells that I’ve ever smelt. Smells like a skunk. It’s nasty. The smell alone should prevent you from smoking it. People have bought marijuana that is laced with very dangerous drugs. This has led to them killing others and even killing themselves. You need to stay away from it. I am not tempted with that. But we’re all tempted in different ways.

Marijuana is not safe like this world tells you it is. God commands you to be sober and all these different drugs mess with your head. Stay away from them.

Jesus Was Tempted With Food

So, Jesus was tempted with food right here in Matthew Chapter 4. Satan, the best deceiver of anyone, is the one tempting Jesus. In the last lesson, at the end of Matthew Chapter 3, we saw Jesus get baptized by John the Baptist. And when you get baptized, Satan will come for you. When you’re trying to do good, Satan will come for you. You must fight through it.

Watch what happens with Jesus Christ here in Matthew Chapter 4.

Matthew 3:16-17
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

That’s the end of Matthew Chapter 3. Jesus is baptized in water. The Spirit of God lights upon Jesus. The Father from heaven is pleased with Jesus. Right after this, watch what happens at the start of Matthew Chapter 4.

Matthew 4:1
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

The World = The Wilderness = West Louisville

Right after his baptism he is led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. This world out there is the wilderness. West Louisville is a wilderness. You will be tempted of the devil out there. You will have so-called friends tempting you to do wrong. Those are not friends.

For example, when you come here, you have friends at this church. No one here should be tempting you to do wrong. We’re here to get you to do right. For example, cuss words should not be heard at church. There are little ones around here everywhere that don’t need to hear all of those words.

We should be doing good here and not evil. Don’t tempt others to sin. The devil tempts people to sin. You don’t want to be on his side. His end is the lake of fire. Don’t appear to be like him.

Matthew 4:2
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Jesus went without food for forty days and forty nights. I am pretty sure no one in here has went without food for forty days and forty nights. Some of us think we are dying if we go without 3 meals per day. That’s all in your head. You aren’t dying if you miss a meal or two or three or a day or two or three. You aren’t dying. That’s your flesh telling you that.

Remember, Jesus was made of flesh and blood just like you and I. He needed food to live in that flesh and blood body. After 40 days and 40 nights without food, do you think Jesus was hungry? The Bible says right there, “he was afterward an hungred.” Jesus got hungry. He was tempted with food because he was hungry.

The First Temptation of Jesus is Food

And notice that this is the first temptation that Jesus is given by Satan in the Gospel of Matthew. He tries food first.

Matthew 4:3
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

The devil comes to Jesus when he knows Jesus is hungry. He says, “If thou be the Son of God.” Notice he says “IF” thou be the Son of God. He’s trying to play games with Jesus. Hey, if you have the power you think you have, turn those stones into bread so you’ll have something to eat. He’s tempting Jesus to use the advantage of being the Son of God.

But Jesus didn’t get any advantages. He didn’t use his position as God in the flesh to turn the stones into bread. Could he have done that? Yes. He’s God. But he didn’t. Why? To show us that we can resist these temptations too.

Food is a huge temptation for us and it can cause great sin in your life. You might not think it’s a big deal, but it is and can be. The food sources in this country are not good at all. We need to watch what we eat. We need to be careful because food can hurt you.

Don’t Overeat as You Don’t Need an Excess of Food

You don’t need to overeat. You don’t need a huge excess of calories every day. You don’t need a huge excess or way too much of anything in this world. This is sin.

Ephesians 5:17-20
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.  18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;  19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;  20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

But not drunk with wine wherein is excess. This is speaking of too much of something. Too much food is bad for you. If you fast, you’ll get hungry but you fight through that hunger and you actually feel much better for a while. Be free of all that lust of excess food.

When you think you need food to comfort you, instead go to a different type of food. Let me show you this. Jesus was tempted with food. He was being tempted to show that he had the power of the Son of God. Turn those stones into food. Watch what happens next.

Tempted to Use His Power

Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Jesus answers the devil. Watch closely. “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” That’s a huge statement there. Those are words of wisdom from the Almighty God of all Creation. This is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

“It is written.” Whenever you see this in the New Testament, you can know that it is a quote from the Old Testament. There are possibly over 900 quotes from the Old Testament within the New Testament. God connects the New with the Old perfectly. They go together perfectly. They aren’t in opposition one to the other. They agree with each other.

The phrase “it is written” is in the Bible 80 times. 17 in the Old Testament and 63 in the New Testament. You see one of them right there. Jesus says, “It is written.” Jesus knows the Old Testament Scriptures better than anyone. He is the Word of God. The Scriptures were written by Jesus.

This is a cue right here that we should find the quote from the Old Testament. This is how you study the Bible. You have to slow down and pay attention to every word of God. And this is what feeds your spirit and soul. Not your flesh. Your spirit and soul.

This quote from Jesus comes from Deuteronomy Chapter 8.

Deuteronomy 8:1-2
All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.  2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

Follow the Commandments of God and Live

God wants us to follow all of his commandments so that we live and multiply. People are dying because we aren’t following his commandments. Why are people dying? Because people choose to sin. People choose to do wrong. This is a warning for your life.

If you choose to sin, you might die early. That marijuana you want to smoke. You might die. Those things you want to steal from the store. You might die. Those friends you want to run with. You might die. That lie you want to tell. You might die. Those drugs you want to do. You might die. That alcohol you want to drink. You might die. Those cigarettes you want to smoke. You might die. All that unhealthy food you want to over eat. You might die. Remember that.

Notice that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for forty days. This Scripture in the Old Testament says, “And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness.” Who was leading? Jesus Christ was leading them through the wilderness.

Why? They were lifted up. They thought they knew better than God. The Bible says that he did this “to humble thee and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.”

People in this Area are Humble

Most of the people in this area are very humble. Why is that? This is a tough wilderness out here in this area. God humbles you. God proves you. To know what was in thine heart. Hey, what is in your heart? Are you here right now to hear the word of God? Or is it for some other reason?

God knows what is in your heart. When you’re going through temptations out there in this wilderness, will you still keep his commandments? When you’re having tough times, what will you do? Will you fall back? Will you run backwards? Will you run away?

Or will you tell Satan to back away because you have God’s words to live by? Hey, I have God’s words right here. Satan, I don’t need to hear your mouth. I’m listening to God. I’m going to do what he says.

When people have trouble, they stop coming to church. No, when you’re having trouble, you need to be in church more than anywhere else. Don’t run away. We’re here to fight for you. You need to get in the fight. Don’t back off. We’re here with you for that reason. We’ve got your back. God has your front, back, and all sides.

There are tests and trials that make you stronger “IF” you keep going. If you back down, you don’t get stronger.

Resistance Makes You Stronger

For example, I love to lift weights. Do you know why? Because I like that challenge. I like to keep going when things get tough, and in weight lifting, they get tough. There will always be more weight to add that you can’t do. So you learn how to fight through things physically. Things shouldn’t always be easy for you or you don’t get stronger.

This can be applied to the spiritual fight too. Jesus does this in this chapter. It’s far more important to be spiritually strong than physically strong. But have both. Be strong physically by working hard always. Be strong spiritually by working hard in the Scriptures. That’s what we’re doing right now. If you’re listening and learning the word of God, you’re getting strong.

Jesus is physically hungry. But he’s spiritually fed. And he’s spiritually strong. And that’s the important part. When we are weak, we are strong. What? When we are weak, we are strong. That’s what I said. The Bible teaches us things like this all the time because there’s physical things and then there’s spiritual things.

Physically we are weak. Spiritually we are strong. When you have a little bit of trouble in your life, will you keep the commandments of God?

Trust in the Lord Through the Trials and Troubles

Psalm 37:3
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Trust in the Lord during these times of temptation and do good. Don’t do evil. And remember that God doesn’t tempt you with evil. Satan tempts you with evil. Satan was tempting Jesus Christ to do evil.

Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Man shall not live by bread alone. We do need actual physical bread or food to live, but that’s not all we need to live. “But by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

For example, when children get hungry they usually start screaming. But they won’t die if they don’t get food immediately. They will be just fine. As we grow up, we don’t want to act like the babies screaming when we get hungry. We have to grow up. And we need to realize that the word of God is the spiritual food that we need to get stronger and stronger.

We live by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. This Bible is every word of God. He spoke these words for you and I to have. We have the actual word of God with us.

Physical Bread vs. Spiritual Bread

So, we have physical bread to eat. But we also have spiritual bread to eat.

John 6:30-32
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?  31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

John 6:33-35
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.  35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Jesus is the bread of life. Go to Jesus. You will never hunger. You will never thirst. Simply believe on him to save you. Believe his words. He’ll save you forever. Actual physical food is not that important. It will save your physical life for a little while, but you need it over and over again.

Being saved is a one time thing. Take a bite of that bread, the bread of life, and you live forever.

And then, continue taking of that bread of life and be wise. When the Bible tells you something, just do it. It will be the absolute best thing you can do. For example, the Bible commands us over and over to work hard. If we won’t, things won’t turn out good. The Bible commands us to be sober at all times and in everything. If we won’t do that, things won’t turn out good.

Hey, simply trust the word of God and apply it to your life. And you’ll really LIVE as Jesus says. He gave you this life. He’s got more life for you. He’s got a better life for you. That’s why we’re here. We’re going to learn what he wants, and we’re going to live.

Let’s pray.