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                     The  Kingdom:  The  King  on  Earth  (Birth  through  Wilderness)                                          Part  #3   Jesus  came  to  do  two  things:    1.    Destroy  the  works  of  the  devil  –  1  John  3:8b  (ESV)  The  reason  the  Son  of  God  appeared  was  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.    2.  Save  His  people  from  their  sins  –  Matthew  1:21  (ESV)  She  will  bear  a  son,  and  you  shall  call  his  name  Jesus,  for  he  will  save  his  people  from  their  sins.  Genesis  3:15  (NIV)  And  I  will  put  enmity  between  you  and  the  woman,  and  between  your  offspring  and  hers;  he  will  crush  your  head,  and  you  will  strike  his  heel.      1.  The  Promised  King  –  Luke  1:26-­38  (NIV)    ::  Verse  for  Reference  ::    2.    Proclaimed  King  –  Matthew  2:1-­12  (NIV)    ::  Verse  for  Reference  ::    3.    Prepared  King      Baptism  by  John  the  Baptist  -­  Matthew  3:13-­17  (NIV)  Then  Jesus  came  from  Galilee  to  the  Jordan  to  be  baptized  by  John.  14But  John  tried  to  deter  him,  saying,  “I  need  to  be  baptized  by  you,  and  do  you  come  to  me?  15Jesus  replied,  “Let  it  be  so  now;  it  is  proper  for  us  to  do  this  to  fulfill  all  righteousness.”  Then  John  consented.  16As  soon  as  Jesus  was  baptized,  he  went  up  out  of  the  water.  At  that  moment  heaven  was  opened,  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God  descending  like  a  dove  and  lighting  on  him.  17And  a  voice  from  heaven  said,  “This  is  my  Son,  whom  I  love;  with  him  I  am  well  pleased.”    Temptation  in  the  Wilderness  –  Luke  4:1-­14  (a)  (NIV)  A.    Luke  4:1-­4  (NIV)  (Lust  of  the  Flesh  –  “good  for  food”)    ::  Verse  Reference  ::  B.    Luke  4:  5-­8  (NIV)  (Lust  of  the  eye  –  “beautiful  to  the  eye”)    ::  Verse  Reference  ::    Genesis  3:15  (NIV)  And  I  will  put  enmity  between  you  and  the  woman,  and  between  your  offspring  and  hers;  he  will  crush  your  head,  and  you  will  strike  his  heel.    Revelation  11:15  –  17  (ESV)  Then  the  seventh  angel  blew  his  trumpet,  and  there  were  loud  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  “The  kingdom  of  the  world  has  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ,  and  he  shall  reign  forever  and  ever.”  16And  the  twenty-­‐four  elders  who  sit  on  their  thrones  before  God  fell  on  their  faces  and  worshiped  God,  17saying,  “We  give  thanks  to  you,  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  is  and  who  was,  for  you  have  taken  your  great  power  and  begun  to  reign.”    Psalm  91:11-­13  (NIV)  For  he  will  command  his  angels  concerning  you  to  guard  you  in  all  your  ways;  12they  will  lift  you  up  in  their  hands,  so  that  you  will  not  strike  your  foot  against  a  stone.  13You  will  tread  upon  the  lion  and  the  cobra;  you  will  trample  the  great  lion  and  the  serpent.    C.  Luke  4:9-­12  (NIV)  (Pride  of  Life  –  “able  to  make  one  wise”)  The  devil  led  him  to  Jerusalem  and  had  him  stand  on  the  highest  point  of  the  temple.  “If  you  are  the  Son  of  God,”  he  said,  “throw  yourself  down  from  here.  10For  it  is  written:  “‘He  will  command  his  angels  concerning  you  to  guard  you  carefully;  11  they  will  lift  you  up  in  their  hands,  so  that  you  will  not  strike  your  foot  against  a  stone.’”  12Jesus  answered,  “It  says:  ‘Do  not  put  the  Lord  your  God  to  the  test.’”  (Don’t  tempt  Me!)    Luke  4:13,  14(a)  (NIV)  When  the  devil  had  finished  all  this  tempting,  he  left  him  until  an  opportune  time.  14Jesus  returned  to  Galilee  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit…    Luke  22:53  (NKJV)  When  I  was  with  you  daily  in  the  temple,  you  did  not  try  to  seize  Me.  But  this  is  your  hour,  and  the  power  of  darkness.    Matthew  4:13-­17  (ESV)  And  leaving  Nazareth  he  went  and  lived  in  Capernaum  by  the  sea,  in  the  territory  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali,  14so  that  what  was  spoken  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  might  be  fulfilled:  15  “The  land  of  Zebulun  and  the  land  of  Naphtali,  the  way  of  the  sea,  beyond  the  Jordan,  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles—16  the  people  dwelling  in  darkness  have  seen  a  great  light,  and  for  those  dwelling  in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death,  on  them  a  light  has  dawned.”  17From  that  time  Jesus  began  to  preach,  saying,  “Repent,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand.”  

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Not much else is said about the life of Jesus until He reaches adulthood. But we find out in the Gospel accounts that before Jesus’ own ministry begins, His cousin, a man called John the Baptist, has started blazing the trail for him. John’s role was so significant that Jesus Himself called him the greatest of the prophets (Matt 11:11). What made John such an import-ant person? Was it just the timing of his arrival on the scene? Not exactly. What set John above all the prophets who preceded him was his message. The other prophets saw glimpses, but John grasped the whole picture - the Kingdom of God has arrived, and so has its King. But, he tells Israel, they don’t look the way you thought they would.

Throughout the Old Testament, we hear that God exclusively chose the people of Israel to be a living message of reconciliation between Him and all humanity. But by the time of John, Israel had lost sight of that mission. Instead, they believed that they, and they alone, were the people of God. Because they were descended from Abraham, God's love and special favor were guaranteed for them. For centuries, they had anticipated the com-ing of a second David who would establish a powerful Jewish kingdom and restore the nation of Israel to international prominence. Messiah, they believed, would be a national deliverer. But John had a message that was about to shatter those ideas.

In Matthew 3 we hear that the Jews throughout the entire region of the Jordan River were responding to John’s message and being baptized by him as a sign of their repentance and submission to God. But when the religious leaders of Israel showed up to be baptized, John told them, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham” (vs. 8 & 9). Messi-ah’s mission, John said, was not primarily to deliver the nation of Israel from political oppression - it was to deliver individual people from the ancient curse of sin. Citizenship in Messiah's kingdom had nothing to do with being an Israelite by blood; it was all about having a heart that was repentant before God and submissive to Him. It was about having a relationship with the King!

1 According to Scripture, Jesus came to do just two things. What are they? Why couldn’t anyone else have done them?

2 What “works of the devil” did Jesus come to destroy?

3 If we lived with these two Kingdom truths constantly in the forefront of our minds, what changes might we see in our daily lives?

Matt 1:21 (ESV)

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

1 John 3:8b (ESV)

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

6161The Kingdom

Luke 4:1-14a 1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for for-ty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hun-gry. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”

5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

8Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

12Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…

4 In Genesis 3, we learn that Satan used three different angles in tempting Eve. He presented the forbidden fruit to her as “good for food”, “pleasing to the eye”, and “desirable for gaining wisdom” (Gen 3:6). Take a look at the chart we’ve provided comparing this passage, Luke 4:1-14, and with 1 John 2:16. How did Satan use similar angles in his temptation of Jesus?

5 Think about the temptations you face in your daily life. Do you see similarities between the ways Eve and Jesus were tempted, and your experiences?

Goodfor Food

Pleasingto the Eye

Desirablefor GainingWisdom

Hunger (a�er 40 days of fasting)

Jesus chooses the word of the trueProvider rather than acceptingSatan’s immediate provisions

Eyes(showed Jesus the kingdoms ofthe world to entice Him)Jesus chooses God’s long-term planfor the Kingdom over Satan’simmediate grati�cation

Pride(Satan dares Jesus to prove Hisidentity)Jesus, mindful of God’s promisethat He will crush Satan’s head,replies, “Don’t tempt Me!”

Lustof

Flesh

Lustof

Eyes

Prideof

Life

Adam Fails

GEN 3 MATT 4/LUKE 4 1 JOHN2:16

Jesus Triumphs

DISCUSS & APPLY

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Psalm 91:11-13 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

6 Satan quoted a passage of Scripture the third time he tried to tempt Jesus - but he left out an important part. Read Psalm 91:11-13.

7 Why do you think Satan decided to ignore verse 13? (1 Peter 5:8 may help shed some more light on this.)

8 How does this impact your understanding of Jesus’ response to this temptation?

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