2. Read Matthew 3:16-17 which describes Jesus’ baptism. With all three members of the Trinity being present and active, what do we learn about Jesus’ identity as God the Son and his relationship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit?
The doctrine of the Trinity states that God exists in three persons and yet is one in essence. At Jesus’ baptism, their loving relationship is dramatically illustrated as God the Father audibly affirms Jesus’ identity as His Son, as well as expresses His love and pleasure in Him (“whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”) The Holy Spirit is described as “descending like a dove and alighting on him,” further validating Jesus’ identity as a member of the Trinity.
One commentator noted that the phrase, “at that moment heaven was opened,” is an expression often used to signify that “God is opening the communication gates to reveal something momentous.”
The descent of the Holy Spirit points to the prophetic anointing of the “Servant of the Lord” in Isaiah 42:1 where God says, “Here is my servant … my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him.”
The Father’s affirmation of Jesus (“This is my Son”) reminds us of the prophetic father/son imagery of Psalm 2:7 (“I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son.”)
The phrase, “whom I love” reminds us of Abraham’s love for Isaac in Genesis 22:2 (“son, your only son … whom you love”) but more significantly it points to the heart of the Father/Son relationship in expressing their profound love for one another.
3. Read Matthew 4:1-11 which describes Satan’s three temptations of Jesus. In Satan’s first two temptations (4:3,6), Satan uses the phrase, “If you are the Son of God… .” What do you think is the significance of him using that phrase? How would you contrast Satan’s interaction with Jesus with the Trinity’s interaction with each other at Jesus’ baptism?
“Son of God” is a title referring to Jesus as the messianic and anointed divine King that would lead Israel and redeem all mankind from sin and evil. With the Father affirming Jesus’ identity as His Son, He was, in a sense, commissioning Jesus to step into His purpose and fulfill the Father’s plan to overcome evil and redeem the world. From that moment on, Jesus began His earthly ministry to fulfill His calling.
With Satan using the phrase, “If you are the Son of God...”, he is directly attacking Jesus' identity and questioning His mission and calling. Attacking someone’s identity is one of the deepest places where we can experience a personal attack. Satan’s diabolical confrontation of Jesus was dramatically different from the loving affirmation of Jesus expressed by the Trinity at His baptism.
4. Examine each of Satan’s three temptations of Jesus (4:3, 6, 9) and describe Jesus’ response to each temptation.
Interestingly, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness which had been a significant setting for God’s testing of His people in Scripture. Israel was tested in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the promised land. Deuteronomy 8:2 tells us that Israel was led into the wilderness by God to humble and test them.
God has often tested the character and commitment of His chosen leaders. Unless we are given an opportunity to be tested, our true character and commitment can never be authenticated. “A person has not shown true obedience if he or she has never had an opportunity to disobey.” Here, Jesus is led by the Spirit to confront the devil’s temptations to achieve His mission as the Son of God in the wrong way, at the wrong time and with the wrong motives. But as we will discover, Jesus does not give in or back down but confidently rebuts Satan’s crafty, misguided, and misquoted use of Scripture with His own biblical declarations of Truth, thereby validating His identity as the Son of God and proving that He is able to overcome the devil and his temptations. Ephesians 6:17 tells us that God’s Word is a “sword” that is useful in spiritual combat to resist the devil’s attacks.
First temptation (4:3) - “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Satan is tempting Jesus to use His divine power to satisfy His extreme physical hunger when he was most vulnerable, having fasted for 40 days and nights. The very thought of physical food bringing Him comfort must have been overwhelmingly enticing. But because Jesus had chosen to give up his unlimited use of divine power in order to fully experience humanity (Philippians 2:6-8), he refused to use His power to change the stones into bread. Jesus found contentment in waiting on God to satisfy His physical hunger and didn’t take matters into His own hands. Again, Satan can often tempt us to fulfill a perfectly normal need or desire but to do so in the wrong way or wrong time (e.g., indulging in premarital sex). Bottom line, Satan was tempting Jesus to doubt His Father’s love, protection, and provision for Him. Jesus responded by referencing Deuteronomy 8:3 which establishes the truth of God’s Word as our ultimate sustenance.
Second temptation (4:6) - “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down…” Taking Jesus to the highest point of the temple was strategic in Satan’s schemes as the temple served as the Jew’s religious center and the location where people expected the Messiah to arrive (Malachi 3:1). Satan’s tactical reference to Psalm 91:11-12 was a ploy to tempt Jesus to employ his angels in a spectacular rescue, thereby dazzling the surrounding community of people witnessing the feat. Even though Jesus knew that one day He would return to earth as King and be seen from the sky by the entire world, He knew that now was not the time. Nor was Jesus motivated by a desire to please or “wow” the crowd. He simply quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 saying, “You must not test the Lord your God.”
Third temptation (4:9) - “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.” Satan is tempting Jesus to worship him in exchange for control over the kingdoms of this world. Satan was exaggerating his implied power or he may have based his offer on his temporary control and free rein over the earth because of humanity’s sinfulness (see John 14:30 where Jesus refers to Satan as the “prince of this world” who has “no hold” over Him ). Satan is tempting Jesus to gain political control over the whole world without carrying out His ultimate plan to save the world from sin by dying on the cross for us. Again, Jesus affirms the truth of Scripture in quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only,” thereby refusing Satan’s temptation to assume control of the devil’s earthly kingdom .
