4. JESUS IS TEMPTED INTO SIN (Matt.4:1-11)
BACKGROUND: Satan tempted Eve in the paradise and caused her fall into sin. In the same way he tempted God's people during the 40 years in the wilderness, and made them fall over and over again. Satan has tempted every one of us and caused us to sin many a time. Jesus, too, had to be tempted because he was a real man and a representative of mankind.
- Imagine that you had to spend one and a half month all alone in a desert, eating nothing, meeting no one. What do you think would be worst for you in that situation?
- What do you think was the physical and spiritual state of Jesus after 40 days of fasting?
- Compare your temptations with the temptations of Jesus. What is the
difference?
- We often think of the Holy Spirit as leading a believer to fullness of life. Why, then, did he lead Jesus to the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil
(vs.1)?
- Why does the Holy Spirit lead us also to a situation where we are tempted by the
Devil?
- The first temptation concerns our basic needs: hunger, thirst, sexual needs, need for safety etc
(vs.3-4). Why would it have been a sin if Jesus had acquired something to eat by changing stones into
bread?
- Do you think that a human being can live by the Word of God alone, without his basic needs having been fulfilled
(vs.4)? Please, give an honest answer and give also your reasons.
- The second temptation concerns our relationship with God (vs.5-7). What could Jesus have proved to the world if he had jumped down from the top of the temple and got away with it?
- In which form does the second temptation come into our lives?
- The third temptation concerns the object of our faith. Does Satan speak the truth in verse 9? Give your reasons.
- What would the world perhaps have gained temporarily if Jesus had done as Satan tempted him to do?
- What temporary gain can we get if we bow down before gods and lords other than the living
God?
- What was Jesus' weapon when he was fighting with the Devil?
- What is your weapon when fighting against temptations and sins?
- Jesus won the battle against Satan. Why was he then punished by a death sentence, which was prescribed only for those who have lost their battles?
- What kind of God would Jesus have been, if he had not been tempted?
- What kind of a Christian would you be, if you had not been tempted?
GLAD TIDINGS: The leader reads Hebr.2:18.
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