Below are some preliminary questions to assist in the study of this passage. For a comprehensive study of the passage, download the Study Guide (PDF download).
1. What did Jesus witness as soon as He came up out of the water after being baptized? See Mark 1:10-11 (printed below)
Immediately after coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open, and the Holy Spirit descending upon him in the form of a dove. (11) voice was heard out of heaven, You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased. (Mark 1:10-11)
Jesus saw the heavens being torn open and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. Then a voice out of heaven testified, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” God the Father was bearing witness to His pleasure with His obedient Son.
2. What happened to Jesus immediately after His baptism? See Mark 1:12-13 (printed below) What do you think was the reason for this?
Then the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. (13) For forty days he was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. He was among the wild beasts, but the angels ministered to him. (Mark 1:12-13)
After His baptism, the Holy Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness where He was tempted, or tested, by Satan. God allowed Satan to test Jesus in order to verify, or prove, Jesus’ obedience and thereby demonstrate that Jesus truly is the beloved obedient Son of God.
3. According to Matthew 4:2-3 (printed below), what was Jesus’ physical condition when the tempter came to Him? What did the tempter suggest that Jesus do?
After he had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (3) Then the tempter came and said to him, Since you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread. (Matthew 4:2-3)
After Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights, and was absolutely famished, it was then that the tempter approached Him. The tempter suggested that Jesus turn the stones into bread. In other words, the tempter was counseling Jesus to meet His own needs rather than trust God to take care of Him.
4. What were the next two temptations? See Matthew 4:5-9 (printed below).
Then the devil took him into the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. (6) He said to him, Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; for it is written, He shall put his angels in charge of watching over you; and, They shall hold you up with their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (7) Jesus said to him, Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. (8) Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. (9) He said to him, I will give you all these things, if you will bow down and worship me. (Matthew 4:5-9)
In the second temptation the devil challenged Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple. He was challenging Jesus to be careless and foolish with His life, trusting that God would take care of Him no matter what He did. In the third temptation the devil offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would bow down to him. In other words, he was suggesting that Jesus could take the easy way, receiving the kingdom and the glory by bowing to the devil rather than by enduring the cross.
5. How does Jesus answer each one of the devil’s temptations? See Matthew 4:4,7,10 (printed below)
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)
Jesus said to him, Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. (Matthew 4:7)
Then Jesus said to him, Go away, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. (Matthew 4:10)
Each time the devil presents Him with a temptation, Jesus responds by quoting an appropriate passage of Scripture. The Scriptures reveal the will of God and counteract the false counsel offered by the devil.
