Chapter 4
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4But 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.
5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
12Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
18And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
21And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Overview
Immediately after His baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness where He fasts forty days and is tempted three times by the devil, overcoming each temptation with Scripture. After John is imprisoned, Jesus begins His public ministry in Galilee, preaching 'Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,' calling His first disciples — Peter, Andrew, James, and John — and healing all manner of disease throughout the region.
Key Themes
Victory Over Temptation
Where Adam and Israel both failed when tested, Jesus overcomes every temptation by the Word of God, proving Himself the faithful and obedient Son.
The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand
Jesus' opening proclamation announces that God's long-promised reign is breaking into the world through His own person and ministry.
The Call to Follow
The calling of the first disciples illustrates the radical, immediate, and total commitment that Jesus demands — leaving everything to follow Him.
Study Questions
How does Jesus' use of Scripture to resist the devil instruct us in our own approach to spiritual warfare and temptation?
Why does the devil tempt Jesus specifically with bread, spectacle, and worldly power, and how do these categories relate to temptations we face today?
What does it mean that Jesus 'was led up of the Spirit' into the wilderness to be tempted — why would God lead His Son into testing?
When Peter and Andrew 'straightway left their nets and followed him,' what does their immediate response teach about the nature of true discipleship?
How does Jesus' ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing reveal the comprehensive nature of the kingdom of heaven?
Connection to Christ
Jesus succeeds where Israel failed in the wilderness, proving Himself the perfect, obedient Son of God. His victory over Satan demonstrates that He has the authority and power to deliver His people from the dominion of evil. As He calls disciples and heals the sick, Jesus reveals that the kingdom of heaven has arrived in His very person.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Matthew 4. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?