THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS. -- Matthew 4:1-11. GOLDEN TEXT. --_ He is able to succor them that are tempted._ -- Hebrews 2:18. TIME. --A. D. 26, forty days after the baptism of the Lord. PLACE. --Supposed to be west of the Jordan,. mountain region called Quarantania. HELPFUL READINGS. -- Mark 1:12-13;... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE HAD FASTED FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS. Moses and Elijah each fasted for the same length of time. It was no doubt. period of spiritual exaltation, of meditation and prayer. It was. period of preparation for his work, and it is hardly probable that he felt the need of food. When the mind and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE TEMPTER CAME TO HIM. He chose the hour of weakness for his great assault, the hour of physical exhaustion, after his great spiritual season, the hour when hunger asserted itself most keenly. The tempter always craftily chooses the time when he will beset those he would destroy. IF THO... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS WRITTEN (Deuteronomy 8:3), MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE. The Lord uses the sword of the Spirit in his reply. The word quoted, found in Deuteronomy 8:3, should be used in its connection, in order to comprehend its force. It is addressed by Moses to the children of Israel, who hungered for... [ Continue Reading ]
II. THE SECOND TEMPTATION. 5. THEN THE DEVIL TAKETH HIM INTO THE HOLY CITY. What way the devil took him, whether bodily or in spirit, to the temple we are not told, and it would be in vain to inquire. Whichever be true it was doubtless. suggestion that for the Lord to cast himself down thus, in th... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING THEE. The devil can also quote Scripture and in, this instance appears in the guise of. very religious personage, but like many perverters of Scripture who profess to be very religious, he is. garbler of the Scripture and in quoting this passage leaves out... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD. Again the Savior replies in the words of Scripture, this time quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16. There is no argument, but. simple reply that shows what is asked is forbidden. Yet those who profess to be religious are sometimes ready to do the very thing Satan ask... [ Continue Reading ]
III. THIRD TEMPTATION. In the first two temptations the devil comes as. deceiver, apparently seeking proof that Jesus was truly the Son of God, quoting Scripture, and in religious guise. In the third he throws off the vail and appears as the Prince of this world, the rival of God for the worship of... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THESE THINGS WILL. GIVE THEE. All disguise is laid aside. Satan claims to be. Prince of the world and the disposer of human kingdoms. Jesus came to be. King but the pathway to the crown is weary, painful, beset with thorns, and wet with tears and blood. Satan proposes an easier way. He will ral... [ Continue Reading ]
GET THEE HENCE, SATAN. Since the tempter was revealed Jesus rebukes him severely. The word, "Get thee hence," "Begone," expresses abhorrence of the proposal. The adversary is called by name and bidden to depart. Then his reason is added, in the words of Scripture, found in Deuteronomy 6:13. THOU S... [ Continue Reading ]
IV. MINISTERING ANGELS.- 11. THEN THE DEVIL LEAVETH HIM. Luke adds, "for. season," for the defeated enemy was not ready to give up the conflict, was. chief counsellor among the enemies of Christ. When the devil is resisted he always flees. He is bold to attack only those who give him. welcome. AN... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IN GALILEE. -- Matthew 4:17-25. GOLDEN TEXT. --_ The people which sat in darkness saw great light._ -- Matthew 4:16. TIME. --A. D. 28, more than. year after the last lesson. In the second year of the Lord's ministry. PLACES. --Galilee, Capernaum, the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. HEL... [ Continue Reading ]
II. FISHERS OF MEN. 18. AND WALKING. He was probably on his way from Nazareth, from which place he had been driven away, to Capernaum. If he had already been at Capernaum he would not have waited till the Sabbath before healing Peter's wife's mother.--_ Peloubet._ SEA OF GALILEE. So named from th... [ Continue Reading ]
FOLLOW ME, AND. WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN. The Lord had already called them to be his disciples, at Bethabara, after the temptation. He now calls them to. preparation for the apostleship. Fish in the waters are as sinners in the world. It is the preacher's art so to bait the hook of divine truth... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY STRAIGHTWAY LEFT THEIR NETS. The words seem to suggest, as their immediate and strict sense, that the fishermen thus summoned left their nets lying where they were, without waiting to deposit or secure them.--_ J. A. Alexander._ FOLLOWED HIM. That is, from this time, they were constant follo... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES THE SON OF ZEBEDEE. James (same as Jacob). He was. son of Zebedee; his mother's name was Salome. Compare Matthew 27:56, with Mark 15:40. He probably resided at Bethsaida; joined Jesus, with his brother John, at the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:21); is never mentioned in the gospels except in con... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY LEFT THEIR FATHER. All of these had already been directed to Jesus and attended his footsteps. See John 1:29-42. "There is. nearer conjunction between Christ and the faithful than there is with father and mother. Of them we have. being in nature; but of Christ,. being in grace; of them our bei... [ Continue Reading ]
III. THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. 23. AND JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL GALILEE. In the next three verses are condensed the labors, preaching and journeying of. long period, of which the detailed account is given in the subsequent Chapter s. Jesus first offered the gospel to Judea and remained. number of months, u... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS FAME WENT THROUGHOUT ALL SYRIA. Thus every miracle, besides relieving its immediate subject, and disposing him and all who saw it to the reception of the truth, helped to make our Lord more generally known, and to excite. spirit of inquiry with respect to him and his religion.--_ J. A. Alexande... [ Continue Reading ]
GREAT MULTITUDES FROM GALILEE. The fame of his teaching and miracles caused great multitudes to gather from all Palestine. The accounts elsewhere given confirm this statement. GALILEE. The northern part of Palestine. DECAPOLIS. A district containing ten cities east of the Jordan and the Sea of... [ Continue Reading ]