So I rode my bicycle for a year in 2010 from Canada to Columbia. And as part of that journey, I discovered that basically a billion people in the world didn't have access to clean drinking water. So I began this journey and did some higher level education and then on a series of trips with my friends in the last six years. That's all led us to this spot now we've become very interested in small scale decentralized desalinization projects. It's really the future.
I'm Ryan and welcome to today's Beach Doc. I want to help you understand every word of God in the word of God. God has so many amazing things. He wants to speak to me and wants to speak to you every single day. So I'm really glad that you can take the time to be with us today. And it's my prayer that God speaks to you through these speech talks. Our objective is simple. It's disciples making disciples who plant churches that plant churches.
So the movement of Jesus can continue all over the world. Now, Matthew chapter four verses one and two says that when Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights afterward, he was hungry. So after identifying with us through baptism, Jesus then identified with us through temptation. This was a necessary part of his ministry.
It was a remarkable contrast between the glory following his baptism and now the challenge of being tempted by the devil much like our lives. Jesus did not need to be tempted to help him grow. Instead, he endured temptation both so that he could identify with us. Now the Holy Spirit cannot tempt us in James one, but the Holy Spirit may lead us to a place where we will be tempted.
This is not to prove something to God who knows all things, but to prove something to us and the spiritual beings watching us. So temptation is a certainty for everyone. Yet Jesus's temptation was more severe. It was more severe because he was directly tempted by the devil while most of us just contend with his lesser demons. It was also much more severe in the sense that temptation, because it was relieved. Temptation can be relieved by giving in, yet Jesus never yielded.
Therefore, he bore levels of temptation most of us will never experience. Now, a lot of commentators believe it's improper in this section to refer to his temptation because the word perrazzo here is more often a more accurately translated testing instead of temptation. This word here has a different element in its meaning. It means to test far more than it means to tempt in our sense of the word. So more like Jesus is the great test.
Now, Martin Luther said, prayer, meditation, and temptation are the three best instructors of a minister. So Jesus had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and afterwards he was really hungry. Matthew points out the barren desert and Jesus's severe physical condition after such a fast, when the hunger pains return, often time that can be a sign of someone starving to death. So it was a miracle evident in the life of Moses and Elijah.
It was supernatural, but not beyond human capacity when enabled by the spirit of God. Now, 40 days and 40 nights, this is a familiar period of testing in the Bible, both in the days of Noah and in Israel as they went through the wilderness, and also for Jesus. This wasn't self-denial just for the sake of self-denial, or worse yet, for the sake of building spiritual pride. This was a period of forced dependence upon God.
Now, we remember he learned obedience through the things which he suffered, according to Hebrews 5. Now, verses three and four here says, now when the tempter came to him, he said, if you're the son of God, command that these stones become bread. But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Now, in our lives, it's not a question of when the tempter will come, but, or if he will come, but when he will come.
Temptation will be with us until we go to heaven. Now, we should consider the circumstances of Jesus's temptation. He was in an especially devout frame of mind. He was engaged in an act of public obedience to God. He was in an exceedingly humble frame of mind before his temptation. He was blessed by a heavenly assurance of God before this. God had said to him, this is my son, in whom I'm well pleased. He was completely separated from the world before his temptation.
The question asked by Satan is more literally, since you are the son of God, instead of if you are the son of God. Now, Satan did not question Jesus's deity. He challenged him to prove it or demonstrate it through miracles. So this was a temptation to use God's gift for selfish purposes. So Satan suggested that Jesus uses miraculous powers to provide food for himself. Now, we might say Jesus was being tested through his strength, through his gifts.
Would he allow his strengths to become traps, just like us? Now, Jesus didn't silently disagree with Satan. He answered him, and he answered him from the word of God. When Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8.3, Jesus shows that every word that proceeds from the mouth of God should be more precious to us than food itself. I really struggle with this one personally. Satan suggested, why starve yourself to death? But what is written makes even more sense.
It isn't that Jesus refused supernatural help in feeding himself. He was more than happy to eat what the angels brought him when the time of testing was over, Matthew 4. It wasn't a matter of refusing supernatural help. It was a matter of submitting to God's timing and will in all things. Now, it is written by relying on the power and truth of God's word. Jesus was willing to fight this battle as a man. He could have easily rebuked Satan into another galaxy.
But resisted him in a way that we can imitate and identify with. Jesus used scripture to battle Satan's temptation, not some elaborate spiritual power inaccessible to us. Jesus fought this battle as fully man, and he drew on no special resources that aren't available to us. He could have stood against Satan with a display of his own glory. He could have stood against Satan with logic and reason. Instead, Jesus used the word of God as a weapon against Satan and temptation.
So we effectively resist temptation in the same way that Jesus did by countering Satan's seductive lies by shining the light of God's truth on it. Now, if we're ignorant of God's truth, the word of God, and we're poorly armed, we'll lose this fight against temptation. In verses five and seven, it says the devil took him up to a holy city, put him on a pinnacle, and said, if you're the son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, he shall give his angels charge over you.
Now in their hands, they'll bear you up so that you don't put your foot against a stone. And Jesus said to him, it is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. Satan tempted Jesus to force the Father into a supernatural event. Jesus appealed to the desire within every man to sense approval from God and to have that approval be publicly demonstrated.
Now this pinnacle of the temple arose at 200 feet from the floor of the Kidron Valley, a leap from there in the appearance of angelic protection would have been a remarkable thing to see. But Jesus had this kind of spectacular demonstration at John's baptism right before this, and that must have seemed far away after 40 days of nights of fasting and not eating food. Jesus was modeling that we don't live from one high to the next.
For it is written, the devil can use that phrase also, we can trust that the devil has memorized the Bible himself as an expert at quoting it out of context to defeat us. I hear the devil quoted Psalm 91, took it out of context, basically to say, go ahead Jesus, if you do this, the Bible promises that God will just help you out of this situation, and won't that be great? Charles Spurgeon said, Satan borrowed our Lord's weapon.
It is written, but he did not use the sword lawfully, he left out the necessary words, in all thy ways. Thus he made the promise say what in truth it never suggested. Jesus understood from his knowledge of the whole counsel of God in Acts 20, that Satan was twisting this passage from Psalm 91. Jesus knew how to rightly divide the word of truth, 2 Timothy chapter 2. Sadly, many of us are willing to believe anyone who is not a Christian, anyone who quotes from the Bible today.
Anybody can say pretty much whatever they want, because we can cherry pick parts of the Bible to support what we already want, that's called proof texting. Now, it's important for each of us to know the Bible for ourselves, and to not be deceived by someone who quotes the Bible, but not accurately, or with the correct application. He said, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. Jesus replied with scripture, but applied it correctly.
He knew that attempting to force or manipulate God, to force such a demonstration would tempt God, which the scriptures forbid. Now this warns us against demanding something spectacular from God, to prove his love, or concern, or anointing, or favor on us. He loves us, and he showed that on the cross. He can't do anything more spectacular than dying on a cross for us.
Romans 8 and 10, I'm sorry, verses 8 and 10 says, again the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, all these things I will give you if you'll fall down and worship. Then Jesus said to him, away with you Satan, for it is written, you shall not worship the Lord your God. And you should serve him only. Essentially, this vision invited Jesus to take a shortcut around the cross.
Jesus came to win all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory back from Satan's domain. And Satan offers them to Jesus, if he'll only fall down and worship him. This was called a demonic shortcut. Evidently, Satan had authority over the world and its governments, like he does now. The temptation could not have been revealed unless there was a real sense that Satan does possess all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Of course, ultimately, all things belong to God.
But God allows Satan to be the god of the sage in 2 Corinthians 4, tells us this. This is why the fallen world is in the mess that it is. He says, away with you Satan, for it is written, Jesus replied with the scripture again, and commanded the devil to leave. In the same way, we can resist the devil and he will flee from us, according to James 4. Now, it worked for Jesus and it will work for us.
Now, the temptations of Jesus remind us that it's not a sin to be tempted as long as the temptation is resisted, even if it's horrible. Jesus was tempted to worship the devil, but he didn't do it. Now, verse 11 says, the devil left him and behold, angels came and ministered to him. This means Jesus won. Now, he won because he recognized Satan's mode of attack, lies and deception. Always lies, always deception.
But because Jesus had disarmed the demonic powers according to Colossians 2, but deception is extremely effective at leading us into sin and causing us to live lives of fear and unbelief. Now, Jesus showed the only effective counter to deception, it's God's truth, not man's wisdom. First, we must see temptation for what it is, the lie. Then we must combat the temptation with God's word. Then we must always build ourselves up in the truth and have it in our heart.
Now, each passage Jesus quoted back to Satan in this section comes from Deuteronomy 6-8. It's not unreasonable to suppose that Jesus was meditating on those very passages and he fought Satan with the fresh bread that he was feeding on in his heart. We should always make sure that we have some fresh bread from God and his word. Now, God never forsakes those who endure through temptation.
Even as angels came and ministered to Jesus, God will find a way to minister to us and meet our needs as we endure temptation. Verses 12 and 16 says that now when Jesus had heard that John had been put in prison, he departed from Galilee and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, like the ocean behind me.
In the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, then it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying, The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, the Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region, in shadow of death, light is dawned. Now, when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went to Galilee to begin his ministry in that region.
Now, from John's gospel, records an early ministry in Galilee and Judea before Jesus went to Galilee, as mentioned there. This early Judean ministry included the earliest call of the disciples and the wedding at Canaan and the first cleansing of the temple, followed by his interview with Nicodemus in Judea. Then John tells us what happened. Jesus traveled north to Galilee through Samaria and met a Samaritan woman at a well.
Now, the region of Galilee was a fertile, progressive, highly populated region, like California. According to figures from the Jewish historian Josephus, there were some three million people populating Galilee, an area smaller than the state of Connecticut. But Galilee was predominantly Gentile in its population, but with a large number of Jewish cities and citizens. Also, Galilee was known as an incredibly fertile place, with a lot of farms and a lot of agriculture over there.
It had great soil. Now, leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum. This was because the people rejected Jesus in his hometown, according to Luke 4. Now, this is significant that Jesus made his home in Capernaum and not in Nazareth. So, going to Jerusalem would have seemed like the smarter for career planning for the Messiah, but Jesus dwelt in Capernaum. As was his custom, Matthew sees Jesus' ministry in Galilee as a fulfillment of prophecy.
Light has come to this region, largely populated by Gentiles, in Isaiah chapter 9, predicted this of the ministry of the Messiah. Now, verse 17, from that time, Jesus began a preaching to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now, one might say that this was the main occupation of Jesus. He did heal and minister to many miraculously, but on the whole, it seems fair to say, that Jesus was a preacher and a teacher who healed more than a healer who also preached and taught.
This was the priority of Jesus' ministry, as stated in Matthew 4. Now, preach, the word in Greek is kerosene, which is the word for a herald's proclamation for a king. Now, kero in Greek is the word for herald, and the herald was the man who brought a direct message from the king. Now, the gospel Jesus began preached the same place that the gospel John preached began, with a call to repentance.
In fact, since Jesus waited until John had been put in prison, he probably saw himself as picking up where John left off, because Jesus would go further than John ever did, because John announced the coming of the Messiah. And Jesus is the Messiah. So, for the kingdom of heaven is a hand, now some people make distinctions between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God.
There actually seems to be no differences at all, especially in light of the Jewish custom of often not even naming God directly, but referring to him by the place where he lives in heaven, a custom that Matthew, a Jew writing to Jews, instituted in his writings. So, verses 18 and 20, Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
Then he said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them and immediately they left the boat and their father followed him. Jesus called them to leave their professions and follow him with a full-time commitment, just like he does with us.
Now, the fishing industry was prosperous and fishermen were not necessarily poor. These men had wealth. God usually calls people as they're busy doing something. He called them as they were casting their nets into the sea. David was keeping his father's sheep. He had a job. The shepherds were guarding their flocks. They had a job. Amos was farming. Matthew was working as a tax collector with the tax collector's table. Moses was tending his father-in-law's flock. Gideon was threshing wheat.
So, oftentimes, God will call us in the middle of one who are already busy. Now, it was customary at that time for a rabbi to have disciples. There was nothing cult-like about Jesus asking these people to be with him constantly and to learn from him. Now, in some aspects, Jesus offered them a traditional education at the feet of a rabbi. In other aspects, this was very different from a normal rabbinical education, but there was room for that.
Follow Me would immediately suggest the disciples of a rabbi who literally followed him around to absorb his teaching, though this was by their own choice. It wasn't forced. They immediately left their nets, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed them. The immediate response of these disciples is a great example to us. Then the first disciples did what all disciples of Jesus should do. They followed Jesus wherever he went.
Now, following Jesus means leaving some things behind us. That's what it means for us today. Now, verses 23 and 25, Jesus went about Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then his fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought to him the sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, paralytics, and he healed them.
Great multitudes followed him from Galilee and from the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Word got out that there was this teacher and this healer. Now, the customs of the synagogue in the day gave Jesus many opportunities to teach, because they would often give a visitor, especially a distinguished one, a chance to speak. Jesus took opportunity of this cultural distinction. Now, the difference between teaching and preaching is one of emphasis and manner, not content.
William Barclay points this out. He says that preaching is the uncompromising proclamation of certainties. Teaching is the explanation and meaning and significance of them. Now, Jesus' ability to heal those with all kinds of disease, different kinds of diseases demonstrates he has an authentic power over the damage done by the fall of man. His authority over demons and those who were demon-possessed shows he has authentic power over all of creation and great compassion.
It says that great multitudes followed him. Jesus had a purpose for allowing such dramatic miracles to attract great multitudes. He wanted to teach the multitudes, not simply impress them with miracles. So this wraps up our time today looking at Matthew 4. You know, maybe God's spoken to you through this today, and you'd like to pray. You'd like to say, hey, God, I would like to follow you the way these early disciples did, meaning that wherever you went, I went.
Maybe you'd like to pray that right now. Let's pray together. Just say, God, would you help me to follow you no matter where that means I end up? In Jesus' name, Amen. Now, I hope you'll join us tomorrow for the next chapter of Matthew. And as always, I hope you have a great day. Thank you for your time. We would love to partner with you. Water is a global problem. It's going to take as many partners as we can to help solve this problem.
We'd love for you to partner with us. You can go to our website at www.oceanwater.com. That's O-C-N-W-T-R dot com. We'd love that. Thanks a lot.