The Temptation of Jesus Jesus gave us an example of how to use God s Word when we are tempted. (Matthew 4:1-11) After being baptized, Jesus was led immediately into the wilderness by the Spirit of God to face the Devil for forty days of continual Pre-Session Warm Up temptation. Jesus resisted the devil s attempts by quoting a relevant verse from scripture. Satan s intention in the temptations was to make How do we know which behaviors are right and wrong? Who decides? Christ sin so that God s plan of redemption through a sinless sacrifice [Teacher, discuss the laws of the land, the authority of parents, the would be stopped. rules at school and even the unwritten cool rules of friends.] Is it always wrong to lie? Why? Why not? Matthew 4:1 The Bible contains the truth about right and wrong because it contains God s words. It contains absolute truth. It tells us that certain behaviors are always wrong. God gave these laws to help us, not to make life difficult. They teach us about the best way to live our lives. Why is it sometimes hard to follow its good directions? Opening Prayer Father, as we study the Bible this morning, I pray that You would help us to increase in our love for Your Word and our ability to use it for every circumstance that comes into our lives. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Memory Verse For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Lesson How many of you can quote verses from God s Word? [Teacher, allow children to quote verses they have memorized.] It is important to memorize God s Word because God s enemy, the Devil, tempts us to do wrong. The devil wants us to trust in ourselves or others to satisfy our needs. What can we do when the Devil tempts us? If the Lord Jesus is your Savior, God will use His Word to help you resist temptation. God wants us to trust Him to meet our needs. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The Devil wanted the Lord Jesus to disobey God the Father. It was impossible for the Son of God to sin, but He had to endure until the tests were completed. Through the temptation, the Lord Jesus again showed that He was exactly who He claimed to be. Matthew 4:2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. The Devil began tempting Jesus to sin after He had fasted and was very hungry. Who knows what fasting is? Fasting is when you give up eating food so that you can spend more time with God. Matthew 4:3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. Satan knew that Jesus was really hungry, so the first thing he did was challenge Jesus to turn some stones into bread. But Jesus resisted Satan s temptation. He knew it was wrong to listen to the Devil. It was necessary for Jesus to be tempted by the Devil so that he could really know what it is like when we suffer and are tempted (Hebrews 2:17). And, because Jesus is our example, we know that it is possible Life of Christ Start of Ministry: Lesson #7 Page 31
The Temptation of Jesus Matthew 4:1-11 for the Holy Spirit to give us the power to choose the right and godly thing to do, just like He gave Jesus power to resist Satan. God s plan was that His Son, during His time as a man, be totally dependent on the Father (Hebrews 10:5-7). Satan was trying to get Jesus to act independently of His Father by getting Jesus to satisfy His own hunger apart from God the Father s help. Did you know that the Devil will tempt you, too? Satan hates God and he hates God s children. He tempts us by trying to cause us to sin. Can you think of some ways the Devil has tempted you? [Teacher, allow the children to respond.] It is not sin to be tempted, but it is sin to give in to the wrong things Satan wants us to do. But the good news is that you can use God s Word to help you resist temptations. Resisting Satan means to say No to sin and make godly choices. God will give you the strength to say No to Satan. Satan was trying to cause Jesus to disobey His Father by tempting Him to turn the stones into bread. But Jesus used God s Word to tell Satan No. Matthew 4:4 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. God s Word tells you what is right and wrong. Jesus believed God s Word and quoted it to Satan. Then Satan took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and tempted Him to prove He was God the Son by throwing Himself down. Matthew 4:5-6 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you. Matthew 4:7 Jesus said to him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. Next Satan took Him to the top of a very high mountain where he showed Him the nations of the world and all their glory. Matthew 4:8-9 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 will fall down and worship me. Jesus resisted Satan. In a powerful voice, full of command, Jesus said, Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve. This was the third time Jesus had said No to Satan. Each time He used the Word of God just like a soldier uses a sword in battle. God s Word has the power to keep you from sin. Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Jesus was victorious and Satan left. God sent angels to help and strengthen Jesus after His struggle against evil. Jesus used God s Word to defeat Satan! God s Word has an answer for every test or problem you have. That is why we should learn as much as we can about the Bible. Satan is real. He is out to cause us to sin. Jesus won the victory and He will give you the victory, too. Satan was trying to get Jesus to misuse His power to impress the people. But Jesus used God s word again, like a sword against Satan. Page 32 Life of Christ Start of Ministry: Lesson #7
Matthew 4:1-11 The Temptation of Jesus Closing Prayer Father, please give us a desire in our hearts to learn and memorize Your Word. We want it to be tucked away inside our hearts for those times when Satan tempts us to sin. Then give us the strength we need to say No to sin. Help us to make wise choices as we live our daily lives. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen Learning Activities Craft Corner Swords: Supplies needed: cardboard, scissors, paint or aluminum foil. Use the sword pattern on page 35. Read Hebrews 4:12. This verse compares the Bible to a sword. Jesus used Scriptures as His sword to fight against Satan s attacks. Have the students make swords out of cardboard. They may paint them or cover them with aluminum foil. Talk about how swords were used in medieval times for protection against enemies. The swords the students make will remind them that the Word of God is for their protection, and for a weapon against Satan. To carry this idea further, use the sword as a memorization tool. Let the students attach fake gems to their swords for each Scripture verse they memorize. Keep the swords for use throughout the unit. After completing the sword, have students write a short prayer asking God to help them defeat temptation. Game Center Matching Game Make cards for the following to use in a matching game. Match each temptation with the verse that can help you resist it: Answers to Temptations Anger Temptation Colossians 3:8 Verse Being Mean Romans 12:17-18 Disobeying authorities 1 Peter 2:13 Disobeying parents Ephesians 6:1 Fighting back Luke 6:27 Keeping offering money 2 Corinthians 9:7 Lying Stealing Stealing Swearing Sword Drills Zechariah 8:16 Ephesians 4:28 Exodus 20:15 Exodus 20:7 Use these verses to teach the students how to find Bible verses. All students must begin with Bible closed. Call out a Scripture reference and the first student to find it will read the verse to the rest of the class. You may want to direct attention to the Contents page in the front of their Bibles to help them locate hard-to-find books. Or, use the following review questions in a game of your choice: Review Questions 1. After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him out into the desert wilderness. What happened to Jesus there? (For 40 days Satan came and tempted Jesus to sin.) Life of Christ Start of Ministry: Lesson #7 Page 33
The Temptation of Jesus Matthew 4:1-11 2. Why did Satan want Jesus to sin? (Satan wanted Jesus to sin because this would disqualify Him as a sinless Savior.) 3. What would have happened if Jesus had followed Satan? (If Jesus would have had sin of His own, He would not have been able to take the punishment for our sins.) 4. Why was Jesus able to overcome the temptations? (Jesus did not sin because He is God, and He is perfect.) 5. Why does the devil tempt you to sin? (To ruin my friendship with Jesus and make me feel as if God doesn t love me.) 6. How did Jesus overcome each of Satan s temptation? (When Satan tempted Him to sin, Jesus quoted Scripture.) 7. Recite the memory verse. 8. Name three sins children your age might be tempted to do. (Stealing, making fun of or being mean to someone, disobeying parents, lying.) 9. What is one way you can overcome Satan s temptations to make you sin? (We can overcome temptations by: prayer, quoting Bible verses, saying No to what is wrong, etc.) Page 34 Life of Christ Start of Ministry: Lesson #7
Matthew 4:1-11 The Temptation of Jesus Life of Christ Start of Ministry: Lesson #7 Page 35
The Temptation of Jesus Matthew 4:1-11 Page 36 Life of Christ Start of Ministry: Lesson #7