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Bible Study WELCOME TO AN IN DEPTH STUDY OF MATTHEW'S GOSPEL.

Jesus was circumcised as the Law of Moses thus fulfilling this law. But there was another ordinance of the Law that He fulfilled when He was Baptisted.
"But it was necessary on another account: Our Lord represented the high priest, and was to be the high priest over the house of God: - now, as the high priest was initiated into his office by washing and anointing, so must Christ: and hence he was baptized, washed, and anointed by the Holy Ghost. Thus he fulfilled the righteous ordinance of his initiation into the office of high priest, and thus was prepared to make an atonement for the sins of mankind."
http://biblehub.com/commentaries/clarke/matthew/3.htm
 
There is so very much in these verses ...
A short piece of Matt Henry...
Matthew 3:13-17 esword...

Our Lord Jesus, from his childhood till now, when he was almost thirty years of age, had lain hid in Galilee, as it were, buried alive; but now, after a long and dark night, behold, the Sun of righteousness rises in glory. The fulness of time was come that Christ should enter upon his prophetical office; and he chooses to do it, not at Jerusalem (though it is probable that he went thither at the three yearly feasts, as others did), but there where John was baptizing; for to him resorted those who waited for the consolation of Israel, to whom alone he would be welcome. John the Baptist was six months older than our Saviour, and it is supposed that he began to preach and baptize about six months before Christ appeared; so long he was employed in preparing his way, in the region round about Jordan; and more was done towards it in these six months than had been done in several ages before. Christ's coming from Galilee to Jordan, to be baptized, teaches us not the shrink from pain and toil, that we may have an opportunity of drawing nigh to God in ordinance. We should be willing to go far, rather than come short of communion with God. Those who will find must seek.

Matt Henry's full description of these verses are here The third long paragraph down...
 
reba said:
get these not these
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1) god wanted to reign over them and use a judge to administer the torah and matters of that nature.
2) they sought a king like unto the nations.
3) jesus is references as a king. one whom reigns justly. bringing isreal back to 1. and added the goy into that. he wasn't dethroned by that act of the isrealites but rather said you will cause much evil by lusting over a man. god used that to show that HE alone can reign perfectly.

the people were then his kingdom even though it had physical aspects. the lord has given us pastors right? does that mean the lord doesn't lead us ? he leads us far more then any man could.
the church, has buildings, locations and meeting times and yet is both physical and spiritual
more to follow on that.
 
Chopper said:
Tomorrow's Study: Day 22 Sunday 10/5/14 Matthew 4:1-4 The Tempter Came Because Jesus Was Hungry.
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Couple of different thoughts. Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days and nights. Moses was upon the Mountain of God in the midst of the wilderness for forty days and nights when the Lord spoke to him. Elijah was upon the Mountain of God in the midst of the wilderness for forty days and nights when the Lord appeared to him in a vision. I often wonder if the story of the temptation in the wilderness did not also occur on Mt Horeb, also known as the Mountain of God.

Second; It is written the man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And Jesus took the bread and did break it saying take, eat, for this is my body.... To live in the resurrection takes more than believing on the body of Jesus, the bread of Life; to live means to actively listen to the words that the Holy Spirit would teach you, for the Holy Spirit is the voice of God in our hearts.
 
Day 22 Sunday 10/5/14 Matthew 4:1-4 The Tempter Came Because Jesus Was Hungry.

Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Mat 4:4 But 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.

ezrider gave a good presentation of the "forty days". 40 is a number that we see quite often in holy writ.
The temptation of Jesus is a model for all serious Christians.
James 1:12 "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."
James 1:13 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man."

Many thoughts come to my mind about who ordered this temptation. My mind goes back to Job. Was there a similar challenge posed to God the Father by the tempter? Was this a prearranged testing of Jesus? Whatever it was, the Holy Spirit was involved in it because He is the one Who led Messiah into the wilderness. I don't see any evidence of where this wilderness is, although I like what ezrider pointed out in his post, it could have been near Mt. Horeb. The tempter, Satan himself, having such a victory over Adam, probably thought he could defeat Jesus as well. It never ceases to amaze me how bold Satan has been, and continues to be bold against God Himself and God's children. What really amazes me is that the evil one knows the Word of God. To what extent, I don't know. I guess that Satan is the architect of atheism. He and his followers have some knowledge of God but refuse to believe that God can do anything for or against them.

Jesus had fasted forty days and nights. Probably communing with His Father and the Holy Spirit. Having just begun His holy ministry, being baptized by John the Baptist, and having the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, anointing Him and proclaiming Him to be "My Son" for the work of His ministry, and now about to be tested in the realm of strict obedience to the will of the rest of the Trinity, Jesus communes with His Father about many aspects of His life on earth as a man of which He had never experienced.

After this long fast, Jesus was hungry. There was nothing around in this wilderness to satisfy His massive hunger. When He was communing with His Father during this fast, He probably was not conscious of eating food. He was satisfied with the food of close fellowship with His Father. Now comes a test of relying on His Father to provide the necessary refreshment to meet His bodily needs. Here is a great example of waiting on God to meet our needs when there is no source readily available. TRUST my friend is the greatest gift that any of us can give back to God. Elohim is delighted in the trust that we have in Him. The test of trust is when we are in a position of impossibilities of meeting a need. Trust is never tested, IMO, when everything is good....An example of trust: A friend of mine in College, Ron R. while he was in College was home for supper. The only food in the house was a couple of pieces of bread to feed his wife and two children. He divided the bread in four pieces and while he was thanking God for the food, a knock came at the door. When his wife opened the door, there was a steaming pot of stew, I think it was stew. It was Winter time and there was a snow storm. When Ron got up to look, there were no fresh foot prints in the snow, NONE! Wow! I'll never forget that story, I hope.

Satan tries to cause Jesus, the Son of God to not trust His Father for the provision of food to satisfy His hunger, by a miracle of changing the stones that looked like loaves of bread to actual bread. Jesus doesn't fall for it, praise His Name! He quoted Deut. 8:3. Every true Christian has to know the Word of God so that we can defeat the temptations of the evil one. Not only that but we must go back into the Hebrew Scriptures (O.T.) to see how Satan tempted Israel and her leaders especially when they were in the wilderness like Jesus was.
 
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Great notes, Chopper. Since I converted I have done a good deal of research and one of the best reports of God's provision during times of trouble I know of, I heard it was published, found the tale on the web and searched the phone number of the parents out and called to verify. As I promised the mother I have since tossed the info but it is one of the best witness' I know of God's provision.
The young couple gave birth to their second child, the prayed for, girl child, but at six months she was in great danger. They went home after a day or two... without her for she was in the incubator and neither were able to do more than to observe the small girl child of less than a pound.
Their constant prayer, until they took her home at over four pounds was that Jesus would hold her close to His heart until they could and, sure enough, the child prospered without any emergency problems.
Fast forward.
At four years of age, she played beneath the bleachers as her older brother practiced for a Little League Game in the Hot South Western afternoon. And as is customary for the region, the sun was working overtime to heat the afternoon air and that builds some of the greatest thunderstorms that cool the world and deliver a freshness all wish to remain forever.
As the billowing black clouds neared the Ball Park, the fresh, clean, winds stirred the park and the four year old, not yet in a Sunday School Class came out from under the bleachers to sit at her mom's feet and asked, "Momma, do you smell it?" And the mother told her, "Yes, it's going to rain." But the little girl, not satisfied with her answer said, "No, momma, can't you smell it?" Momma replied, "Smell what?" The child replied, "It smells like Jesus when He holds you."
The quotes are, likely, incorrect, it has been about twenty year but when I published the Christian Newsletter, the story headlined my website for a long time because it is true. I'm sure some of the ladies that cared for the nursery, like my wife and daughter, had done more than to baby-sit and had begun the little girl's Christian Education but it is so unlikely that they planted this story in her mind, anyway, I believed and still believe Jesus, God, provided in the time of great need.
The little girl was in the wildness with only God to hold her inside that lonely world encapsulated and isolated from her mom and dad.
 
Great story Bill. I always get goose bumps when I read of such miracles. God is so very good to us. His loving grace is unexplainable and precious.
 
Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6 And 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.
Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
 
We interrupt this Bible Study for a prayer request...:)

Chopper is struggling with his health. Please lets us join together in lifting Chopper before the Throne of God our healer..
 
Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Psa 91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
 
A segment of Matt Henry...
2.) An occasion of Satan's confusion. There is no conquest without a combat. Christ was tempted, that he might overcome the tempter. Satan tempted the first Adam, and triumphed over him; but he shall not always triumph, the second Adam shall overcome him and lead captivity captive. (3.) Matter of comfort to all the saints. In the temptation of Christ it appears, that our enemy is subtle, spiteful, and very daring in his temptations; but it appears withal, that he is not invincible. Though he is a strong man armed, yet the Captain of our salvation is stronger than he.
 
Day 23 Monday 10/6/14 Matthew 4:5-7 That Big Word "IF".

Matthew 4:5 "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,"

Now, this verse poses a few questions to my mind. How did the devil "Take" Jesus into Jerusalem. And, how did the devil "setteth" Jesus on the pinnacle of the Temple. I have studied about a half dozen writers on this subject, and it seems that each one has a different slant on these activities. So, I'm not going to comment on any one of them.

Here is what the doctrine of "Chopperism" says....It says in V.1 of our chapter, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." This is what I think the others missed. At the very beginning of this temptation, the Holy Spirit was right by Jesus' side. Apparently, the devil had the permission of the Father of Jesus to perform the three temptations. So, when the devil wanted Jesus in a different location, he could travel anywhere in the world by himself, it is not known that he could transport anyone else with him, so the Holy Spirit must have been the Agent of God to move Jesus from one spot to another.

There doesn't seem to be different opinions as to what city the devil took Jesus, it was the Holy City, Jerusalem. Now the "Pinnacle" has different interpretations.The following is what John Gill writes, which I like.

"and setteth him upon a pinnacle, or "wing of the temple". In this place (d) the Jews set James, the brother of Christ, and from it cast him down headlong: this was the ακρον "the summit", or "top" of it; and intends either the roof encompassed with battlements, to keep persons from falling off; or the top of the porch before the temple, which was 120 cubits high; or the top of the royal gallery, built by Herod, which was of such an height, that if a man looked down from it, he soon became dizzy."

I don't know why, but I favor the "porch" which was 120 cubits high, if it killed James, it would be a miracle for Messiah to survive such a fall.

Matthew 4:6 "And 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."

Certainly, this would be a great miracle! Everyone who witnessed this "fall" would certainly remember this verse, Psalm 91:11 "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." If they didn't remember, the devil probably would have had a priest recite it. What ever, Jesus would have gone against the will of His Father, and tempted Him. Also notice how the devil doesn't get the Scripture correct.

Matthew 4:7 "Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

I think The devil knows just enough to appear that he is just God's representative and has only good in mind for the one of whom he is conversing with. The problem is, he doesn't know enough of the Word of God to know of the restrictions. Or he knows them, just that he conceals them to trap the person. This Scripture says "It is written again" so this is the second time Jesus has used the proper usage of the Word, and is a reminder to the devil that this will be His defense, and should always be ours to have victory over the temptations of the devil. We should know enough of the Scriptures to use them against those fiery darts of the evil one.

There have been many times over the past years that I have remembered the warning not to temp the Lord. Such as saying that the Lord would do this or that. Or to say that a person would be healed if I prayed for them. To me, that puts God in a hard place because He loves me and doesn't want to embarrass me, but that would be demanding that God do something that it might not be His will to do it. To me, that is a part of tempting Him.
 
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