Author: Bill Hall

13-16: Jesus’ move to Nazareth was a fulfillment of prophecy like many of his other actions. Isaiah 9:1-2 tells us that those in this region would see a great light, and Jesus is that light.

Personal Journal Entry #12131
Prayer Journal Entry #12131
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 21:1-23:32
Praise Journal Entry #12091: Heavenly Father, thank You for the amazing prophecies in Your Word fulfilled by Christ. It is so great to be confident of the Truth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

12: It was at this time that Jesus’ ministry began in earnest. John’s mission was more or less complete, so it was now time for Christ’s ministry to begin.

Personal Journal Entry #12130
Prayer Journal Entry #12130
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 17:1-20:8
Praise Journal Entry #12090: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your guidance. No matter what some may say, You guided Christ throughout his ministry. You guide us as well. Thank You for leading our steps one step at a time. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

11: The devil had no options left. He had to run. Obviously, the time of testing that the Spirit had led Christ into was now over. This is why the angels came to him.

Personal Journal Entry #12129
Prayer Journal Entry #12129
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:43
Praise Journal Entry #12089: Heavenly Father, thank You for always knowing just when we need You most. Your comfort is always right on time. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

10: Of course, Satan’s mission is to leave God out of the picture altogether. This was obvious to Christ. No matter what power the devil might try to give him, Almighty God would have nothing to do with it. The second Jesus began to worship the devil, he would become, like the rest of the devil’s kingdom, as slave to him. Thus, Jesus responds with Deuteronomy 6:13. He put the focus back on God, and the worship and service that he deserves.
What is interesting to note as well is Jesus’ statement before the quotation. He very strongly commands the devil to go away. Jesus knew the devil was finished with his normal group of tricks. Anything more would be tossed out of the same bag. Also, this final temptation was quite direct and arrogant. Jesus would not be a party to someone suggesting the worship of anyone but the Lord God Almighty.

Personal Journal Entry #12128
Prayer Journal Entry #12128
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 12:1-14:17
Praise Journal Entry #12088: Heavenly Father, You would deserve our worship regardless of Your response to it. However, we know that You reward those who diligently seek after You. Praising You is an exercise of the natural focus of our being. It causes us to be in harmony with Your will and ways. Father, help me to worship You at all times. Thank You for Jesus and the gospel of salvation through him. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

9: Much confusion has arisen over this verse. This is due to Satan’s claim to have the right to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world. Satan speaks as if, as he is recorded in Luke’s gospel, he has complete right to dispose of these as he will. However, just as Satan’s presentation of the kingdoms was a phony, so his rule is a phony. Satan does indeed hold sway over the kingdoms of this world, and much of the people in it. But, this is a conditional rule. He has no natural right. Almighty God is the unconditional ruler of all the universe, including this world. The devil has only a conditional and temporary rule here on earth. He could offer Jesus only what he had. Those who are not servants of God are automatically in the devil’s jurisdiction and power. Jesus could only take part in this kind of kingdom if he, as men who love not God, worshiped the devil. In other words, God has given control of those who worship the devil over to the devil. This control is all he has, and all he can offer.

Personal Journal Entry #12127
Prayer Journal Entry #12127
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 9:1-11:47
Praise Journal Entry #12087: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wisdom and Sovereign control of Your universe. I know it all fits in the palm of Your hand. You are so much greater than we could ever imagine. Thank You for keeping the devil in check and giving us the hope of eternity. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

8: In this verse we have two seemingly impossible circumstances. First, as we see here in Matthew, all the kingdoms of the world were shown from the top of one mountain. This is not as impossible as one might think. All of the kingdoms of note in that time were in mostly the same part of the world. The Western Hemisphere, however, could not conceivably have been seen at all from a mountain in the Eastern Hemisphere. What mountain was used we cannot know.
Second, in the Luke’s gospel this showing of the kingdoms is said to have been done in only a moment of time. Surely such a show would take longer. How then can these two impossibilities be dealt with?
We have in our day something that would make sense out of this. It has become plain in recent years especially that the devil is a showman. He will ‘virtually’ do many things, though he is literally limited. A person today could be shown every kingdom of the world, and the most glorious parts of them, in a fairly short period of time. This could be accomplished through Television.
It seems likely that the mountain and the speed of the presentation were both meant to impress Christ, but were more of the same superficial tricks that the devil is so good at. These tricks make the devil look to have more power than he actually does. This is likely exactly what is going on in this verse.

Personal Journal Entry #12126
Prayer Journal Entry #12126
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40
Praise Journal Entry #12086: Heavenly Father, thank You for being real and genuine. The devil is such a trickster! Help us to, as Jesus did, see through his schemes. Thank You for being good and true, not a fake. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

7: Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 as a response to the devil’s second attempt. By this verse Jesus shows that it is wrong to try to use God’s power for one’s own personal gain.

Personal Journal Entry #12125
Prayer Journal Entry #12125
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 6:1-81
Praise Journal Entry #12085: Heavenly Father, help us to honor You in every thing. You are worthy of all honor, glory, and praise. Our lives should be lived for the sole purpose of bringing to You all the glory. Thank You for Your greatness. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

6: This temptation was based upon a misquotation of Scripture. The devil pulled it out of context and omitted a reference to the ways of the one the passage is speaking to. It is found in Psalm 91:11-12. Satan knows the Word of God, but he seeks to use it for his own ends. To do so, he must twist it.
If Jesus had thrown himself down from the temple he would have been falling into the trap of giving the Jewish leaders the sign they wanted. God the Father did not intend for this to be done. To do so would have been disobedience.

Personal Journal Entry #12124
Prayer Journal Entry #12124
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 4:1-5:26
Praise Journal Entry #12084: Heavenly Father, although it astounds us greatly, the example of Your Son’s obedience is so encouraging. One in his position would surely think to break away from Your mold. But, Christ did not, and would not. Help each of us to see the beauty of Your ways, and to submit to them. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

5: This is the temple in Jerusalem. It is best to take this literally. Jesus was literally taken to this spot. It need not be supposed that Satan, by his own power alone, took him to this place. Satan does not normally have licence to move people about in this manner. Thus, it should be seen as allowed by the Spirit, and thus, under his supervision.

Personal Journal Entry #12123
Prayer Journal Entry #12123
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 2:1-3:24
Praise Journal Entry #12083: Heavenly Father, Your provision and plan are so perfect! You always know what is best. You cannot be outdone. Thank You for Your faithfulness and kindness to us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

4: Jesus’ quote from Deuteronomy 8:3 immediately renders Satan’s trap useless. It shows it for the lie that it is. If God had not provided material food at that moment, it did not at all mean that Jesus was not his Son. God’s purposes, and the Word of God that goes with them, are to be the supply of the righteous, not mere bread. Jesus was well aware of the fact that Satan knew he had the power to make the stones into bread. But, he also understood that food wasn’t really the issue at all. Satan was trying to get him to act independently from the intentions of the Father. This Jesus would never do.

Personal Journal Entry #12122
Prayer Journal Entry #12122
Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 24:1-1 Chronicles 1:54
Praise Journal Entry #12082: Heavenly Father, Your loving care for us is evident in Your plans for us. You always do what is best. Your ways are always in our best interest. Your purposes are glorious. You are worthy of all our praises. May we, as Christ did, always recognize the perfectness of Your will. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.