Unshaken: Chapter a Day

Matthew 4 Discussion

• Pastor Plek

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Ever notice how temptation often strikes right after your spiritual high points? In Matthew 4, Jesus shows us this exact pattern when He moves from the exhilaration of baptism straight into wilderness testing. This fascinating chapter reveals Jesus as the true and greater Israel—where the nation failed during 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus succeeds during 40 days of intense temptation.

What weapons does Jesus deploy against Satan's attacks? Scripture—specifically, passages from Deuteronomy, a book many of us might skim past. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." This powerful insight reminds us that God's Word isn't just information; it's spiritual sustenance and our primary defense against temptation. When life's challenges come, having Scripture stored in your heart provides immediate access to divine wisdom and strength.

The chapter then shifts dramatically as Jesus begins His public ministry and calls His first disciples. Peter, Andrew, James, and John respond "immediately"—a word that resonates throughout the text. They drop their nets, boats, and even leave family behind to follow Jesus. This immediate obedience contrasts sharply with our tendency to delay spiritual commitments. As we discuss in this episode, "delayed obedience is disobedience." Jesus's promise to make them "fishers of men" reminds us that following Him isn't just about personal growth but about participating in His mission to draw others into relationship with God. Whether you're battling temptation or hearing God's call to new territory, this chapter offers practical wisdom for living as Christ's faithful disciples today. Listen, reflect, and consider: what is Jesus asking you to leave behind to follow Him more fully?

Pastor Plek:

And welcome back to a chapter a day. Keeps the devil away. I'm Pastor Plek, along with Pastor Holland, and we're talking Matthew, chapter 4, and if you break it down and you probably break another four sections you first got the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, then you got the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, then you got the calling of the first disciples and then Jesus ministering to great crowds. So it starts small, goes big. What were some observations that you made about this?

Pastor Holland:

text. One thing we mentioned in the last episode that would be yesterday, yesterday about Jesus as the true and greater Israel. He had just gotten baptized, in chapter 3. He passed through the water and now enters the wilderness. Yep, and it says he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. And you think of Israel being led by the pillar of fire by night and pillar of smoke by day in the wilderness?

Pastor Plek:

And yet their entire journey in the wilderness was marked by unbelief and doubting God's word and grumbling, whereas Jesus passes through the water of baptism and enters the wilderness and his time, instead of 40 years in the wilderness, he's 40 days in the wilderness Now, remember the 40 years of punishment for Israel was because of the 40 days that the spies were in the nation or in Canaan and they were supposed to come back, bring the report and then they were supposed to go attack and so the 40 days became 40 years because that was their punishment.

Pastor Holland:

So Jesus' report is this Now Jesus' 40 days, exactly, exactly. So he goes so good and in his 40 days in the wilderness we see him respond by trusting and obeying God's word when he gets hungry.

Pastor Plek:

He doesn't whine with the devil Right.

Pastor Holland:

He's like, yeah, I wish I could but God's so mean he won't let me. He's like man doesn't live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Well, the Israelites had bread and complained about it. Manna from heaven, you know bread from heaven and we're like man. This stuff sucks. I wish we were back in Egypt, and so Jesus is really seen as like. Here's what it looks like to be a true Israelite, a true human someone who really trusts and loves and obeys God.

Pastor Plek:

Love, that that's cool. Okay, here's some things I learned about people. People are vulnerable to temptation, even after spiritual highs. So you have this baptism, which is a pretty big deal. God's voice comes and speaks to Jesus publicly, which of course, he didn't need that, but for any normal person, that's a big deal to have the voice of God speak to you about how loved you are. And then immediately temptation follows that. And we've said this as pastors that usually on your highest high, which is always around the Easter timeframe, I preach about the resurrection, that the spiritual attack, or temptation comes immediately after that. So, people, if Jesus faced temptation, how much more would you not, being the son of God, also be susceptible?

Pastor Holland:

to temptation? Yeah, exactly. And then you can look at, remember our you mentioned this, but our observation, interpretation is what does this teach about God? What does it teach about people? Well, you look at, what did Jesus do when he was faced with temptation? He says it is written. It is written. He quotes scripture. What books of the Bible does he quote, chris? Deuteronomy and Leviticus. Psalms Psalms Close. He does love Leviticus too, though Deuteronomy and Psalms are the most quoted books of the Bible by Jesus. Of course, of course, we all knew that. Yeah, yeah, I just wanted to see if you knew. Right, got to keep each other on our toes here, and so which is funny, because for a lot of people, deuteronomy, you know, is one of those books that you go skip-a-roo and let's you know Jesus did not skip. You know what?

Pastor Plek:

chapter he quoted from. Deuteronomy 8. And Deuteronomy 30. Yes, that's right. Do not test the Lord, your God.

Pastor Holland:

That's right, boom, you know, you just got to have. Like Deuteronomy 8 was the man shall not live by bread alone. Yeah, and so from all through De Deuteronomy, you know, I think a lot of people are like oh man, that's Old Testament law. That's not interesting, man. What an awesome book of the Bible. Jesus' favorite book of the Bible, based on how much he quoted it.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, let's go with his fave. So you know an interpretation there is that leads into an application. Right, what does this teach us about God and people? God's word is useful for battling temptation, and even the books of the Bible, like Deuteronomy, that people tend to skip. And so boom, it move into an application you know. For me is memorizing scripture, storing it up in your heart so that when the temptation comes, you got an answer for the enemy. I like that.

Pastor Plek:

Here's another interpretation I got People are called to leave everything behind to follow Jesus.

Pastor Holland:

Peter, andrew, james and John left their nets, boats and even dad, and the word that stuck out to me is immediately, immediately, delayed obedience is Disobedience, and boom.

Pastor Plek:

I think there's a part of us that needs to understand that, when we go, I'll get to that. I. I think there's a part of us that needs to understand that, when we go, I'll get to that I will stop sleeping with my girlfriend or living in sin after we're married. Stop now.

Pastor Holland:

Follow Jesus immediately would be the application point there. That's right, that's a good one, yeah.

Pastor Plek:

So let's talk about some of the application points here for us. I love. I think one that you just kind of pulled up is the example to follow is Jesus's knowledge of God's word. You've got to know God's word to apply God's word, Right. So even if it's Deuteronomy 8, Deuteronomy 30, or one of the Psalms, we need to know God's word and have a regular intake of following and knowing God's word. That's right. What's another application you got? So the?

Pastor Holland:

the immediately you know, immediate obedience. Um, if there's something you feel like, uh, the Lord is speaking to you through his word, even from this chapter, right now, don't put it off. Obey God right now. Yeah, um, cause that's a big one, I think. And the other one for me is uh, when Jesus says follow me, I'll make you fishers of men, I love that man. Here's an application Go fishing, go tell some people about Jesus, go draw some people in to know God and share the good news that he changed your life.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, and remember, he's the one who tells us I will make you Jesus is the one acting on the you to be a fisher of men. All it takes is for you to follow him.

Pastor Holland:

That's right, okay, I'm personally. I've invited my neighbor to come to my community group tomorrow night, you know, and a Buddhist who has rejected the gospel, and yet I'm praying for her and inviting her, and so I'm trying to go fishing right now in my neighborhood.

Pastor Plek:

Well, I'd love to hear that. Yeah, all right, we'll see you tomorrow on a chapter a day.

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