February 26, 2026
Temptation - Part 4
Matthew 4:8-10
02/26/2026
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and
their glory.
9 And he said to him, ``All these I will give you,
if you will fall down and worship me.''
10 Then Jesus said to him, Be gone, Satan! For it is
written, ``You shall worship the Lord your God and
him only shall you serve.'' (ESV)
Jesus overcame the temptations of the flesh and the lure of
false doctrine
so to deliver His people from sin, death, and the power of the
devil. Last Sunday we prayed:
O Lord God; You led Your ancient people through the
wilderness and brought them to the promised land.
Guide the people of Your Church that following our
Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world
toward the glory of the world to come.
Hungry and weak from fasting forty days and forty nights,
Jesus nevertheless did not give in to the devil's temptations
concerning God's care for His creation. Jesus did not give in to
a false rendering of God's Word.
Now the devil goes to the heart of the matter. Jesus, as
true man, knew the pain and suffering which He would endure to
deliver mankind from sin and death. The devil appealed to Jesus
as man to avoid this pain even while obtaining power and glory in
this world.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their
glory. And he said to him, ``All these I will give
you, if you will fall down and worship me.'' Then
Jesus said to him, 11Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
`You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall
you serve.'''
The pain will end. The glory of this world will pass away.
The Word of the Lord endures forever. Nothing created can
replace the love, grace, and mercy of the almighty God.
May our Lord grant that we fear, love, and trust in Him
above all things. Amen.