Preacher’s Notes: A “How To” on Exegetical Preaching

Just over a month ago I noted that while I’ve linked several times to Michael Newnham, aka Phoenix Preacher at Thinking Out Loud, he had never appeared here at C201. Well, the post we chose wasn’t actually Michael’s own writing, and last week, while reading through several of his Weekend Word posts at his blog Phoenix Preacher, I knew I had to fix this.

Some people end up in fairly heated discussions over the merits of exegetical/expository* (verse-by-verse) preaching versus topical (selected related passages) sermons. I believe there are advantages to both, but opinions on this can get quite passionate, so we’ll leave it there.

Imagine that you had an opportunity to see the pastor’s notes. That’s what his Weekend Word series is all about. Whether it’s phrase-by-phrase or verse-by-verse, there is so much more to be said about each section. My next challenge was choosing which one among his recent posts to use, since they are all informative. I decided to go with one from three weeks ago — click the title below — and then leave you with links to two more from the same chapter of Matthew.

Oh remember…these are his rough notes in point form!

The Weekend Word

Matthew 4:1-11

The Temptation of Jesus

So much of the world doubts the existence of Satan. Have we lost a sound doctrine of Satan?

When you talk about Satan, you must talk about hell – and since everyone is going to heaven … well that is a fly in the ointment.

So Jesus was baptized – Heaven opened up and a grand declaration is made! What should happen next? Cake – Balloons – A post baptism party?

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

• You would think, Jesus of all people, would be raptured right up to heaven.
• The last verse of ch 3 “my beloved son…”
• And Satan says “oh yay??? Let’s see.
• Why led by the spirit? Deut 8:2
• “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.”
• This is not accidental – Jesus did not come out of the waters of the Jordan, get confused and make a wrong turn and say “darn, how did I end up here in the wilderness.
• We have seen this with the Israelites in the desert. In a way Jesus is reenacting their wilderness time.
• The Israelites did not succeed at all – in fact only 2 of the original travelers went into the Promised Land.
• Jesus is now Israel reduced down to one – Jesus accomplishes what Israel could not do – the salvation of the world.
• What about us? This is what happens to all the baptized.
• Now you begin to fight against the devil. Now the target is on your back.
• The Christian does not go onto the battlefield – the Christian becomes the battlefield.
• How is this played out in the Holy Baptism liturgy? When the pastor asks, “Do you renounce the devil and all of his works and all of his ways?”
• Is the devil happy to hear an affirmative response?
• After baptism, we & are standing in the wilderness – with the devil prowling around like a roaring lion seeking to devour you – the baptized believer.

2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

• For any of you fasters – what is your longest fast?
• He fasted 40 days and 40 nights
• If you were a Jew you would fast 40 days but not at night
• See how the Muslims fast at Ramadan.
• 40 days and 40 nights … hmmm, sounds like a flood of hunger. LOL

3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

• Jesus is almost dead – hungry, thirsty and THEN the devil shows up to tempt him.
• The 1^st temptation was physical – food after 40 days.
• How did the Israelites react when they were hungry and running out of food? Grumbling – whining – complaining
• Jesus could have sat up there with Satan, having a donut and coffee saying “I’m good for now.”
• Note the wording – If you are God??? Just like the Garden of Eden – you can’t trust God’s word.

4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

• How did Jesus respond? – with scripture – “it is written”
• Note that Jesus did not say “well let’s talk about this Satan.”
• You need to look at this first and foremost as a gift from Jesus, not as an example … although that can come later. But the gift is this – we can learn to pray.
• “Lord, when we are in the wilderness, help us to trust the Father’s word.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple

• What do you think was going on here?
• Almost seems like a scene out of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and “On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”

• 2nd temptation – testing God.
• How did the Israelites act when they were stuck in the desert?
• Discouraged and started taking things in to their own hands.
• The Golden Calf – idols – looking to surrounding gods.

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

• Again Jesus fulfills what Israel could not.
• Look at us today – the marketing that comes to us and says “you can do it yourself – take control!”
• Jesus is Israel reduced to one – what Israel could not do, Jesus did.

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

• 3^rd temptation = Power, Riches and Possessions

9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

• Worship another god – even if it is just a little pinch of incense to Caesar.
• All that the Caesars ever asked was that his citizens, people of all religions, once a year offer a pinch of incense and declare him god – once a year.
• You didn’t have to give up your religion, just acknowledge him

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.’

• Satan acts only at the will of the true God.
• This is a good Bible verse to memorize to fight off temptation – “away with you Satan – I shall worship the Lord MY God and him only shall I serve.”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

• If Christ was tempted, then we shall surely be tested.
• Temptation is not sin … giving in to temptation could be sin.

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This series continues with the following two editions of The Weekend Word:

• section in Matthew 4 following the temptation (posted 6/4/16)
• more of Matthew 4 on the calling of the disciples (posted 6/11/16)

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* Here is a quote from the discussion site Puritan Board:

Exegesis and exposition are like making a cake. Exegesis is the eggs, the flour, and milk — plus all the tools that you use. Exposition is the final product. You leave your exegesis in the kitchen (study) and bring the finished cake (exposition) to the table (pulpit).

 

Was it Necessary for Jesus to be Tempted?

Today’s devotional by Richard Reed was recommended; it appears on the website My Christian Space. Click the title below to source and definitely take some time to look around the other resources on this fine website, including the one for a previous chapter of Matthew linked within the article.

Matthew Chapter Four, The Proven Heart…

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” NIV translation
– Matthew 4:1

The translation of the Greek word to tempted is unfortunate and is better translated as tested. The idea of temptation is that someone can be bribed or talked into evil and the simple fact of the matter is that there was no chance that that was going to happen to Jesus.

Testing, on the other hand, was used by God many times to prove what was in the heart of man. In chapter 3, we saw that Jesus was identified with man and so a part of that identification was the fact that He would have to go through the same things as the rest of mankind. This proving of what is in the heart of man was not for God’s sake as He already knows what is in our hearts.

So, why was it necessary to prove the heart of Jesus? We see the answer in the fact that it was the devil that was to test Jesus. You see, up to this point, Satan (who does not know everything) thought that he had a chance to defeat the plan of God because he did not know what was in the heart of Jesus. After this testing, the handwriting was on the wall and Satan knew that there was no chance for him and that he was doomed.

Matthew 4:2

“After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” NIV translation

Before the testing came, Jesus had to be identified with the greatest of men.

He fasted (no food or drink) for forty days and nights which identified Him with both Moses and Elijah.

Moses fasted for forty days and nights when he went up on the mountain to receive God’s commandments.

The prophet Elijah did the same thing when his life was endangered by Ahab and Jezebel. He fasted before the Lord appeared to him to strengthen him.

This reminds us that the purpose of fasting is to focus our minds on the things of God and trusting in Him. Today, the practice of fasting is often used as a badge of superiority by some believers. This was not its purpose throughout the Bible as it was to be a very personal thing between a man and God. As we shall see in Jesus teaching (chapter 6), it was not even to be known to others that a man was fasting.

Would Jesus Have Accountability Software?

You might want to read the article before you answer the question in today’s title. David Baker is a former daily newspaper journalist now working as an Anglican minister in Sussex, England. This article appeared as part of The Rough Guide to Discipleship, a fortnightly devotional series at the website Christian Today. Click the title below to read at source.

Reflection: An ‘A to Z’ (via XXX) of temptation

Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan (Mark 1:13)

If you were to come to our house and use one of the computers, you would notice a small, unblinking eye on the toolbar of every screen.

It’s the logo of an accountability program – a bit of computer wizardry which sends details to a family friend of any online surfing and individual websites which it regards as dubious. With an adolescent boy and a middle-aged man in the house – not to mention a teenage girl and a woman whose age it would be indiscreet to mention – it seems a wise move for all of us.

There are quite a few of these programs around (two of the most well-known are covenanteyes.com and everaccountable.com) – and across the world large numbers of people have found them greatly valuable in resisting the huge variety of temptation that is on offer just a few clicks away.

One of the many ways Christians should be different is the seriousness with which we regard temptation. For many people these days, temptation is a bit of a laugh about things that are “naughty but nice”. That’s understandable, since much of western culture has largely abandoned concepts of right and wrong in favour of a non-Christian worldview centered on lifestyle choices. Ultimately, we are all consumers who can make any decision we want.

But Jesus takes the idea of temptation very seriously. At the heart of the Lord’s Prayer is that little phrase translated in various ways but most familiar to us as “Lead us not into temptation.” And facing his execution, Jesus tells his friends:

“Watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Why is temptation so serious? Because, as one of the Bible’s pithy Proverbs puts it,

“there is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death” (14:12).

There is such a thing as right and wrong – and persistently embracing the wrong leads to spiritual death. We cannot argue something is appropriate because it feels right or natural to us – it may “seem right” to us as the Proverb suggests, but though made in the image of God, we are fallen people, and not everything within us is of God.

In the New Testament, James gives us a grotesquely memorable visual aid about temptation – a three-verse horror movie, if you pause to imagine it. He writes:

“One is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived” (James 1:14-16).

It is amazing to think that Jesus was tempted. Elsewhere in the gospel we read that he fought these temptations by using memorized Scripture – an essential weapon in our own spiritual battles too.

Intriguingly, Mark tells us that Jesus was “driven” (v12) – literally “thrown,” as the Greek puts it – into the desert by the Spirit. It was how Jesus’ obedience would be tested. And sometimes we too face all sorts of trials as God seeks to build our spiritual muscles and maturity.

As we battle temptation, it’s good to know that Jesus has been there before us. As one writer puts it, Jesus “has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need,” (Hebrews 4:15-16). In every way? That’s what the man says! So let’s flee to that throne of grace – even now.

“He Sweat Drops of Blood” – Temptation

Elsie Montgomery is a Canadian, blogging daily since 2006 at Practical Faith.  She also teaches people how to write Bible study materials and devotionals. (She became an instant ‘add’ to our blogroll at right!)  This post is actually from today where it appeared under the title, Resisting Temptation.

In my efforts to lose a few pounds, decisions are necessary. I’ve heard of “mouth-hunger” vs. genuine hunger and a real need to eat. Some call “mouth-hunger” an emotional hunger. Food is comforting and tastes good. The body does not need any more, but the mouth (and emotions) crave that comfort and pleasure.

This morning, I had enough to eat and felt full, but my eyes caught the dinner rolls in the pantry. These happen to be particularly tasty and I wanted one. It was a bit of a battle to walk away, but I did, and within a few minutes the temptation was gone.

The Bible has lots to say about temptation. Its source is not what is going on outside of us (like the dinner rolls) but what is happening on the inside.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13–15)

Dinner rolls or anything else would have no appeal if I didn’t want something. My desires are the problem; the food I don’t need is merely the bait. Like a fish seeing a worm on a hook, I have a choice to make. If I keep making the wrong choices, I could sinfully overindulge. In the case of food, that would lead to obesity and even death.

Of course I am supposed to resist temptation. Sometimes I don’t. It seems like the desire is too strong, but how silly my wanting an extra dinner roll or a big piece of chocolate cake is compared to the sin that Jesus resisted.

Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrews 12:3–4)

Jesus first endured sin committed against Him. Human hostility toward Him was selfish and hateful (and still is). Unlike us when people hurt us, He did not retaliate. He said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

Second, He resisted the sin of disobeying His Father who sent Him to earth to redeem sinners. This required that He bear our penalty for sin by dying on a cross. Not only was that a terribly painful physical death, His emotional and spiritual agony can scarcely be imagined.

In Gethsemane before it happened, Jesus prayed. He was fighting the temptation to say, “No thanks” rather than bear the guilt and awful weight of every sin ever committed by every person whoever lived. He knew what was coming, but again, He resisted.

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:44)

As He sweat blood, Jesus said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) He was more willing to do as God wanted rather than take care of His own comfort and give in to the temptation to walk away and leave us to our fate.

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Jesus, I’ve read that extreme stress can cause a person to sweat blood. I try to imagine the seriousness of straining against temptation to the point of this happening. My own resistance to something as minor as overeating pales to ridiculousness compared to what You endured in Gethsemane.  What makes my struggle even sillier is that I am doing this mostly for my own good while Your resistance to sin was never about Yourself. You said ‘No’ to the temptations for our sake, for all sinners, for every person whoever lived, for me. At the very least Your sacrifice and Your steadfast resistance to sin ought to motivate greater resolve in me to do the same, not just in the pantry but in every area of my life.

~Elsie Montgomery