1 THEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness [ IV: to be with God. Notice the direction that the spirit of God lead Jesus verses the direction that Satan trys to lead hin. ] to be tempted of the devil. [IV: he was lead by the spirit "to be with God" - he was left then by the spirit to be tempted. It is through this tempting process that he begins to understand what he will be required to do, and how hard it will be, He is a mortal, and has just be granted Godhood - he feels the contradictory nature of both manhood and Godhood. It is while Jesus is still very young in that Godhood that Satan comes to tempt him. It is here that he first begins to answer the question of Christs power to have his heal brused by Satan but Christ could crush Satan's head. Gen 3:15 Do you think that Satan also used the notion that since this power is new to Jesus as well, that Jesus might have also wondered the extent of power that he actually had? Satan cleverly appeals to both his desire to know the truth as well as his physical hunger. ]

2 And when he had fasted forty days [ In Hebrew numerology means “the amount of time needed to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.” It may be an actual forty days and forty nights, but it is not meant to be taken literally. Examples: It rains for forty days and forty nights; Moses is upon the Mount for forty days and forty nights; Jesus is in the wilderness communing with God for forty days and forty nights; Jonah has to teach the people of Nineveh for forty days and forty nights—each signifying the length of time needed to accomplish what needed to be accomplished. Moses fasted forty days before he recieve the Law from God; Elijah, the chief of the prophets, fasted also forty days. According to the Bible, it is the number of the waiting, the preparation, the test or the punishment. Also the Bible often resorts to the number 40 when starts a new chapter of the history of the salvation. On the other hand, forty would indicate the duration of a generation or a long period, whose we ignore the exact length. Symbolize the death with oneself and the spiritual rebirth. According to R. Allendy, "it is the achievement of a cycle in the world, or rather the rhythm of the cyclic repetitions in the Universe". According to saint Augustin, forty expresses the perfection "because the Law was given in ten commandments, then it is through the whole world that the Law has been preached, and the whole world is composed of four parts, Orient and Occident, south and North; therefore, by multiplying ten by four, we obtain forty. Or well, it is by the four books of the Gospel that the Law is accomplished." Represent the man incorporated in the Universe and combatting the prince of the disorder, according to Claude of Saint Martin. Represent the complete and sufficient period to finish a work. Bible Forty days after the birth, Jesus was presented to the Temple of Jerusalem for his legal purification, according to the established law. The 40 days of fast of Jesus in the desert. (Mt 4,2) Forty days separate the Ascension of Jesus of his Resurrection. (Act 1,3) The Flood of Noah lasted 40 days. (Gn 7,4) Elijah walked 40 days and 40 nights before to reach the Horeb mount. He fasted during 40 days before to begin his public ministry and he remained 40 days on the Carmel mount. (1 K 19,8) The priest Eli had been judge of Israel for 40 years. (1 S 4,18) Moses was 40 years old when he was called by God and that he killed an Egyptian, and escaped in the desert of Midian. He kept the herd of Jethro during 40 years. He resided finally 40 days and 40 nights to the summit of the mount Sinai before to receive the Tables of the Law. (Ex 24,18) During 40 day Goliath defied David. The children of Israel lived during 40 years in the constraint with the Philistines. (Jg 13, 1) The Hebrews wandered 40 years in the desert. (Nb 32,13) The people of Nineveh had to repent during 40 days. (Jon 3,4) Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah. (Gn 25,20) The reign of David on Israel lasted 40 years, just as the reign of solomon in Jerusalem. (1 K 2,11 and 11,42; 2 Ch 9,30) Forty is the number of chapters of the book of the Exodus of the Old Testament. The body of Jesus remained 40 hours in the sepulchre. Jesus received 40 blows of whip during his whipping, according to visions of Maria Valtorta. However, according to visions of Mary Agreda, Jesus would have received 5115 blows of whip! The 40 days of the Lent before Easter. According to the Egyptians, it is the number of days necessary in order that the soul becomes definitively delivered of his body. Indeed, following the death of the physical body, the etheric body spends globally 40 days to be dissolved in the universe. As long as it is not fully dissolved and that particles which constitute it did not join the various elements of the nature, the conscience of the defunct will remain linked, more or less closely, to the terrestrial world in which he evolved. This is why a religious ceremony is celebrated 40 days after a death in some traditions in order to facilitate the definitive liberation of the conscience of the being with his habits and his material fasteners. It should however not confuse with what it is called the etheric energy which it is totally extracted of the body after the three days following the death. ] and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. [ JST Matt. 4:2 … and had communed with God, he was afterwards an hungered, and was left to be tempted of the devil. You think? Notice the use of afterward - not during the spirit was with him during the fast - it was at the end, after he was no longer with God that he becomes hungry. Does that have any signifigance in our fasting? What happens when the body becomes hungry?Hunger naturally diminishes the strength of the body. We become weak both physically and mentally, we begin to not make good decisions, we are irritated, usually impatient, we do not think very well, all of these would have given Satan the opportunity to have the upper hand. Satan does not however understand one thing, he thinks that with the hunger that Christ will be at his lowest point and so that would be the best time to tempt him. The power of the spirit however he does not comprehend at all. You see while Christ was hungry on a physical side he was most likely also on a spiritual high as he had been getting spiritual power from Heavenly Father. These forty days were spent with God and his angels. ]

3 And when the tempter [ Satan. ] came to him, he said, If [ Notice how many times in the gospels the word "if" is used to challenge the Savior. Satan knows full well who Christ is and what his role is. Here we have Satan using it. On the cross when the people taunt him if you be the son of God get yourself down from there, if you have power then us it to save yourself. Again Satan does not understan anything but his own selfishness, He is like if you ar ethe son of God then use your power to save yourself, to eat, what is wrong with that. Whereas Satan is like I centainly would I would take my power and us it any way that I can for myself. It is all about me from his perspective. ] thou be the son of God,[ "uiov tou qeou" if thou be a son of God, Why do you think that Satan leads with that? Not to give The Savior any credit for who he was, to dispariage even more. Does Satan ever us that kind of logic on us? How? Why does Satan try to make us doubt our divine identities? How does he try to do this? (See also Moses 1:10–23. ] command that these stones be made bread [ Interesting that this is the same symbolism that Jesus uses in Matthew 7:9 "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?" Is Satan asking Christ to sacrifice the foundation stone for bread.(See Matt 7:9) What is the temptation here? Instant gradification. Abuse of power. Note he is most likely hungry after fasting 40 days; so the first temptation is dealing with the carnal appetite of hunger. Here Christ is told if you are the son of God - prove it to yourself and you can be relieved of the hunger. Test your powers and see how much you really do or do not have. Elder Holland said of this occassion "Whatever else Satan may do, he will certainly appeal to our appetites. Far better to play on natural, acknowledged needs than struggle to plant in us artificial ones. Here Jesus experiences the real and very understandable hunger for food by which he must sustain his mortal life. We would not deny anyone this relief; certainly we would not deny the son of Man. Israel had its manna in the wilderness. This is Israel’s God. He has fasted for forty days and forty nights. Why not eat? He seems ready to break his fast, or surely must soon. Why not simply turn the stones to bread and eat? The temptation is not in the eating. He has eaten before, he will soon eat again, and he must eat for the rest of his mortal life. The temptation, at least the part I wish to focus on, is to do it this way, to get his bread—his physical satisfaction, relief for his human appetite the easy way, by abuse of power and without a willingness to wait for the right time and the right way. It is the temptation to be the convenient Messiah. Why do things the hard way? Why walk to the shop—or bakery? Why travel all the way home? Why deny yourself satisfaction when with ever such a slight compromise you might enjoy this much-needed nourish- ment? But Christ will not ask selfishly for unearned bread. He will postpone gratification, indefinitely if necessary, rather than appease appetite—even ravenous appetite—with what is not his... In our time the only restraint left is self-restraint. I ask you to say of this highest, most intimate, most sacred physical expression, “Yes, but not this way.” I ask you to be inconvenienced until you’ve earned the right and paid the divine price to know the body and the soul of the one you love. " https://speeches.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Holland_Jeffrey_1982_02.pdf ]

4 But he answered and said, It is written, [ where? Deuteronomy 8:3. ] Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

[ IV 5: Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the  Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple. Where does the spirit take him, to the house of God, a place where God is. To the Temple, this is done in an act to give him strength while satan has been trying to tempt him in the wilderness, which is why he went to the wilderness in the first place, to be alone with God. ]

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, [ Jerusalem. ] and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, [ What is the pinnacle of the temple spoken of here? It is very likely that this was what was called the stoa basilikh, the king's gallery; which, as Josephus says, "deserves to be mentioned among the most magnificent things under the sun: for upon a stupendous depth of a valley, scarcely to be fathomed by the eye of him that stands above, Herod erected a gallery of a vast height, from the top of which if any looked down, he would grow dizzy, his eyes not being able to reach so vast a depth." What is the temptation here? " Satan knows this holy scripture is the center of religious life for Israel’s people. It is the edifice to which the promised Messiah must come. Many are even now coming and going from their worship, many of who through their traditions and disbelief will never accept Jesus as their Redeemer. Why not cast yourself down in a dramatic way and then, when the angels bear you up, as the scriptures say they must, legions will follow you and believe? They need you. You need them—to save their souls. These are covenant people. How better to help them see than to cast yourself off this holy temple unharmed and unafraid? The Messiah has indeed come. The temptation here is even more subtle than the first. It is a temptation of the spirit, of a private hunger more real than the need for bread. Would God save him? Would he? Is Jesus to have divine companionship in this awesome ministry he now begins? He knows that among the children of men only suffering, denunciation, betrayal, and rejection lie ahead. But what about heaven? How alone does a Messiah have to be? Perhaps before venturing forth he ought to get final reassurance. And shouldn’t Satan be silenced with his insidious “If, if, if”? Why not get spiritual confirmation, a loyal congregation, and an answer to this imp who heckles—all with one appeal to God’s power? Right now. The easy way. Off the tem ple spire. But Jesus refuses the temptation of the spirit. Denial and restraint there are also part of divine preparation. He will gain followers, and he will receive reassurance. But not this way. Neither the converts nor the comforts he will so richly deserve have been earned yet. His ministry has hardly begun. The rewards will come by and by. But even the son of God must wait. The Redeemer who would never bestow cheap grace on others was not likely to ask for any himself. And so I ask you to be patient in things of the spirit. Perhaps your life has been different from mine, but I doubt it. I have had to struggle to know my standing before God. As a teenager I found it hard to pray and harder to fast. My mission was not easy. I struggled as a student only to find that I had to struggle afterwards, too. In this present assignment I have wept and ached for guidance. It seems no worthy accomplishment has ever come easily for me, and maybe it won’t for you—but I’m living long enough to be grateful for that. It is ordained that we come to know our worth as children of God without something as dramatic as a leap from the pinnacle of the temple. All but a prophetic few must go about God’s work in very quiet, very unspectacular ways. And as you labor to know him, and to know that he knows you; as you invest your time—and your convenience—in quiet, unassuming service, you will indeed find that “he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up” (Matthew 4:6). It may not come quickly. It probably won’t come quickly, but there is purpose in the time it takes. Cherish your spiritual burdens because God will converse with you through them and will use you to do his work if you carry them well. Do you recognize this struggle? " The Inconvenient Messiah JEFFREY R. HOLLAND. ]

[ IV 6  Then  the  devil  came  unto him and said, 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. ]

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the son of God, cast thyself down: [ Carnal temptation - vanity and pride. Show that you have confidence in who that you are, if you have confidence that you are the son of God then you should have nothing to fear. How often does Satan try to use the groundwork laid by one temptation to plant the seeds of the next one? Number 2 indulge yourself for a moment of fame - after all your ministry would be better served if you were famous for doing sensational things. The people were looking for a physical Messiah - this would be a great start to show his powers. sounds logical doesn't it? Why did the Lord choose not to? Do we fall prey to these temptations? Can't you just hear Satan saying, mocking him saying well if you are God's precious little son why not show it, prove to yourself that he will not let anything bad happen to you. Note how satan uses the word "if" in his challenge - as if to say prove it. People often in life do things; foolish things on a dare. A dare from their friends; such dares can be tragic, the cause death, loss or self worth, all to prove they are tough. ] for it is written, [ Where? Psalm 91:11-12. ] 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. [ Temptation of vanity and pride. How does agency play int the equation here? Will God always protect us no matter what decisions we make, even Jesus himself? I find it interesting that Satan suggests that Jesus can show who he is here by doing this. What was the power that Satan could inflict on Jesus? He could bruse his heal. so Satan is kind of tempting him here as his brother Dad said that I have the power to bruise your heal, so if you have all this power show me, because remember that Dad said that you have the power to crush my head - so prove it here and now. ]

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, [ Where? Deuteronomy 6:16. ] Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. [ How would doing this have been an attempt to tempt God? To expose myself to any danger naturally destructive, with the vain presumption that God will protect and defend me from the ruinous consequences of my imprudent conduct, is to tempt God. Note how Jesus has responded in each case - with a quote from the scriptures. Is there any doubt that if that was what worked for the Savior it is what will work for us? ]

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; [ What is the Father's intent of showing the Savior all of the kingdoms of the world? To show Jesus that he is the Savior to the entire world. Give him additional information on his mission. MAybe to expound on the idea of what the Savior was up against with the world. Luke give us additional detail here in tha he says that he showed it "unto him in a moment of time". So is this like what God showed to Moses when he saw the entire life span of the world in a few seconds of time he saw everything that would happen. Or was this Satan showin Jesus his kingdoms and the reason for it only being a moment was because that was as long as they would last? Luke 4:5. ]

[ IV 8 And again, Jesus was in the Spirit, and it taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms the world and the glory of them. ]

[ IV 9 And the devil came unto him again, and said, All these things will I give unto thee, if  thou wilt fall down and worship me. ]

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, [ Great lie because he cannot give something which is really not his to give. ] if thou wilt fall down and worship me [ Materialism and power - Satan changes tactics, it is a last ditch effort - it is a change for the Lord to decide that he doesn't have to subject himself to all of the ridicule, humiliation, rejection and the atonement - instead he can be son over the world, and have all of the glory and kingdom of the world, everything that he can see with his eyes. What is the temptation here? name you price. " Satan makes up for lack of subtlety here with the grandeur of his offer. Never mind that these kingdoms are not ultimately his to give. He simply asks of the great Jehovah, God of heaven and earth, “What is your price? Cheap bread you resist. Tawdry messianic drama you resist, but no man can resist this world’s wealth. Name your price.” Satan is proceeding under his first article of faithlessness—the unequivocal belief that you can buy anything in this world for money. Jesus will one day rule the world. He will govern every principality and power in it. He will be King of kings and Lord of lords. But not this way... Surely there is an easier way? Can’t we buy our way in? Every man or woman does have a price, don’t they? Can’t you buy anything in this world for money? sometimes we wonder. " The Inconvenient Messiah JEFFREY R. HOLLAND In otherwords there are no shortcuts that can be taken, we must face the obsticles as they come, bear them, deal with them. What is the lie here? And has Satan ever used that same lie before? First he does not have the power to give Gods creation, the world to the Savior, you cannot give what is not yours, so that is a lie, it's the same lie he used in the grand council in heaven when he promised us eternal life if we would follow him. ]

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, [ Leave me, or "opisw mou" get behind me. This may sound insignifigant but the Master of the earth put Satan in his rightful place. ] Satan: for it is written, [ Where? Moses 1:15 "for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve." We as Latter day saints don't recognize how blessed we are, but we are the only ones who have the rest of the story, the detail that are found in Moses 1, the rest of the world is left here to just wonder. Scholars still scratch their heads like what passage is he quoting here, because he has answered all of the other questions by quoting a scripture so where do we find these details? Well we have them! ] Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [ So what have the temptations been? 1) Self gratification in his time of weakiness; 2) Ambition or power 3) Idolatry to get gain. Are these not the basis of all secret combinations? How much differently did he persuade Cain? ]

11 Then the devil leaveth him, [ Because he is the master satan had no choice but to leave. See the temptation of Moses in Moses 1 Moses fianally had to call upon the Savior to make Satan leave him alone. This story in conjunction with the story of Moses teach us a few things. 1) that no man is above or exempt from temptation from Satan. 2) We are taught that the proper way to overcome temptation is to remain strong, do not give in at all and to remember that we have a power greater than that of Satan and so we need to use it to our advantage. ] and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. [ IV: When Jesus learns of John The Baptist's captivity he (Jesus) sends angels to minister to him in his affliction. ]

12 ¶ [ The paragraph symbol is a reference to the change in subject matter. Now we go to John The Baptist. ] Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, [ The sea of Galilee. ] in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: [ The place were two of the ten tribes (Naphtali and Zebulon ) settled when Joshua brought the children of Israel to the promised land. ]

14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias [ Isaiah. ] the prophet, saying, [ Recorded in Isaiah 9:1-2. ]

15  The land of Zabulon, [ Because it was where the descendants of the tribe of Zabulon dwelt. ] and the land of Nephthalim, [ Because it was where the descendants of the tribe of Nephthal dwelt. ] by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; [ Or of the nations. So called, because it was inhabited by Egyptians, Arabians, and Phoenicians. Greek eqnwn, signify nations; and, in the Old and New Testaments, mean those people who were not descendants of any of the twelve tribes. ]

16 The people which sat in darkness [ This is quoted from Isa. 9:2, where, instead of sitting, the prophet used the word walked. One purpose for the change in terms, might be to point out the increased misery of the state of these persons. Sitting in darkness expresses a greater degree of intellectual blindness, than walking in darkness does. In the time of Christ's appearing, the people were in a much worse state than in the time of the prophet, which was nearly 700 years before; as, during all this period, they were growing more ignorant and sinful. ] saw great light; [ The gospel and it's teachings brought forth by the Savior ] and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light [ Or the absence of light - spiritual darkness. ] is sprung up.

17 ¶ From that time Jesus began to preach, [ Jesus begins his mortal ministry - his call has been extended, he has been given the keys so he begins his mission. ] and to say, Repent:< [ What are the first words out of the mouth of Jesus? Repent. The exact same words as John the Baptist declared in Matt 3:1-2; Mark 1:14-15. ] for the kingdom of heaven [ The gospel, and the ordinances that are required to exhault men to live with the Father again. ] is at hand. [ Is now available to you. ]

18 ¶ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, [ Who were actual brothers. ] Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. [ We would say it today as the were fishermen. JST 18 says "I am he of whom it is written by the propehtes" You see Peter and Andrew both knew their scriptures, they knew it was written that the promised Messiah would come. This knowledge helpped them quickly make the decision to follow when the call came. Good example to us the power of reading and understanding the scriptures. See more detail in Luke 5: 1-11. ]

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, [ "deute opisw mou" or Come after me. Receive my doctrines, imitate me in my conduct-in every respect be my disciples. It is here that Jesus extends the calling to James and John to become full-time disciples. Why did not Jesus Christ call some of the eminent Scribes or Pharisees? ] and I will make you fishers of men. [ The IV has Jesus positively identifying himself as the Messiah predicted in the Prophets. This is an interesting point because it contrasts the doubt which is central to the subject of v. 1-10. Here, when Jesus undertakes the public ministry, his certainty is complete. ]

20 And they straightway [ Immediately. How quickly do we respond when called to service - do we go quickly; immediately? Or do we postpone service until it is done by someone else? ] left their nets, and followed him.

21 And going on from thence ,[ Or that place. ] he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; [ Take serious the business that they are in. ] and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, [ By the ship, "to ploion", or their mere fishing-boat, used for extending their nets in the water and bringing the hawser or rope of the farther end to shore, by which the net was pulled to land. But why should these be called to leave their employment and their father, probably now aged? ] and followed him.

23 ¶ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching [ Notice how Christ ministers in this verse. He teaches, He preaches and he heals. ] in their synagogues, [ Synagogues were erected not only in cities and towns, but in the country, and especially by rivers, that they might have water for the convenience of their frequent washings. Not less than ten persons of respectability composed a synagogue; as the rabbins supposed that this number of persons, of independent property, and well skilled in the law, were necessary to conduct the affairs of the place, and keep up the Divine worship. See Lightfoot. Therefore, where this number could not be found, no synagogue was built; but there might be many synagogues in one city or town, provided it were populous. Jerusalem is said to have contained 480. This need not be wondered at, when it is considered that every Jew was obliged to worship God in public, either in a synagogue or in the temple. ] and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease [ See JST Matt 4:22 which ends with "which believed on his name" the healing is only possible through belief on the Savior, a knowledge of who he is and his power to heal. Have you ever considered the symbolism in the physical healings that the Savior did? for example: healing those that could walk - to the point that they were naow able to walk is symbolic of now being able to walk along the spiritual path that leads back to our Father in Heaven. Healing the Blind: well now they can see the truth where they could not before, their spiritual blindness is removed. ] among the people.

24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: [ This would have taken a signifigant amount of time to heal all of those through out Galilee v 23. Thus about this time is when the first year of the Saviors 3 year mortal ministry is coming to a close. ] and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, [ "basanoiv", from basanizw, to examine by torture, such as cholics, gouts, and rheumatisms, which racked every joint. ] and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, [ Persons afflicted with epileptic or other disorders, which are always known to have a singular increase at the change and full of the moon. ] and those that had the palsy; [ is defined as a sudden loss of tone and vital power in a certain part of the human body. This may affect a limb, the whole side, the tongue, or the whole body. This disorder is in general incurable, except by the miraculous power of God, unless in its slighter stages. ] and he healed them.

25 And there followed him great multitudes [ This, even according to the Jews, was oneof the proofs of the Messiah: they acknowledged that in his time there should be a great famine of the word of God; and thus they understood Amos, Am 8:11. Behold, the days come-that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread-but of hearing the words of the Lord. And as the Messiah was to dispense this word, the bread of life, hence they believed that vast multitudes from all parts should be gathered together to him. ] of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.