Opening Prayer
Dear Jesus, you were hungry and alone, and the devil tried to trick you. But you held on to God’s Word and didn’t give in. Open our ears to hear how you fought for us. Amen.
Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11
Right after Jesus was baptized — right after God the Father said, “This is my Son, and I love him” — the Holy Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness. A dry, rocky, empty place. No trees. No water. No food. And Jesus stayed there for forty days and forty nights without eating anything.
Then the devil came.
“If you are really God’s Son,” the devil said, “turn these stones into bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Next the devil took Jesus to the very top of the temple — the highest point in all of Jerusalem. “If you are God’s Son,” he said, “throw yourself down. The Bible says God will send his angels to catch you.”
Jesus answered, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Finally the devil took Jesus up to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world — every city, every country, everything beautiful and powerful. “All of this is yours,” the devil said, “if you will just bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said, “Get away from me, Satan! It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left. And angels came and took care of Jesus.
What This Means
Do you know what the devil is really good at? Picking the worst possible moment.
Think about it. Jesus hadn’t eaten in forty days. Forty! Not forty minutes — forty days. His body was weak. His stomach was empty. He was all alone in the desert. And that’s exactly when the devil showed up with his tricks.
The first trick was about food. “Make yourself some bread.” The second was about showing off. “Jump off the temple and let the angels catch you — that’ll really impress people.” The third was about power. “I’ll give you the whole world. Just worship me.”
Now here’s what makes this story so important. Way back at the very beginning of the Bible, God made Adam and Eve and put them in a beautiful garden. They had everything — all the food they could want, all the beauty they could see. And the devil came and tricked them, and they listened to him instead of to God.
But Jesus? Jesus had nothing. No garden. No food. No comfort. And he still said no. Three times the devil tried, and three times Jesus said the same three words: “It is written.” He used God’s Word like a sword.
Jesus wasn’t just being brave for himself. He was doing this for you. Adam lost the fight in a perfect garden. Jesus won the fight in a terrible desert. And because you are baptized into Jesus, his victory belongs to you. He fought the battle we couldn’t win — and he won it.
Let’s Talk About It
Eberley: Jesus had the power to turn stones into bread — he’s God! So why didn’t he? What would it have meant if he had used his power that way?
Eberley: The devil actually quoted the Bible to Jesus. How can you tell the difference between using God’s Word rightly and twisting it? What did the devil leave out?
Sonja: What were the three things the devil wanted Jesus to do? Which one do you think would have been hardest to say no to if you were really, really hungry?
Sonja: Jesus kept saying “It is written.” Where did Jesus learn those words? Why do you think knowing the Bible helped him?
Dahlia & Freddy: Did Jesus listen to the devil, or did he say no? What happened after the devil went away?
Remember This
Jesus won the fight against the devil for us — and his only weapon was God’s Word.
Closing Prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for fighting the devil when we couldn’t. Thank you that you were strong when we are weak. When we hear lies that tell us to cheat, to be selfish, or to forget about you, remind us of your Word. Your victory is our victory. Amen.
Memory Verse
“It is written.” — Matthew 4:4