CHRIST-CENTERED BIBLE STUDY

Lesson 4: Portraits of a Beautiful Savior

What does it mean that Scripture has a redemptive focus?

Reflect

Respond

How does asking, “How does this passage point me to Christ?” change the way you experience God’s Word?

Take a Step

Get some practice. Answer the questions below each passage of Scripture:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’ Then the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, “He will order His angels to protect You. And they will hold You up with their hands so You won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”’ Jesus responded, ‘The Scriptures also say, “You must not test the Lord your God.”’ Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ‘I will give it all to You,’ he said, ‘if You will kneel down and worship me.’ ‘Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him. ‘For the Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”’ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. Matthew 4:1-11

Reveal

How does this passage point me to Christ?

Answer

Hide

If we read this passage simply asking, “What does this passage challenge me to do?” we will not hear the music of the gospel.
While this story does have implications for how we handle temptation, it is crucial that we consider how it points us to Christ.
Matthew is drawing a parallel between the experience of the people of Israel and that of Jesus.
Both were led into the wilderness. Both were tested. But what happened when Israel was led into the wilderness? Israel failed.
And what happened when Jesus was led into the wilderness? He remained faithful.
In what sense does this passage offer good news?
Like Israel, we are also tempted. And like Israel, we also fail. We fail all the time, as a matter of fact. And so we need someone who can live a perfect life on our behalf. The great news of the gospel is that Jesus has done that.

The primary point of this passage is not that Jesus is merely our example, showing us how to face temptation; to read the story as only an example misses the redemptive element. Jesus is our hero, who lived in perfect obedience and who credits us with His righteousness.

And this is the gospel that is available to all of us who admit our weakness and inability to overcome Satan and trust in what Jesus has done on our behalf.

By asking how this passage points us to Christ, we begin to hear music we might otherwise have missed.

Consider another example:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16