Bible Study Notes 2/10/2026
- Concord Baptist Church
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
WORD ALIVE! BIBLE STUDY ©2026
Journey To Bethlehem and Beyond – Post Advent / Winter Series
Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton – Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor
Quiet Time: Max Lucado, Because of Bethlehem:
Love Is Born, Hope Is Here, 2020
Lesson 8
10 Feb. 2026
Lesson 8 — Matthew 4:1-17, NLT: Jesus began His public ministry where most of God’s true servants do: A period of testing! Regardless of a person’s enthusiasm for what they are about to embark on in ministry, there’s always a period of preparation that will challenge the person’s will and resolve. Of course, this happens when there is sincerity and commitment to the assignment God entrusts to us. This was no different with Jesus. Shortly after His baptism, the Spirit led Jesus into a remote place (wilderness), where He prayed and fasted for forty days and nights. He left the wilderness hungry and dehydrated. Yet, the resolve and spiritual authority of Jesus was apparent, and far greater than His physical needs. Led by divine assignment, Jesus began preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Verses & Explanations for Matthew 4:1-17, NLT:
Observe Interpret Apply
(Verses 1-2): Commitment Brings Testing.
(Verses 3-4): Testing Fosters Spiritual Discipline.
(Verses 5-7): Spiritual Discipline Fosters Discernment.
(Verses 8-10): Discernment Fosters Sound Judgement.
(Verse 11): Spiritual Authority Rebukes Opposing Forces.
(Verses 12-13): Detours as part of God’s Divine Plan.
(Verses 14-17): God’s Purpose Fulfills Our Destiny.
The Key Idea:
What We Believe!
1. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path!” — Psalm 119:105
Key Verses:
Matthew 4:1-1-2, NLT:
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry.
Matthew 4:3-4, NLT:
3 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.” 4 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!’”
Matthew 4:5-7, NLT:
5 Then the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem to the highest point of the Temple, 6 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 hurst your foot on a stone!’” 7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God!’
Matthew 4:8-10, NLT:
8 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. 9 “I will give it all to you,” He said, “If you will kneel down and worship me.” 10 “Get out of here, Satan.” Jesus told him, “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’”
Matthew 4:11, NLT:
11 Then the devil went away and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Matthew 4:12-13, NLT:
12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He left Judea and returned to Galilee. 13 He went first to Nazareth, then left and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
Matthew 4:14-17, NLT:
14 This fulfilled what God had said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali besides the sea beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” 17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”