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I. THE TEMPTED. I would say here that I believe in one malignant powerful spirit. I believe the devil has a personal existence. He must have influenced the mind of Christ in one of two ways; either immediately, or by means of external agency. Which was it? Judge ye.

II. THE TEMPTED. Notice three things.

1. The fact that pure human nature should have been tempted thus at all. Jesus had no sympathy with evil, yet here we find evil coming in contact with Him.

2. This temptation assailed Him immediately after His investiture with singular glory.

3. These temptations came to Christ just as He was beginning His great work of mediation on earth.

III. THE TEMPTATION. Notice

I. The scenes.

(1)  In the wilderness;

(2)  in the holy mountain;

(3)  in the holy city.

2. There is an appropriateness between each of these temptations, and the scenes where they occurred.

(1)  The first is the temptation of poverty.

(2)  The second to greatness and officialism.

(3)  The third to ostentation.

3. In each temptation, Christ was either tempted to use a wrong end or to use wrong means to secure His end, and this is the whole of temptation.APPLICATION: You who are tempted, remember —

1. That the only pure Being on earth was tried by three dreadful temptations.

2. That our nature has vanquished temptation.

3. That He who was tempted and overcame is our Friend and Brother, and High-priest.

(Caleb Morris.)

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KJV: Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

WEB: for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry.