The Baptism of Jesus Christ and His Temptations – SS3 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

Jesus Christ was baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordan, then fasted forty days in the wilderness and overcame Satan’s three temptations by the word of God.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. narrate the baptism of Jesus according to Matthew’s account;
2. state the significance of the baptism of Jesus;
3. explain why John called Jesus the Lamb of God and what this means to Christians;
4. narrate the three temptations of Jesus according to Matthew;
5. give the reasons for the temptation of Jesus and its significance for his ministry;
6. state the lessons Christians learn from the temptation of Jesus.

What is the baptism of Jesus Christ? (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22)

The baptism of Jesus was his immersion by John the Baptist in the River Jordan, which marked the start of his earthly ministry.

How do the gospel accounts of the baptism compare?

The three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) all record the baptism, and their accounts are very similar.

• Note: This lesson follows Matthew’s account.

What does Matthew’s account of the baptism say?

1. Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John.
2. John hesitated and said, “I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?”
3. Jesus answered, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.”
4. John then agreed and baptised Jesus.
5. Jesus went up immediately from the water, and the heavens were opened.
6. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
7. A voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.”

What is the significance of the baptism of Jesus?

• Example for believers: Christ was without sin, yet he was baptised to show the church that baptism is necessary for the new life in Christ.
• Fulfilling all righteousness: It was the divinely right thing to do.
• Start of his ministry: The baptism marked the call to his earthly ministry.
• Identification with sinners: He stood with the people he came to redeem.
• Public approval of repentance: John’s baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin was shown to be necessary for everybody who wished to live a new life in Christ.
• John as forerunner: John’s work was to prepare the way for Christ.
• Water and Spirit: Jesus said in John 3:5, “Unless a man is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” He met this condition by being baptised.
• Gift of the Holy Spirit: The Spirit descended on him like a dove and aided his earthly ministry.
• Help against temptation: Though Jesus was in the flesh and could be tempted, the Spirit helped him overcome temptation and do God’s will.
• Confirmation of messiahship: The voice from heaven was the first public confirmation that Jesus was the Messiah.

Why did John call Jesus the Lamb of God?

John called Jesus the Lamb of God because Jesus was to take away the sins of the world by his sacrifice.

• Setting: John was baptising at the River Jordan when Jesus came to him.
• His greatness: John confessed that Jesus was greater than him, for Jesus existed before him.
• The sign: The Spirit of the Lord had told John that the man on whom the Spirit descended would be the one.
• Purpose of John’s baptising: John baptised with water so that Jesus might be revealed.
• The fulfilment: At the baptism, the Spirit descended from heaven like a dove and rested on Jesus.
• John’s witness: John bore witness that Jesus is the Son of God.

What does the baptism of Jesus mean to Christians?

1. Final sacrifice: Jesus is the final sacrifice for sin.
2. Forgiveness: As the Lamb of God, his crucifixion takes away man’s sins by faith.
3. Repentance: Having accepted this, Christians must turn away from their sins.
4. Witness: Christians must bear testimony and share the good news with those who do not yet know him.

What is the temptation of Jesus? (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13)

The temptation of Jesus was the testing of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness, after his baptism and forty days of fasting.

What is temptation?

Temptation is an attempt to persuade or entice a person to do something wrong or unwise.

• Common to all: Everyone is under temptation, depending on their circumstances.
• Through the mind: People are mostly tempted through their minds.
• Linked to desire: Temptation targets what a person’s heart desires, and pulls them against what is expected of them.
• Normal, not sinful: Being tempted is normal for every human being, but yielding to temptation is a sin.
• Example of Jesus: Christ was tempted but never yielded. A mind disciplined by the word of God can always overcome temptation.

How do the gospel accounts of the temptation compare?

Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the temptation, and Matthew’s account is the most detailed of the three.

• Common to all three: After baptism, Jesus was led into the wilderness, fasted forty days and was tempted by the devil.
• Mark: He gives no detailed account of the temptations.
• Matthew and Luke: Both give details, but they differ in the order of the temptations.
• Our framework: This lesson follows Matthew’s account.

What are the three temptations of Jesus in Matthew’s account?

Matthew records that Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights, and that Satan came to him when he was hungry.

• Ending: The devil then left Jesus, and angels came and ministered to him.

What were the reasons for the temptation of Jesus?

• General aim: Satan wanted Jesus to lose focus on his messiahship and follow the wrong Jewish ideas of the expected Messiah.
• First temptation: It aimed to make Jesus give more attention to physical needs (food) than to spiritual needs (the word of God).
• Second temptation: It aimed to make Jesus look like a magician by jumping from the height of the temple.
• Result of the second: This would have brought cheap popularity and drawn attention to him, not to God, which was the purpose of his ministry.
• Third temptation: It aimed to turn Jesus from his spiritual assignment to a political kingdom and political power.
• Jewish expectation: The Jews wanted a political messiah who would free them from Roman rule.
• Jesus’ response: Jesus was a spiritual messiah, so he refused.

What is the significance of the temptation for the ministry of Jesus?

• Divinity: The temptation confirmed the divinity of Christ.
• Acceptance of suffering: Jesus accepted suffering as the means of achieving God’s purpose, the redemption of man.
• Assurance to followers: His victory shows that with the word of God, believers can overcome the wiles of the devil.
• Preparation: The temptation prepared Jesus for his ministry.
• Type of messiah: His handling of it showed that he was neither a political nor an economic messiah.

What lessons do Christians learn from the temptation of Jesus?

• No one is above temptation: Temptation is not a sin, but yielding to it is. As Christ overcame, every person should try to overcome.
• Need for the Holy Spirit: Zechariah 4:6 says, “It is not by might nor by power but by the spirit, says the Lord.”
• Holy living: The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a person living in sin, so Christians should live holy and righteous lives.
• Avoid self-centredness: Christians should not be self-centred or overambitious, as Jesus refused Satan’s offer.
• Root of all temptation: Christ was tempted through material needs, self-glorification and power. Human temptations have their root in these three things.
• Resist like Christ: Christians should overcome temptation as Christ did, with the word of God.

Evaluation

1. Narrate the baptism of Jesus according to Matthew’s account.
2. State four reasons why Jesus was baptised although he was without sin.
3. Why did John the Baptist call Jesus the Lamb of God?
4. Narrate the three temptations of Jesus according to Matthew.
5. State three lessons Christians learn from the temptation of Jesus.

Assignment

Explain the significance of the temptation of Jesus for his ministry, and show why the third temptation was an attempt to make him a political messiah.