Adults

WPC Small Group Study Questions

February 16, 2026

For the week of February 16th through February 22nd,

Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and then read the scripture, Matthew 4:1-11.

Relational Question:

What is the most difficult time that you have experienced i(or maybe are experiencing) in your life? What made it so difficult? Was it a time of confusion or were you able to keep yourself focused on what was necessary to get through it? Who did you look and listen to tor help and guidance? What advice was helpful and what advice was not? How did you finally come out of this time and what things did you learn that have been valuable for your life since then?

Study Questions:

Jesus has just been baptized by John, where he was confirmed as the Messiah and God’s Son. His identity and mission have been clarified and proclaimed, but instead of celebrating by taking a trip to Disney World, he is led by the Spirit into the desert to face challenges by the devil. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all have this at the beginning of Jesus’ active ministry as the Messiah. Differing from Luke’s sequence of the temptations, Matthew makes the devil’s offer of the world to Jesus if he will worship him the final and ultimate one. In Matthew’s description there are allusions to Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness between leaving Egypt and arriving in the Promised Land, with an emphasis on Israel’s preparation just before entering the Promised Land.   

1.      For what purpose do you think the Spirit brought Jesus into the wilderness to face the devil? Have you ever questioned God’s leading in your life? Have you ever thought you had something figured out only to find yourself becoming unsure and uncertain?

2.      Matthew is careful to not give the devil a name, such as Satan. What do you think Matthew is doing by not naming the devel? How does the devil try to get you to focus on him? Do you believe there is a devil?

3.      The first temptation is an obvious one. The word for temptation also means “testing” and fits more with how the devil approaches Jesus. Jesus is hungry so the devil invites him to turn the stones into bread. Jesus has the power to do this, which the devil acknowledges. The word translated as “if” more commonly means “since.” So the devil is saying, “Since you are the Son of God…” and is testing Jesus’ power. The devil seeks to tempt Jesus through his being the Son of God rather than his being the Messiah. Why do you think the tempter is focusing on Jesus’ power rather than his mission?

4.      Jesus answers the devil’s temptation to make bread out of stones with a quote from Moses’ speech to Israel right before they enter the Promised Land. From Deuteronomy 8:3 Jesus says we live by God’s words alone. What is the test here for Jesus? What kind of Messiah would he be if he had turned the stones into bread to take care of his own physical hunger? Have you ever thought that you needed to take care of a problem yourself rather than waiting for God to act?

5.      The second test for Jesus is to claim his right as God’s Son. The devil even reminds Jesus of God’s promises to protect him. Again, the appeal is to power, in this case to display God’s power in a supernatural act that would make people have no choice but to acknowledge who Jesus is as the Son of God. What is wrong with Jesus doing this? What kind of Messiah would Jesus be if he had demonstrated his power in this way?

6.      The devil gets “biblical” in the second testing of Jesus. He quotes from the Psalms to support the temptation to display God’s power in Jesus as God’s Son. Jesus answers with a quote from Deuteronomy that counters the devil’s quote. What does this indicate about how we use the scriptures? How do we sometimes use scripture to justify something that we want to do even if it is against God’s will?

7.      The final and ultimate test, according to Matthew, is the devil’s offer of the world to Jesus if he will just bow down to the devil. The devil displays his own power as he now appeals to Jesus’ mission as the Messiah, to reclaim and win the world back to God the Father. How do you think this would appeal to Jesus? What is the devil really offering here? What kind of Messiah would Jesus be if he had done this?

8.      In the third testing, Jesus calls the devil by name, that is, Satan. Jesus answers the devil with a quote from the part of Deuteronomy that includes the Shema, which is “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one” and concludes with the call to “bow down” to the Lord only. In doing this, Jesus uses the name for God (in the Greek it is “Lord” but is derived from the Aramaic and Hebrew which is Yahweh, the revealed name of God to Moses.) What is the significance of Jesus naming both the devil and God?

9.      Matthew says that angels come to minister (take care of) to Jesus. What do you think they might have talked about with Jesus?

Action Question:

We know about this experience that Jesus had with the devil because he obviously shared it with his disciples. Think of a difficult time of testing that you have gone through that you think might help and encourage the people who are close to you. Share with your small group partners why you think your handling of that experience is worth sharing with others?  Share it with someone you know who you think may be helped by what you went through.