The Temptation in the Wilderness
Immediately after his baptism Jesus is led into the wilderness and fasts forty days. The three temptations that follow are not crude — each is an offer of a shortcut to something he has actually come to do.
Turn stones into bread: he will later feed thousands, but not to end his own hunger. Throw yourself from the temple and let the angels catch you: a public, unmistakable sign, of the kind he consistently refuses to give. Take all the kingdoms of the world by worship of the tempter: the rule he has come to establish, without the cross.
Each answer is a quotation from Deuteronomy, and each is drawn from Israel's own forty years of testing in the desert. Luke ends the scene with a note that the devil left him until an opportune time — the story is not finished, only paused.
Where in scripture
[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. [3] The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” [5] Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, [6] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’” …
Matthew 4:1–11 — opening verses
[1] Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness [2] for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry. [3] The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” [4] Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” [5] The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. [6] The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. [7] If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.” …
Luke 4:1–13 — opening verses
[14] Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession. [15] For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14–16
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
