We will be finally ending the second major section of the Gospel of Luke. The first major section was the prologue that was only the first four verses. The section that we will be finishing today was meant to introduce to us two individuals through the use of comparison and contrast, that is, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. There have been numerous similarities between the two individuals. Both had their births announced by the angel Gabriel. Both had a birth that seemed impossible or is impossible. Both were introduced by Gabriel as men that have a divine appointment. The author, Luke, also points out that both are a fulfillment of prophecy. However, while the similarities are numerous, the differences between the two individuals are of the utmost importance. John was going be preaching to turn the hearts of the people while Jesus was going to be the consolation of Israel. John is the voice of the one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord (Isa 40:3). Yet Jesus is the one who will sit on the throne of His father David (2 Sam. 7:12). The angel Gabriel said that John would be great in the sight of the Lord (Luke 1:15), but John himself said that he is not worthy to loosen the laces of the sandals of the One to come (Luke 3:16). The point of this section is that while both are great men, Jesus is greater than John. The last two pericopes have done much to try and show this as well. Luke 3:21–22 was the baptism of Jesus Christ which demonstrated how Jesus is affirmed to be the Son of God by God Himself. Luke 3:23–38 was to demonstrate that Jesus is qualified to be the Messiah through His lineage. This pericope will demonstrate how Jesus Christ, while He is in flesh, is not one that will succumb to the temptations of sin. These three pericopes in combination together powerfully demonstrate that Jesus is qualified to be an all-sufficient Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the son of David, Abraham and Adam. He is the sinless God-man.
Setting (4:1–2)
The first two verses set up the scene for us so we can understand the gravity of the situation. These tests will not come to Christ during an easy time when He is surrounded by brothers in Christ or accountability partners, but when He has been isolated for forty days.
We take note of Luke’s emphasis on the fact that Christ is now full of the Holy Ghost. This narrative follows on the heels of Jesus’ baptism where the Holy Ghost descended upon Him. We already see that the Holy Ghost is directing the steps of Jesus and the first place that it takes Him is into the wilderness. While we do not know what Jesus did in the wilderness. We can assume that He was spending time in prayer. We know He was fasting, which is often accompanied with prayer. The author is communicating to us though that Christ was led into the wilderness by the Spirit of God so that Christ could be tested and tested in the harshest of situations. There will be times when God will lead us through the wilderness so that we might go through testing. God lead His Son through the wilderness. He will do the same for His children. Too many think that once you have the religion of Christianity that everything will be hunky dory from now on. Too many think that God will prevent any trouble from coming their way. Yet God led His Son into the wilderness. Yet the reason why we should not be disheartened when we find ourselves in the wilderness is because God is with us. The Spirit of God did not take Christ into the wilderness and then leave Him by Himself. Jesus was filled with the Holy Ghost. He was not without an Advocate. God has promised to us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. I may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but His rod and staff will me.
From Christ’s replies to the Devils tests, we can say this; that Christ also comforted Himself with the Word of God. In every reply to the Devil, Christ quoted a passage of Scripture that was concerning Israel in their wilderness wanderings. The quotations made by Jesus either came from Deuteronomy 6 or Deuteronomy 8. He may not have had a Bible with Him in the wilderness but He was probably reciting in His mind what God asked of Israel while they were in the wilderness being tested because He found Himself to be in a wilderness being tested. We may be led into the wilderness but we have the Spirit of God dwelling within us and we have the Word of God in our hands. Christ meditated upon the commands of God that were given to Israel so that He would remain faithful during the tests. We should not take our Bible for granted. If the Son of God uses the Scriptures to comfort Himself and refute the Devil, let it be a shameful thing if dust collects on the covers of our Bibles. Yea, we may be led into the wilderness but we are not ill equipped. We have the very same tools that the Son of God had when He was in the wilderness. Let us not fear. By God’s grace we can escape the temptation that comes our way. He always provides a way of escape and we have the tools to pave that way of escape so that we might walk in paths of righteousness.
4:2. Matthew’s account of the Jesus in the wilderness tells us that the tests came after He had fasted forty days. Yet Luke states that He was tested during those forty days of fasting. There is no contradiction between the two accounts; both are true. Jesus was being tested by the Devil during the forty days of fasting but we have the account of three tests that came after the forty days of fasting.
And of course after forty day of no food, a man would be hungry. This is again a great demonstration of the incarnation. Jesus is 100% God and yet He is also 100% man. He is fully man and fully God in manner that being God does not infringe upon being man and being man does not infringe upon being God. As a man, His body was in need of food and therefore hungered. Yet, as God, He was not succumbed to the tests of the Devil.
The reason for the number forty is uncertain. Many will claim it was to parallel the forty years that Israel spent in the wilderness (Num. 14:33). Others point to Moses spending forty days on Mount Sinai when he received the Ten Commandments (Exod. 24:18; 34:28; Deut. 9:9). There are other possible allusions. It rained for the forty days for the the Great Flood (Gen. 7:12). The prophet Elijah was on Mount Horeb for forty days (1 Kings 19:8). However, the reason for forty days of fasting is never stated.
The KJV uses the word “tempted” for πειράζω. The KJV oftentimes translates πειράζω as tempt. However, the word “tested” is preferable for this verse. To say that Christ was tempted is to infer a failure. God is not able to sin and these demands from the Devil should be seen as tests not temptations. Hebrews 11:17 uses πειράζω in a similar fashion, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried (πειραζόμενος), offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.” Abraham did not fail the test.
Three Tests (4:3–12)
The first test comes as something that seems to be harmless. Jesus has gone for forty days without food and is, without a doubt, quite hungry. So when the Devil suggest that Jesus should turn the stones into bread, the idea, in our minds, does not seem that bad. Yet, the test is one of Jesus’ faith. We have clearly stated already that it was God that brought Jesus into the wilderness. If God truly did bring His Son into the wilderness then He would be the one that would provide sustenance. The Devil is asking Jesus to doubt the provision of God and to supersede God’s will for His life. “Jesus’ miraculous provision of food for himself would represent a challenge of God’s protection for his Son and a rejection of the Son’s dependance on him, especially since God had led him into the desert.” 88
4:4. Jesus pulls a quote from Deuteronomy, “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live” (Deut. 8:3). The context of the quoted passage is that God provided for Israel in wilderness with manna in order to prove their faith. Israel needed to depend on God’s promise that the manna would keep coming. Jesus is exercising a similar faith. He is depending on God’s promise to provide for His Son. Life is more than just daily food. Man needs to live on the Word of God as well.
4:5. The Devil set Jesus up for the next test. The Devil takes Jesus up a mountain to see the world. The verse states that Jesus saw all of the inhabited world in a moment of time. There is no mountain that is tall enough that will allow a person to see the entire world all at once. It must have been that the Devil gave some sort of vision to Christ in order to display all of the kingdoms of the world. The reason for going on top of a mountain is uncertain. 89
4:6. The Devil makes a gigantic offer to Jesus. Devil states that he is willing to give the authority (ἐξουσίαν) and their glory of these kingdoms to Jesus. The Devil claims that he has to ability to do to give them to whomever he desires. Now the Devil does wield a great amount of power. He is called the prince of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), and the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), but that does not mean that he the authority to give these kingdoms to whomever he wills. However, we know that, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein” (Ps 24:1). Let us not forget that it the Devil that is making this offer who was also called a liar and murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). Yet the Devil is still making the offer. An almost “get-rich-quick” scheme. Jesus was promised that He would rule over the entire world but it would not be through the Devil giving it to Him. Jesus would have to exercise faith that God would give the world to Him at the end of the age (cf. Ps. 110).
4:7. The catch is that Jesus would have to kneel before the Devil. This would require that Jesus abandon His allegiance to God and place Himself under the authority of Satan. But all would be His.
4:8. Jesus is quick to answer Satan.90 He will not accept the offer. It would be breaking the first commandment. Jesus, again, quotes Scripture, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name” (Deut 6:13). Deuteronomy continues with, “Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you” (Deut. 6:14). There exclusive worship and service for God is intended.
4:9. Here is now the third test. Satan and Jesus move from the high mountain in the wilderness to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. There is some discussion as what the pinnacle was of the temple. “Some think it is a high temple gate, but many think it is the Royal Porch on the temple’s southeast corner, which loomed over a cliff and the Kidron Valley, creating a drop of some 450 feet. Josephus mentions that the height of the this locale made people who peered over its edge dizzy (Antiquities 15.11.5).”91 While the scene has changed from wilderness to the temple in Jerusalem, there is no hint that the test is being done in public.
4:10–11. Satan now tries to out-smart Jesus on using Scripture. I fear that many would fail in a test on Scripture knowledge against Satan. Satan knows the Scriptures better than many of us. Work harder to know it better than him. He quotes Psalm 91:11–12, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Satan’s exclusion of the phrase, “To keep thee in all thy ways,” is not significant.
Satan’s argument is that if you are truly the Son of God, then God will protect you from any harm. Therefore prove yourself as the Son of God and cast yourself to certain death.
4:12. Again, Jesus is quick to defend Himself against the test using Scripture. This time He quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.” Massah was the place where Israel was asking if God was really with them because the water was bitter to drink (Exod. 17:2, 7).
4:13. The Devil finally leaves Jesus alone yet it is only for a season. There will come another time when Christ will have to endure more testing.
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88. Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994), 373.
89. The NA28 does not have the phrase, “ὁ διάβολος εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν,” but the Byzantine Text includes it. This gives reason for its inclusion in the KJV and NKJV but not the NASB, ESV or the HCSB.
90. Only the Byzantine Text has “εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου Σατανᾶ.”
91. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, 379.
