Jesus vs devil 2

5. The second temptation is the third in Luke, and there are considerable differences. In this opening up to and says to him Matthew has seventeen words of which only nine are in Luke, who has twelve words. Thus Matthew has most of what is in Luke, together with matter of his own. For then see on 2:7; it brings us to the next in Matthew’s sequence. Jesus had rejected the first temptation because he trusted God to supply his need; now he is tempted through that very assurance. Matthew reverts to the devil as his name for the evil one and says that he now takes (the present tense gives greater vividness) Jesus along into the holy city (i.e., Jerusalem; this term occurs again in 27:53 and 4 times in Revelation only in the New Testament). Neither Matthew nor Luke makes it clear whether this is a physical removal of Jesus from the wilderness or whether it means a vivid suggestion to the mind such that he saw himself in the position mentioned. But in any case we should remember that the essence of temptation is inward: it does not depend on the physical location of the person tempted. The devil stood him on the wing of the temple. The word translated wing seems to have been used for the extremity of anything; it is used of the fins of a fish, the tail flaps of a lobster, and the tip of a rudder (LSJ). It seems that here it means the peak, the point of a roof, or, as some think, a battlement or turret (“parapet,” JB, REB). But there is a problem in that we do not know what roof. The definite article shows that it was a well-known place, but we can scarcely do more than say that it was obviously something at a great height, so that a leap from it would be spectacular.

6. As in the first temptation, the devil begins with If you are the Son of God, and this time follows it with throw yourself down; he implies that Jesus can do this quite safely. It does not need to be said that this would be a spectacular miracle; the evil one simply suggests the leap. In the first temptation he had been repelled by the quotation of Scripture, but this time he does some quoting of his own, appealing to Psalm 91:11–12 with the strong formula of quotation it stands written accompanied by for, which gives the reason: Jesus should do this, Satan suggests, because the angels are there to help him. For the most part Matthew records the quotation as in LXX. The words in the Psalm, “to guard you in all your ways,” are omitted, but we should not see something sinister in that. It may well have been done to concentrate attention on the bearing up in the hands of the angels: it is safe descent from a height that is in mind, not angelic protection through the varied vicissitudes of every day. For angel see on 1:20. None less than the angels have received a command from the Father; the implication is that a command emanating from such a quarter and addressed to such agents will surely be carried out. Holding him on their hands means that he will be given close protection and that in the case of a fall from a height he will come to no harm. This will be done, the Psalm says, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Satan is suggesting that the care of the angels will be such that the smallest mishap is quite impossible. There would not even be a stubbed toe!

7. Jesus’ reply begins with Again, and once more it features it stands written. Jesus had defeated the first temptation by citing Scripture, and he uses the same method this time. He raises no objection to Satan’s quoting from the Psalm, but simply goes on to another passage that shows that the application the evil one has made of the Scripture he cites is faulty. Jesus draws attention to Deuteronomy 6:16 (Matthew has it exactly as LXX), “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” In Deuteronomy the words refer to the incident at Massah, where the Israelites were short of water and complained about Moses. That patriarch asked the grumblers, “Why do you put the Lord to the proof?” (Exod. 17:2), which is further explained in the question they had asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exod. 17:7). On that occasion God ordered Moses to strike the rock with his rod. When he did so, water came out and the people’s need was fully met. But the way the incident is reported makes it clear that a demand for the miraculous, such as the one the Israelites made, is not acceptable. The servants of God cannot demand that God should keep on intervening with miraculous provision for their needs. To jump from a height and then look to God to avert the natural consequences of such an act is just such an offense. Furthermore, it is worse than what happened at Massah, for at least the people there were in real need of water. What Satan is suggesting is that Jesus should needlessly thrust himself into danger; he would be creating a hazard where none previously existed. And for what? To compel God to save him miraculously. It is a temptation to manipulate God, to create a situation not of God’s choosing in which God would be required to act as Jesus dictated. Jesus rejects the suggestion with decision. He prefers the way of quiet trust in the heavenly Father, a trust that needs no test, and a ready acceptance of his will. He refuses to demand a miracle even if from the perspective of someone on earth that might seem desirable, even compelling.

8. Again together with the following verb repeats an expression from verse 5: once more Satan takes Jesus along, but this time to a very high mountain. There are frequent references to mountains in the Gospels (as also in the Apocalypses). This one was very high. From this standpoint the devil shows²⁸ Jesus all earth’s kingdoms. The word means territory ruled over by a king, but here the emphasis is on the territory rather than the method of government. The world makes the expression as extensive as it can possibly be, and splendor brings out the attractiveness of those kingdoms at their best. The fact that there is no mountain from which all the world may be seen literally favors the view that the tempter brings all this before the mind of Jesus. Satan holds out before him the prospect of a mighty empire, one that would embrace the whole world. When we contemplate the evils that flourish in even the best states we know and the wickedness that abounds in high places, we can see that to establish a worldwide empire that would be ruled with perfect justice was a real temptation, not a sham parade. Nor should we dismiss the whole episode as something that happened to Jesus but has no relevance to anyone else. Many who profess to follow the Christ have purchased their own “empires” at the cost of the acceptance of evil.¹

Or, to illustrate another way, suppose one of us got into the boxing ring with Muhammad Ali and in a few seconds were flat on the mat, out for the count. After coming to in the locker room (if we did!), we might look up and say, “That fellow can really punch.” But we would not really know. If one of us should walk into the boxing ring with Muhammad Ali and stand our ground for fifteen rounds and walk off on our own feet and then say, “That fellow can really punch,” obviously we would know the full meaning of what we were saying. When we walked into the ring, so to speak, with Satan, in short order we had surrendered to his temptation and sinned. But Jesus Christ stepped into that ring and took everything Satan could hurl into Him, all the way to the Cross, and even in death Jesus never cracked once. Jesus alone knows the full weight of temptation! Thus the writer to the Hebrews can say, “We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15, kjv).²

The second temptation was to make Jesus a wonder-worker and thereby attract people to follow Him. The tempter projected Him into a vision of standing atop the temple on Mount Zion. At the corner where the Royal Porch and Solomon’s Porch met was a drop of 450 feet into the valley of the brook Kidron. A rabbinical tradition reads, “When the King Messiah reveals Himself, then He comes and stands on the roof of the Holy Place.” This means to appear from above, miraculously introducing His national leadership. Satan’s temptation suggested that Jesus stand atop that pinnacle and leap down and, by landing unharmed, present Himself to the multitudes as a wonder-worker. To support his temptation, Satan quoted from the Old Testament, “He shall give His angels charge over you, in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Ps. 91:11–12).

The tempter used Scripture, but took it out of context and bent it to his own advantage. Unless one is honest with the Bible, interpreting it in its context and historic meaning, an application can be a perversion of the Scripture. Christians sometimes fall prey to seeking proof-texts to back up an idea of their own rather than to be honest with the Holy Scripture. But Jesus knew the Scripture well, and said, “It is written again,” with a direct answer to Satan’s temptation, “you shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Jesus understood the Word and, discerning the devil’s misquote, was true to the meaning of God’s Word.

Jesus’ quote from Deuteronomy 6:16 makes clear that faith is not attempting to see how far one can go in pushing God to answer our wishes. Faith is an attitude that opens one’s will to God, that allows God to fulfill His own will through one’s life. Faith that can respond more to signs and wonders than to the Word of God is not authentic faith. Jesus refused the way of becoming a wonder-worker to gain national leadership. He was not cultivating people’s faith in wonders but faith in God Himself. Jesus’ miracles were unselfish expressions which served the good of others and glorified God rather than miracles for His own self-interest.

The third temptation focused directly on Jesus’ ultimate mission. He had come to seek and to save the lost, to reconcile men to God. The vision of the world that He came to save moved before Him, and the voice of the tempter said, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” The tempter was suggesting that Jesus take another route to win the world than the way of the Cross. But Jesus knew that He could not defeat evil by compromising with evil. Jesus’ decision was to be faithful to God and His calling, to follow the way which inevitably led to the Cross. Jesus’ response to this temptation was abrupt and pointed: “Away with you Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”³

The second temptation (vv. 5–7). The second temptation was even more subtle. This time Satan also used the Word of God. “So You intend to live by the Scriptures,” he implied. “Then let me quote You a verse of Scripture and see if You will obey it!” Satan took the Lord Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, probably 500 feet above the Kidron Valley. Satan then quoted from Psalm 91:11–12 where God promised to care for His own. “If You really believe the Scriptures, then jump! Let’s see if the Father cares for You!”

Note carefully our Lord’s reply: “It is written AGAIN” (Matt. 4:7, emphasis mine). We must never divorce one part of Scripture from another, but we must always “compare spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13). We can prove almost anything by the Bible if we isolate texts from the contexts and turn them into pretexts. Satan had cleverly omitted the phrase “in all Thy ways” when he quoted from Psalm 91. When the child of God is in the will of God, the Father will protect him. He watches over those who are “in His ways.”

Jesus replied with Deuteronomy 6:16: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” We tempt God when we put ourselves into circumstances that force Him to work miracles on our behalf. The diabetic who refuses to take insulin and argues, “Jesus will take care of me,” may be tempting the Lord. We tempt God when we try to force Him to contradict His own Word. It is important for us as believers to read all Scripture, and study all God has to say, for all of it is profitable for daily life (2 Tim. 3:16–17).

The third temptation (vv. 8–11). The devil offered Jesus a shortcut to His kingdom. Jesus knew that He would suffer and die before He entered into His glory (Luke 24:26; 1 Peter 1:11; 5:1). If He bowed down and worshiped Satan just once (this is the force of the Greek verb), He could enjoy all the glory without enduring the suffering. Satan has always wanted worship, because Satan has always wanted to be God (Isa. 14:12–14). Worshiping the creature instead of the Creator is the lie that rules our world today (Rom. 1:24–25).

There are no shortcuts to the will of God. If we want to share in the glory, we must also share in the suffering (1 Peter 5:10). As the prince of this world, Satan could offer these kingdoms to Christ (John 12:31; 14:30). But Jesus did not need Satan’s offer. The Father had already promised Jesus the kingdom! “Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen [nations] for Thine inheritance” (Ps. 2:8). You find the same promise in Psalm 22:22–31, and this is the psalm of the cross.

Our Lord replied with Deuteronomy 6:13: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” Satan had said nothing about service, but Jesus knew that whatever we worship, we will serve. Worship and service must go together.

Satan slunk away, a defeated foe; but he did not cease to tempt Jesus. We could translate Luke 4:13, “And when the devil had ended every possible kind of temptation, he stood off from Him until a suitable season.” Through Peter, Satan again tempted Jesus to abandon the cross (Matt. 16:21–23); and through the crowd that had been fed, Satan tempted Jesus to an “easy kingdom” (John 6:15). One victory never guarantees freedom from further temptation. If anything, each victory we experience only makes Satan try harder.

Notice that Luke’s account reverses the order of the second and third temptations as recorded in Matthew. The word “then” in Matthew 4:5 seems to indicate sequence. Luke only uses the simple conjunction “and” and does not say he is following a sequence. Our Lord’s command at the end of the third temptation (“Get thee hence, Satan!”) is proof that Matthew followed the historical order. There is no contradiction since Luke did not claim to follow the actual sequence.

After Jesus Christ had defeated Satan, He was ready to begin His ministry. No man has a right to call others to obey who has not obeyed himself. Our Lord proved Himself to be the perfect King whose sovereignty is worthy of our respect and obedience. But, true to his purpose, Matthew had one more witness to call to prove the kingship of Jesus Christ.⁴

1 Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (pp. 75–77). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

2 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

3 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

4 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 18–19). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.