More From Luke

Luke echoes Matthew and Mark in documenting Satan’s temptation in the wilderness. Each writer presents them a little differently. Matthew writes of three, Mark just mentions He was tempted and Luke has a slightly different order than Matthew. Each of what Satan offers sounds so simple.

You’re hungry. You’re capable of making bread, go ahead. That really has nothing to do with Jesus’ purpose here on earth. A very simple miracle, quite similar to turning water into wine. Instead, Christ sets priority. We’re to depend on what is written in God’s word to sustain us.

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:3-4 KJV)

At some time, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess:

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (Romans 14:11 KJV)

Why go through the next three years, crucifixion, resurrection, evangelism? Get it all accomplished right now.

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. (Luke 4:5-7 KJV)

The answer to that one is simple. The first and greatest of the commandments would have been broken:

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (Luke 4:8 KJV)

OK, so that one didn’t go over very well. There’s another, quite smaller, opportunity to prove Himself as God’s Son:

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (Luke 4:9-11 KJV)

And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Luke 4:12 KJV)

There will come a time, we’re told through prophecy:

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:10 KJV)

We have been told: For some are already turned aside after Satan. (1 Timothy 5:15 KJV)

Until such time as scriptures are fulfilled, we must not give in to temptation, must not be turned aside.