Dr Paul Allen

The Temptation of Christ, 1854 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 4:5–7 “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (v. 7). Luke’s account of Jesus ’ temptation (4:1–13) differs a bit from Matthew 4:1–11. This passage in Matthew describes Jesus’ second test, but it is placed third in Luke’s gospel . Yet this should not trouble us. The Gospels are accurate histories, but they are not strict, chronological biographies like the ones we are accustomed to reading. At some points, material is rearranged to make a particular point. John Calvin comments that the Evangelists did not intend “to preserve, on all occasions, the exact order of time, but to draw up an abridged narrative of the events, so as to present, as in a mirror or picture, those things which are most necessary to be known concerning Christ.” After passing the first test, Jesus is taken to the “holy city” (Jerusalem) where the Devil challenges Him to throw Himself off the temple ( Matt. 4

The Temptation of Christ, 1854 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 4:1 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (v. 1). The Messiah who would defeat the Devil ( 1 John 3:8b) and bring back God’s people from exile came to Israel around 4 B.C. As the prophets foretold, Jesus was the Son of David , had a miraculous birth, and was opposed by many of His own brethren (Matt. 1–2). Despite this opposition, Jesus still identified Himself with His people and confirmed His ministry through His baptism (chap. 3). In  Matthew’s gospel  chapter 4, it describes Jesus’ testing in the wilderness. Before we look at His testing in detail, we must first place this event in its historical and theological context in order to understand clearly what occurred when Satan tempted the Christ. The Westminster Confession of Faith , chapter 7, says God made a “ covenant of works ” with the first human being. In Eden, the Lord ordered Adam to refrain from eatin