Luke 4:9-13 9And he took him into Jerusalem and he stood on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, in order to guard you,’ 11and “‘On their hands they will lift you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12And answering Jesus said to him, “It is said, ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’” 13And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him until another time.
The last temptation again builds on Genesis 3:6 and the deception of gaining wisdom and being like God. The devil took Jesus to look over Jerusalem from the highest point of the temple. The setting was symbolic because the temple represented the presence of God among the people. It was also probably the tallest building in Jerusalem and overlooked the Kidron Valley. The devil picked a prominent place before important people.
The devil uses the same kind of statement as verse 3, which could be interpreted as “since you are” and not “if you are.” This temptation focused again on Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. Jesus was tempted to prove the recent voice and confirmation from the Father (3:22). The temptation also included distrusting the anointing of the Spirit. The devil quotes Psalm 91:11-12 to claim that God would not let Jesus die from a fall but would send angels to protect him. God gives angels to encourage us to trust him, not to test him.
Jesus answers a third time by quoting again from the Book of Deuteronomy, a verse from 6:16. The word for test (ekpeiraseis) has the same root for “temptation” in verses 3 and 13. Testing God becomes a temptation for us by creating doubts in our minds about God’s promises and love. Israel tested God at a place called Massah in Exodus 17 by doubting his care and protection, especially related to drinking water. Jesus knew that God would indeed send angels if necessary, but it was not appropriate to test the situation because the promise was skewed and distorted by the devil. The devil can use God’s promises by taking them out of context and stretching their meaning and application. Not every promise of God fits every situation. Some are given for specific people, times, and situations. God would give protection to Jesus in other times and places, even in the next passage when Jesus goes to his home town of Nazareth.
There was no hole or weakness in Jesus’ armor. He resisted the devil, and the devil had to flee (James 4:7). But the temptations were not finished. Jesus was human, like us, and tempted in all ways, not just a few symbolic temptations in the desert. Satan would not leave Jesus alone. To fight any future temptations, Jesus would follow the same pattern of putting his full trust in his Father and following the mission to the cross (John 14:30-31). These three temptations strengthened Jesus for the journey before him and confirmed his identity as the Son of God. He set the pattern for disciples by showing that victory comes in the truth and not a crafty lie. The promises of Scripture must be interpreted appropriately and in line with God’s will and purposes. We must be on alert and guided by the Spirit so that we can see the schemes of the devil and the enticements of the deceived world (Ephesians 4:14; 6:11).
For older posts, click here.