Jesus was now about thirty years of age. The people of Nazareth knew him as the carpenter and regarded him as the son of the carpenter Joseph. (Mark 6:3; Luke 3:23; 4:22) At the time, Joseph does not appear to have been alive, for he is never mentioned as being with Mary on any subsequent occasion. The other children, considering their later expressions of unbelief, may have known nothing about Jesus’ miraculous birth. (John 7:3-5) After their return to Nazareth, Joseph and Mary may wisely have chosen not to share this information with anyone. It would not have benefited their daughters and their sons James, Joses (Joseph), Judas, and Simon. The children would have been burdened with knowledge that could have given rise to serious problems and imposed upon them the obligation never to talk about this aspect of Jesus’ life. No outsider hearing about the miraculous birth would have believed it and, considering the then-existing political situation, any hint of Messianic claims posed a grave danger.
The Scriptural record does not reveal what John may have known about his relative Jesus or whether their paths crossed in earlier years. Zechariah and Elizabeth, as godly parents, are more likely to have waited on the Most High to reveal his purpose respecting their son and Jesus, not focusing their son’s attention on developments surrounding his birth and that of Mary’s son.
For Jesus, his life as a carpenter was about to end. Departing from Nazareth in Galilee, he headed for the location along the Jordan River where John was baptizing. Jesus had no sins to confess, but he identified himself with the sinful people who responded to John’s proclamation. The preserved record is silent about why John objected to baptizing Jesus, saying, “I need to have you baptize me, and you are coming to me?” Jesus indicated that it was proper for the baptism to take place, making it possible for both of them “to fulfill all righteousness.” John would have been acting in his divinely granted capacity as the one to prepare the way for the Messiah, and Jesus, in identifying himself with the sinful people, declared his acceptance of his Father’s will for him to die for sinners. (Hebrews 10:5-10) Jesus’ words persuaded John to consent, and he baptized him. (Matthew 3:13-15; Mark 1:9)
Upon being raised out of the water of the Jordan, Jesus prayed. He and John then saw the heavens, the sky, or the celestial dome part (as if ripped open) and God’s spirit made visible “in bodily form like a dove” descending upon him. From the opened sky above came God’s voice, acknowledging Jesus as his beloved Son with whom he was well pleased. (Matthew 3:16, 17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22)
Earlier, God had revealed to John how he would be able to identify the coming one who would baptize with holy spirit. It would be one upon whom the spirit would descend and remain. Having witnessed this in the case of Jesus, John could testify concerning him, “This is the Son of God.” Not until he had this undeniable confirmation did John truly know who Jesus was. (John 1:32-34)
Notes:
Regarding the descent of the spirit, the accounts are slightly different (“descending like a dove [and] coming upon him” [Matthew 3:16 (a number of ancient manuscripts do not include “and”]; “descending like a dove into him” [Mark 1:10; numerous manuscripts read “upon him”]; “bodily shape like a dove upon him” [Luke 3:22]; “the spirit descending and remaining upon him” [John 1:33]). The manner of the descent in a form like a dove from the opened celestial vault proved that the spirit had come upon Jesus from his Father. For a time this “bodily form like a dove” remained on Jesus and then vanished, entering “into” him (according to the reading of fourth-century Codex Vaticanus and other ancient manuscripts of Mark’s account).
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are not identical in the way they word God’s expression about his Son. This is understandable, as the words were not originally spoken in Greek. It should be noted, however, that the same message is preserved in all three accounts.
Tempted by the Devil
Under the impelling power of God’s spirit, Jesus went into an isolated area in the wilderness of Judea, where wild animals made their home. (Mark 1:12, 13) Since Jesus was moved by the holy spirit to go and then stay in the wilderness, his being there was his Father’s will. Moreover, the harsh circumstances in an inhospitable environment provided the devil with an opportunity to tempt Jesus. (Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1)
The preserved accounts do not reveal the manner in which the devil approached Jesus and how the scenes changed from the wilderness to other locations. A possible clue is the reference to the very high mountain from which the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. (Matthew 4:8) No mountain on earth could have provided a vantage point from which the splendor of all the then-existing kingdoms could be seen. This suggests that Jesus did not leave the wilderness but, by means of a vision, was transported to the top of a high mountain and earlier to the temple in Jerusalem.
After a period of 40 days without food, Jesus experienced intense hunger and must have felt very weak. At what would have been an extremely vulnerable point from a physical standpoint for him, the devil made his approach. “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Matthew 4:2, 3; Luke 4:2, 3, where the singular “this stone” appears)
Jesus knew that it was not his Father’s will to use miraculous powers to satisfy the cravings of his fleshly organism. The performance of a miracle was not an option open to other humans and so would have been a misuse of divinely granted power. It would have shown a lack of faith in his Father as the one who could provide for him and sustain him. His Father, by means of his spirit, had willed for him to be in the wilderness, and his Father would also indicate when it was time to leave. Obedience to his Father would require humble submission to his will regardless of how distressing the circumstances might be, trusting fully in his love and care.
The Israelites, upon leaving Egypt, failed in this respect, complaining that Moses and Aaron had brought them into the wilderness to die of starvation. (Exodus 16:3) They thus showed lack of faith in God’s ability to provide for them despite having seen his intervention in effecting their liberation from Egypt.
Jesus refused to entertain the devil’s proposal. In rejecting it, he quoted from the book of Deuteronomy (8:3), “Not from bread alone does man live, but upon every word coming from God’s mouth.” (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4) Jesus chose trustingly to depend on his Father and to be sustained by whatever his Father’s expressed word would provide. In the case of the Israelites, manna was God’s provision, making it clear to them that man does not live on bread alone (or on the usual food that was then not available to them).
Jesus had expressed his total reliance on his Father, and the devil countered with the suggestion that Jesus demonstrate that unqualified trust. The devil brought him to the “holy city,” Jerusalem, positioning him on the summit of the temple, and then quoted Psalm 91:11, 12, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and upon [their] hands they will carry you, that you never should strike your foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4:5, 6; Luke 4:9-11)
Had Jesus come floating down from the pinnacle of the temple, the multitude in the temple courts would have been amazed and would doubtless have accepted this spectacular sign as an indication of the arrival of their promised Messiah. This, however, was not God’s will. For Jesus to leap from the top of the temple would have been deliberately placing himself in a life-threatening situation and demanding that his Father come to the rescue to enable him to make a showy impression before onlookers. It would not have been an act of faith but a sinful testing of God.
Again, quoting from the book of Deuteronomy (6:16), Jesus replied, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12) Unlike the Israelites who yielded to temptation and put God to the test in the wilderness, Jesus stood firm in his refusal to do so. In the case of the Israelites, they quarreled with Moses about the lack of water, complaining that they, along with their children and livestock, would die of thirst. They tested God when saying, “Is YHWH among us or not?” (Exodus 17:3-7) The question implied that the Most High should do something if he was really among them. In effect, they challenged God to act. Similarly, for Jesus to have cast himself from the summit of the temple would have constituted a faithless demand expressed in rash action, a demand that his Father reveal his presence by saving him from the danger he had deliberately created for himself.
Next, from atop a very high mountain, the devil, in an instant, showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. This glory or splendor could have included the impressive buildings and the luxurious surroundings of those exercising ruling authority. It would have been a display designed to captivate the faculty of sight, creating a desire for all that came to view. The devil expressed his willingness to give everything to Jesus for just one gesture. All that the devil asked of Jesus was that he prostrate himself before him, thereby acknowledging that the kingdoms of the world had been given to him and that he could give everything to anyone he wished. Instead of having to follow a path of humiliation and suffering, Jesus could have everything by engaging in just one simple act of prostration. In reality, though, the devil did not have legitimate claim to anything but exercised rebel authority. Jesus rejected the devil’s offer with the words from Deuteronomy (6:13), “The Lord your God you should worship [Or: To the Lord your God you shall prostrate yourself], and him alone you should serve.” God alone is the source of all rightful authority, and he alone is worthy of worship and service. Otherwise, no one has the right to ask for even one display of the kind of submission that would suggest being in possession of more than creature status. (Matthew 4:8-10; Luke 4:5-8)
The devil departed from Jesus, but this would not be the end of his future attacks. He would be watching for another time to assail God’s Son. (Luke 4:13)
After the devil left, angels came to minister to Jesus. Part of that ministering doubtless included providing food and water for him, enabling him to have the strength needed to make his way out of the wilderness. (Matthew 4:11; Mark 1:13; compare 1 Kings 19:5-8.) In view of the course on which Jesus was now about to embark among the Israelites and its eventual outcome in rejection and a shameful death, the angels may also have strengthened him with words of encouragement. (Compare Luke 22:43.)
Notes:
With reference to the strong impulse God’s spirit exerted on Jesus to prompt him to go into the wilderness of Judea, Mark used the Greek word ekbállo, which can have the sense of “drive out” or “force to leave.” In this case, the significance would be to “cause to go.”
See http://bibleplaces.com/judeanwilderness.htm for pictures of and comments about the Wilderness of Judea.
The extant Septuagint text of Deuteronomy 8:3 (regarding not living on bread alone) and the quotation in Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4 are identical.
Recognizing that man does not live on bread alone means acknowledging one’s complete dependence on God and trusting him fully, refusing to satisfy the desires of the flesh or the physical organism by any means that would call into question his ability to provide for, sustain, and strengthen his servants.
Luke did not record the temptation of Jesus in chronological sequence, as did Matthew. The arrangement Luke chose seemingly would have been of greater significance to non-Jewish readers, with the temptation involving the temple in Jerusalem being mentioned last.
The quotation from Psalm 91:11, 12 (90:11, 12, LXX) in Luke’s account is more complete than in Matthew’s account. For the basic portion that is quoted, both Matthew and Luke match the wording of the Septuagint.
The extant Septuagint text of Deuteronomy 6:16 (about not testing God) is the same as the quotation in Matthew 4:7 and Luke 4:12.
It should be noted that, in a sacred location, the devil misused the Scriptures. Awareness of this can serve as a powerful warning. Just because a certain activity may, within a particular “church” or movement, be considered sacred or viewed as an expression of faith, does not make it such. Whenever a certain service places individuals in circumstances that make it extremely difficult, if not nearly impossible, to care for their basic needs without receiving repeated help from others, their choosing such service is much like casting themselves from the summit of the temple and believing that God is obligated to come to their aid. On the other hand, a particular activity may amount to little more than an outward display of godliness and trust in God. Engaging in the activity may do little more than provide participants (and the movement itself) with the means for boasting or promoting themselves.
Not infrequently men wielding authority in religious movements misapply the Scriptures and succeed in persuading others to undertake unwise activity with the objective of furthering the causes of their respective movements, or to risk their freedom, security, or even their lives. Tragically, among those who are convinced to believe that they are serving God by following the directives of a leadership claiming to have divine backing will be persons who end up experiencing needless hardships and suffering. Whenever individuals consider themselves or their particular movements as heaven’s favorites, grave danger exists. Especially when movements are portrayed as the exclusive possessors of “the truth,” darkness may be represented as light, error as truth, and unreality as reality. Spiritual discernment is needed to differentiate between genuine faith and what really amounts to an improper testing of God.
The extant Septuagint text of Deuteronomy 6:13 differs from the quotation in Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8. Both the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint (with the exception of Codex Alexandrinus) use “fear” instead of a term denoting an act of prostration or worship. “YHWH your God you shall fear, and him you shall serve.” (Masoretic Text) “The Lord your God you shall fear, and him you shall serve.” (LXX) “The Lord your God you shall worship, and him alone you shall serve.” (Codex Alexandrinus)
There are persons who seize or accept authority and want others to acknowledge them in ways that far exceed the kind of recognition to which they may be entitled. Whereas Jesus refused to accept the offer for position and power on the devil’s terms, many, throughout the centuries, have yielded to this type of offer. To assure the continuance of their own position or comparative well-being and not to jeopardize receiving future benefits, they have complied with requests or demands they knew to be wrong or have in other dishonorable ways sought to curry favor. In effect, they have prostrated themselves before mere creatures.
When prominent individuals in religious movements represent themselves as God’s appointees or allow others to make such claims, they pose a serious threat to the spiritual well-being of those who are induced to believe that whatever policies or teachings they promulgate should be regarded as coming from God. A careful review of the official publications of movements that claim to be “the truth” will often reveal a less than honest admission of past errors. Highly questionable aspects in their history are greatly minimized, and prominent ones who conducted themselves in an abusive and morally corrupt manner continue to be portrayed as God’s chosen instruments. Accepting the claim that the leadership serves by God’s appointment, the majority of the members are willing to grant to humans the kind of submission that is not divinely authorized and, unwittingly, make themselves idolaters. Part of the gain for such idolatry is maintaining a good standing within the movement, a social framework for sharing in various activities, and the potential for being given positions or special assignments only open to those considered to be exemplary members.
The strong persuasive power of a temptation primarily lies in its opening up a seemingly easier and speedier way to make gain or to attain a desirable end than the existing circumstances would legitimately allow. Everything the devil proposed to Jesus either suggested a way to satisfy a pressing physical need or a means for gaining recognition and position without undertaking a course of self-denial, hardship, and suffering. Moreover, the suggested objectives could be attained immediately, without having to wait patiently under unfavorable circumstances.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke did not provide the source of their information about the devil’s efforts to tempt Jesus. A likely possibility is that Jesus himself told some, if not all, of the apostles about his experience in the wilderness, admonishing them to resist the devil.