The Gospels report that after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist He went into the desert, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. The three-part temptation is told in Matthew 4 and Luke
4. Jesus was hungry, and the devil suggested, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Jesus replied with a verse from Deuteronomy, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
In this He was resisting the temptation to be a sort of wonderworker. The devil then took Him (in a vision, perhaps) to the highest point of the temple and said, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.”
The devil then quoted the Bible to the effect that angels would protect Jesus. Jesus replied that God was not to be put to the test this way.
Then, from a high mountain, the devil showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.” “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
Jesus replied, quoting Scripture, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.”
By resisting the temptation to be a wonder-worker or a worldly king, Jesus proved He was fit to be the world’s Savior.
In a sense He undid the temptation of Adam and Eve, who yielded to the temptation to be godlike and powerful.
