Temptation of Christ

All three synoptic gospels record that Jesus was tempted after His baptism and before He began His ministry. The account in Mark is very brief (Mark 1:12f.). Matthew and Luke give fuller accounts, the only substantial difference being the order of the last two temptations (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Matthew's account seems to work toward a psychological climax while Luke's appears to be more governed by geography. Jesus is tempted to turn stones into bread, to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the Temple so that God will rescue Him spectacularly, and to gain control of the world through worshiping Satan. Each of the temptations seems to be directed both to His personal relationship to His Father and to His mission on earth. “If you are the [[Son of God]] . . .” echoes the declaration made at His baptism and is heard again when His other period of intense testing in the passion reaches its climax on the cross (Matt. 27:40,43).