Matthew 4:1

Then. [The Temptation, Matt. 4:1-11 = Mark 1:12, 13 = Luke 4:1-13. Major comment: Matthew. See the Early Ministry and Baptism to First Passover; The Ministry of Our Lord.] Gr. tote, a favorite word with Matthew. It occurs in his Gospel about 90 times compared with 6 times in Mark and 14 times in Luke (see Matt. 2:7; 3:13; 4:1, 5; etc.). It indicates a transition of thought and locates the new section of the narrative at a definite point of time, which may immediately follow the preceding incident.

Led up. The “wilderness” was literally “up” from the Jordan River — up in the hills, either of Judea, or of Peraea across the Jordan. The exact site of the temptation is not known.

Of the spirit. From birth Jesus had been under the guidance and instruction of the Holy Spirit (see on Matt. 3:16; Luke 2:52), but at the time of His baptism the Spirit descended upon Him in rich measure to endow Him with wisdom and skill for His appointed mission (Acts 10:38; cf. ch. 1:8). Jesus was “guided, step by step, by the Father’s will,” in harmony with “the plan” that “lay out before Him, perfect in all its details,” “before He came to earth” (DA 147; see on Luke 2:49). Mark uses an even stronger expression, saying, “The spirit driveth him into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12).

Into the wilderness. The traditional site of the temptation is in the rugged, barren hills that rise to the west of Jericho, called the Quarantania in allusion to the 40 days of Jesus’ stay in the wilderness. The baptism occurred in the Jordan east of Jericho (see on ch. 3:1), and the fact that Jesus returned thither at the close of the 40 days implies that the wilderness of temptation was at no great distance. This being the case, it is entirely possible that Jesus retired to the wilderness region in the vicinity of Mt. Nebo in the Mountains of Abarim, east of the Dead Sea (see on Num. 21:20; Num. 27:12; Deut. 3:17). It was from the lofty heights of Mt. Nebo that “the Lord shewed him [Moses] all the land” (Deut. 34:1-4; PP 471-477), and it may have been from the same spot, “an exceeding high mountain,” that the devil presented to Christ “all the kingdoms of the world” (Matt. 4:8).

To be tempted. Gr. peirazd, “to attempt” (Acts 9:26; 16:7; Acts 24:6; etc.), “to test,” with a commendable motive in view (John 6:6; 2 Cor. 13:5), and “to test” with an evil motive in view (Matt. 19:3; Luke 11:16), particularly in the sense of luring a person to commit sin (1 Cor. 7:5; 1 Thess. 3:5; James 1:13). Here peirazd is used in the latter sense.

Jesus did not invite temptation, nor did He consciously place Himself on the devil’s enchanted ground. He retired to the wilderness to be alone with His Father and to meditate upon the task that lay before Him.

Jesus took upon Himself human nature, and with it the possibility of yielding to sin (DA 117). He was permitted to “meet life’s peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss” (DA 49). Only thus could it be said that He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Otherwise, if, as some assert, Jesus, being divine, could not be tempted — then His temptation was a farce. It was through His human nature that He experienced temptation (cf. DA 686). Had His experience with temptation been in any degree less trying than our experiences with it, “He would not be able to succor us” (DA 117). See Additional Note on John 1; see on Luke 2:40, 52; John 1:14; Heb. 4:15; EGW Supplementary Material on Matt. 4:1-11; Rom. 5:12-19.

We have a representative before the Father who can “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” because He “was in all points tempted like as we are.” Hence we are bidden to “come boldly unto the throne of grace” for “grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15, 16). Jesus knows by experience what humanity can endure, and He has promised to temper the power of the tempter according to our individual strength to endure, and to “provide the way of escape” (1 Cor. 10:13, RSV). Within the domain of every human heart the great conflict through which Christ passed in the wilderness of temptation is repeated. Without testing — without the opportunity to choose to do right or to do wrong — there can be no character development. It is by resisting temptation that we develop power to withstand temptation.

The devil. Gr. diabolos, from dia, “through,” and hallo, “to thrust,” as an adjective meaning “slanderous” and as a substantive “slanderer,” from which the English word “devil” is derived. In the LXX diabolos translates the Heb. satan, “adversary” (see on Zech. 3:1). When referring to Satan, diabolos generally appears with the article (1 Peter 5:8 is an exception). Without the article it is used of people (John 6:70; 1 Tim. 3:11; 2 Tim. 3:3; Titus 2:3).

There are those who contend that there is no personal devil, but the very words diabolos, “slanderer,” and satan, “adversary,” are based on the concept of the devil as a personal being. Christ “beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Only a personal being could fill the role of the devil of the temptation account (Matt. 4:1, 5, 8, 11), and answer to the other statements made concerning the devil by the various NT writers (John 13:2; Heb. 2:14; James 4:7; 1 John 3:8; Jude 9; Rev. 2:10; 20:2, 7-10).