Matthew 4:9

All these things. See on v. 8. Religiously and politically Satan effectively exercised his control over the affairs of the world (see Luke 4:6). “These things” were, of course, stolen property, but so long as they were in his hands Satan proposed to trade with them to his own advantage. Christ was the true owner, and His ownership was based on the fact that He had made “all things” (John 1:3). He had never abdicated His rights. Satan knew that Jesus had come to contest his claim, and now offered to surrender it without a conflict — but on conditions. Satan’s control of the human race was not complete; there were still some who had not yielded allegiance to him. He realized the challenge implied in the sinlessness of Christ.

Will give thee. Satan made it appear that Jesus was getting something for practically nothing — “all these things” for the paltry price of prostrating Himself once before the one who posed as their rightful owner. It was as if Satan said, “You came to earn title to this world, did You not? Accept it as a gift from me. Power and honor may be Yours for the taking.” In return, all Satan asked was a transfer of personal allegiance from the Father to himself.

In refusing to comply with Satan’s proposal, Christ also disavowed any unholy alliance between church and state. Christ refused to interfere with the nations of His time — consistently and completely. His only advice on matters of church-state relations was to “render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (ch. 22:21).

Fall down and worship me. In Oriental lands even today prostration is the sign of absolute submission and fealty. This diabolical proposal — that God incarnate should worship the devil — constitutes the climax of blasphemy. The great issues at stake and the unholy boldness of the proposal seem to represent the maximum limit of diabolical ingenuity, and suggest that Matthew’s order of the three temptations, rather than that of Luke, represents the chronological order. Having made his boldest move, Satan had nothing more to offer.