The Temptation of Jesus — Introduction and Summary
The barren, mountainous wasteland west of Jericho is the traditional site of the forty days fast; it is now called mount Quarantal. Since the fall of Adam, Satan and his kingdom of sin had reigned over the world Christ came to destroy Satan's power, and establish the kingdom of God. The official opening of the campaign was his baptism in the Jordan, near Jericho; the devil reacted quickly to this threat to his dominion over men. He did not know that Jesus was the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity; but he had heard the voice of the Father, at his baptism, calling him 'my beloved Son'; he had heard John proclaiming the nearness of the kingdom: he knew Jesus' holiness, and was aware of the supernatural events at the time of his birth. He was undoubtedly the most formidable opponent yet encountered. He must, then, find out just what the title 'Son of God ' implied, and if possible entice him away from his close union with God.
In the first two temptations the devil acts on the presumption that Jesus is the Son of God; in the third, that he is not. Jesus is concerned that Satan does not find out his divine nature; the more in the dark the devil is, the less damage he can do. So it is really a battle of wits. Jesus confounds him on each occasion by quoting scripture (each time from Deuteronomy). He makes no use of miraculous power; he acts just as any man tempted by the devil should and could act. In this he gives us an example of how to repel the attacks of Satan. His victory here foreshadows the final defeat of sin by his death on the cross. Satan makes no more attacks on him until the final battle of the Passion.
The first temptation is based on the similarity of stones to loaves of bread: the second suggests the marvellous, dramatic arrival of the Messiah, so commonly pictured by the Jews; the third would make his passion and death unnecessary. For the last two temptations, our Lord need not have been transported through the air by Satan; they could have walked together to Jerusalem, and back to mount Quarantal (the 'high mountain') as though they were two ordinary human travellers. This is the only scene in the gospels not witnessed by human beings.
From The Gospel Story by R. Cox.
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