Big Salvation-Historical Picture: unlike Israel of old, Jesus the Son of God faithfully resists the devil’s temptations.

1. Jesus represents Israel
2. Jesus is the faithful, last Adam.

Temptation 1: Doubt God’s provision and love in the face of circumstances.

Temptation 2: An explicit temptation to break the first commandment.

Temptation 3: Twist God’s Word for personal advantage

• Jesus’ testing recalls Israel’s experience in the wilderness. Luke explicitly connects them by mentioning “wilderness” and “forty”, since the “forty days” (v. 2) recalls Israel’s “forty years” in the wilderness (Num. 14:34).

• More important, all three Old Testament passages Jesus quotes in response to the devil come from Deut. 6–8 (Deut. 6:13 and Luke 4:8; Deut. 6:16 and Luke 4:12; Deut. 8:3 and Luke 4:4), a section that calls Israel to be faithful to God in the wilderness (Deut. 6:16; 8:2).

Conclusion: Jesus’ temptations are part of his identification with us, and lead to the cross.

* This sermon is indebted to a lecture by D.A. Carson on Matthew’s parallel account.