Matthew opens the story with the word 'then' Mark uses in this connection a characteristic word of the Gospel, 'straightway.' Luke opens with the word 'and.' These words 'Then,' 'Straightway,' 'And' show the connection of the temptation with what had preceded it, and thus mark with great distinctness its time. In dealing with the time of the temptation there are three significant words. Though there may be no one else who can say I know exactly what you're going through, Jesus did, or has and now he is here with you in your times of temptation as well. And no one has ever faced the kind of temptations I'm facing right now', because someone has and it's Jesus.

No one has ever suffered like I'm suffering right now. So don't say, 'No one knows what I'm going through right now. So listen, Jesus knows what walking in your shoes is like. No, he did not have the inward vulnerability give in to it, but at the same time he felt the pressure and presence of temptation. It means that you made the right choice, right? Jesus resisted it. Listen, when you resisted, dos that mean that you were not tempted? No. How many of you have ever been tempted and you've resisted the temptation? Raise up your hand. How many of you have given in to those temptations? Thank you very much. How many of you have ever been tempted to sin? Raise up your hand. Therefore, we might protest and say, 'Well then he wasn't really tempted,' because if he didn't have the ability to fall, then that temptation was not genuine. And so the devil knows it's now Jesus does not have that inward vulnerability, that combustible, sinful nature that we have. And for that temptation to work, we have to desire and want the thing that's being offered to us. You see, the temptor needs cooperation with the temptee. Because the Bible says a man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and he is enticed. But listen, he did not have that inward vulnerability to give in to the temptation. And in this case he quoted Psalm 91, 'His angels will have charge over you to keep you in all of your ways.' And Jesus came back and said, 'It is written. Remember Lucifer started out by saying, 'If you're the son of God, why don't you turn this rock into a piece of bread?' And Jesus, of course, refused that temptation and said, 'It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' Satan also took Jesus to the pinnacle of the edge of the temple and he said, 'Why don't you jump off of here, because it is written', and the devil quotes scripture. And there, after a 40 day fast, Jesus faced this onslaught of attacks from Lucifer. We read this spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. You remember that after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist and the spirit of God came upon him in the form of a dove and the father said, 'This is my beloved son and whom I'm well pleased.' But yet the Bible also clearly teaches that Jesus was tempted.

You might say, 'Wait a second, how could God be tempted? Doesn't the Bible say God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does he himself tempt any man?' Yes, it's true. Jesus, according to the Bible, was tempted. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Jesus goes into the wilderness story