(Luke 4:1-13)
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to the desert for a 40-day testing period by Satan. This period of testing by Satan was the final event in the preparation of Jesus for His ministry. There were three areas in which Jesus was tempted. In the first temptation, Satan urged Jesus to use His power in order to satisfy His hunger (Luke 4:3). Jesus resisted Satan by quoting the scripture: "Man does not live on bread alone" (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Satan then took Jesus to a high place. Satan showed and offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would worship him (Satan). Again Jesus quoted scripture to him: "It is written: 'worship the Lord your God and serve him only'" (Luke 4:8 and Deuteronomy 6:13).

Satan was twice thwarted by Scripture, so in the third temptation he tried using it for his benefit. Satan took Jesus to a high place overlooking Jerusalem and said: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: 'He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone'" (Luke 4:9-11 and Psalms 91:11,12). Jesus once again resisted the temptation by quoting scripture: "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test'" (Luke 4:12 and Deuteronomy 6:16).

According to The New Bible Commentary: Revised: "The temptations were all directed against the divine Sonship of Jesus. They encouraged Him to misuse His divine powers, to gain His purpose in the world by obeying the devil instead of His Father, and to doubt the reality of His Father's love and care. The temptations were therefore not directed specifically against the Messianic office of Jesus, encouraging Him to win the people by performing spectacular miracles, but rather against the inner relationship of Sonship on which His Messiahship rested." (D. Guthrie and J. A. Motyer, eds., The New Bible Commentary: Revised, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973, 895.)