And [the devil], leading him up into a high mountain, shewed him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time.
The devil lifts Jesus to a high place and shows Him every kingdom on earth in one instant. Two questions follow: why does Luke place this temptation second, and by what right does Satan display kingdoms that were never his?
Luke does not follow the sequence of events. He groups the three assaults by what each one targets in a man.
The first temptation is an appeal to the need of the body. The second in Luke (not in Matthew) is the lure of the world's glory. The third in our Gospel is the religious temptation through the word of God, and therefore morally the hardest of all for one who values that word. This is why Luke leaves the actual order of events and groups them morally, as this writer does elsewhere too. So the tempter attacks the Lord Jesus first about man's life. Then about the power given to man. Then about the promises made to Christ Himself.
This display works on the eye. It stands in the middle of a threefold description of the world found elsewhere in Scripture.
The order here agrees with John's analysis of the world in 1 John 2. The first temptation was clearly designed to appeal to the lust of the flesh, the second to the lust of the eyes, and the third to the pride of life. But no such lust or pride had any place in our Lord, and the three testings only served to reveal His perfection in its details.
The same appeal through the eye had worked once before, in a garden, on the first man and his wife.
The sight of the fruit drew Eve in. But not all the glory of the kingdoms of the world could bring Jesus under the devil, or move Him from His place of subjection to God.
The phrase is more than a detail. It measures how much the tempter really has.
From a mountain top the devil shows Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (In fact, the whole time these kingdoms will last is really "but for a moment.") Satan can show all he has in a moment. The Lord will take eternity to show us the riches of what He owns.
Commentators differ on how much weight to give the tempter's claim. Some say the Lord never argued with the fact of Satan's grip. They point to how Scripture describes the world elsewhere.
The Word of God sets the world before us as an organised system, with Satan at its head. The devil took Jesus up a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. His offer was this: "I will give You all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will." Of course the Son of God does not admit that Satan has a right to this rule. But He does not deny the fact either.
Others read the boast as a lie that exposes who the speaker is.
He claimed something completely untrue: that they had all been handed over to him, and that he could do with them as he chose. How the devil's true character here comes out! For rulers are God's ministers, not the devil's. The authorities that exist are appointed by God.
One writer traces the devil's grip back to the first man.
It is true enough that all these kingdoms have been delivered to Satan. He is a usurper who tricked Adam into handing the world's authority over to him.
What Christ refused from Satan, someone else will one day accept.
Christ refused the sovereignty of the world from Satan (Luke 4:5, 8); here is one who accepts it.
The refusal costs Him nothing. Who finally gets the earth was never the tempter's to decide.
Men forget that God may allow the devil, for a time, to give the kingdoms of this world to whom he will. But God has kept the final disposal of this world in His own hands. Christ has only to ask, and God will give Him the nations for an inheritance, and the ends of the earth for a possession.
- Order — Luke arranges the three temptations by what they target, not by when they happened: the body, then the world's glory, then the word of God.
- Eye — The middle attack targets the lust of the eyes, the same door through which the fruit once drew Eve in.
- Moment — All the tempter owns can be displayed in an instant; the Lord will need eternity to show His own riches.
- Claim — Commentators differ on Satan's boast. Some say Christ let the fact stand without granting the right. Others say rulers are God's ministers, so the claim was false.
- Inheritance — Christ refused the kingdoms from the devil's hand. They remain God's to give, and He will give them to His Son. Someone else will one day accept them from Satan.
And the devil said to him, I will give thee all this power, and their glory; for it is given up to me, and to whomsoever I will I give it.
From a mountain the devil shows Jesus every kingdom of the world and claims they are his to give away. Was that claim true, and why did the Lord refuse a crown that was already His?
The offer rests on the words "it has been delivered to me." Writers do not treat that as a straight lie or a straight truth.
That was false, and yet true. It was false as to title, but true as to fact; for Satan had acquired this by man's sin. As to title, he had none at all. Satan had no title to give glory to anyone. But through his craft he led man to depart from God. He attacked the first Adam and defeated him. He profits by this victory over man, and here sets himself forward as the usurper. "I have all this," he says, "and I give it to whomever I will. If you will own me as the giver" — that is what worship means here — "if you will take it from me, all will be yours."
Notice what the Lord does not say in reply. He never disputes the boast, and elsewhere He confirms it in His own words.
Of course the Son of God does not acknowledge his right to this dominion, but at the same time He does not deny the fact. On the contrary, He more than once acknowledges it. So, when speaking of His death, He says — "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out" (John 12:31).
If someone handed this authority over, how did that happen? The answer goes back to the first act of disobedience — and to the obedience that undid it.
It has often been asked, how was it delivered to him. In the second chapter of Ephesians we read, "following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience." Satan has gained power over man because man is in a state of disobedience. He has no power over an obedient man, and that is what we see in these verses. He gained his power through the disobedience of man in the garden of Eden, but the obedience of a Man in the wilderness cancels his power.
Look at the offer itself. The devil could display all he had in a single moment.
Satan can show all he has in a moment of time, but the Lord will take eternity to show us the riches of His possession. It is true enough that all these kingdoms have been delivered to Satan. He is a usurper who tricked Adam into handing the world's authority over to him. So he tries also to bring Christ under his authority by his false offer of all these kingdoms, if Christ will only worship him!
The gift had its price: owning Satan as the giver. Who has taken that deal?
Oh, is this not exactly what the powers of this world have done? They have simply taken the devil's bribe. How solemn, how awful, to think of it!
The crown belonged to Christ. He refused the road Satan offered, not the crown.
Satan has profanely taken the crown for himself. During the temptation in the wilderness he actually offered it to Him. He refused it. He did not choose that short and easy way to glory. He took the hard road that lay through death and resurrection — "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" (Luke 24:26).
What the devil put before Christ on that mountain, he still puts before His followers.
The character of this last temptation is the world. Let us be warned: whenever this world sets something before us as a prize to chase, it is of Satan. God cannot offer us anything in a world that has cast the Son of God completely out of it. We are heirs of it with Christ. By and by He will put us in possession. When He takes possession, that will be time enough for hearts that love Him to possess it.
- Usurped, not owned. The devil's claim is false as to title and true as to fact — he holds the world's kingdoms, but he never had any right to them.
- Gained by disobedience. He got that hold through man's fall. He has no power over an obedient man, and a Man's obedience in the desert cancelled it.
- Offered in a moment. All he could show took a moment; the Lord will take eternity to display what is really His.
- Refused at the price. The crown was Christ's, but He refused the shortcut. He chose the road through death and resurrection.
- Still on offer. Anything this world holds out as a prize to chase comes from the same hand. The inheritance waits until Christ takes possession and shares it with His own.
If therefore *thou* wilt do homage before me, all [of it] shall be thine.
In Luke's account this is Satan's second move, and it is a straight bargain: the whole visible world for one act of homage. Everything turns on one word — "worship." What was the devil really asking for? And why did the offer have no pull on the Lord?
The demand was not for a religious ceremony. It was for an admission — that the world's power is Satan's to give.
That was false, and yet true. It was false as to title, but true as to fact; for Satan had acquired this by man's sin. As to title, he had none at all. Satan had no title to give glory to anyone. But by his craft he led man to depart from God. He attacked the first Adam and defeated him, and he profits by this victory over man. The result of that victory was that the creature left the place of confidence and trust. So here he sets himself forth as the usurper. "I have all this," he says, "and I give it to whoever I will. If you will own me as the giver" — that is here the meaning of worship — "if you will take it from me, all shall be yours."
The bargain rested on something untrue. Government does not belong to Satan, and God had long since promised the kingdoms to Another.
The tempter was beaten, but not ashamed. He led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. He offered them to Him with their glory as a free gift, if only He would worship before him. His claim was wholly untrue — that they had all been handed over to him, and that he could dispose of them as he chose. How the devil's true character (John 8:44) comes out here! For rulers are God's ministers, not the devil's. God appoints the authorities that exist (Rom. 13). Besides this, centuries earlier God, the Sovereign Ruler, had announced who would receive all the rule the devil was offering (Psalm 2:8). What a bold move this was! All should be the Lord's, he said, if only He would worship before him. All was to be His really, a gift from the Father to the Son.
Notice how fast the whole display was over.
The second temptation (vv. 6-7) is an appeal to pride as well as to greed. But again the Lord has no inclination to give in to it. From a mountain top the devil shows Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (Indeed, the time all these kingdoms will last is little more than "a moment.") Satan can show all he has in a moment of time. But the Lord will take eternity to show us the riches of His possession.
His refusal was a settled choice about whose hand He would take anything from. That choice set the road He would walk.
So He overcame the tempter. He stayed faithful to Him whose will He had come to do. He refused everything from the hand of Satan, and received only from the Father. The path to His exaltation lay through the cross. There He glorified God in all that God is, and was victorious over death and the grave. He has forever set aside the claim and power of Satan, and has established the rights of God.
Here is where the Lord differs from us. We measure the offer; He measured the one making it.
Fallen man would like the gift. He would long for the gift, and the more glory it had, the more it would attract him. But the Lord Jesus — the perfect Man — thought of the giver. He thought of who it was that offered it. His heart was in perfect unison with the heart of God, so He says, "You shall worship the Lord your God." He would not take an empire or a kingdom from anyone else. He would not take glory, pleasure, or honour from Satan.
The devil rarely asks anyone outright to bow to him. People still strike the bargain without saying a word.
The devil tried to tempt Christ when he "showed Him all the kingdoms of the world," and promised them all to Him, if He would "fall down and worship him." Everyone who seeks the world's wealth by unrighteousness goes to the devil for it, and worships him in effect. How much better it is to have poverty from God than riches from the devil! A temptation comes on strong when the way out of trouble seems to run through the sin Satan is urging.
- The price — "Worship" here means owning Satan as the giver. His claim was false as to title, but real as to fact, since he gained his hold through man's fall.
- The lie — Rulers are God's ministers, not the devil's. God had already announced who would receive the kingdoms.
- The size — Satan showed all he had in a moment. The Lord will take eternity to show the riches of His possession.
- The choice — He refused everything from Satan's hand and received only from the Father. His path to exaltation ran through the cross.
- The test — Fallen man wants the gift. The perfect Man looked at the giver. Everyone who seeks the world's wealth by unrighteousness worships Satan in effect.
And Jesus answering him said, It is written, Thou shalt do homage to [the] Lord thy God, and him alone shalt thou serve.
In the wilderness the devil shows Jesus every kingdom of the world and offers Him all of it for one act of homage. Jesus answers with a line from Deuteronomy, and it settles the matter by God's plain claim on a man's worship and service.
Older Bibles begin this verse with "Get behind me, Satan." Modern ones leave those words out. One commentator links this to the order in which Luke tells the story:
The best attested text leaves the words "Get behind me, Satan; for" out of the Lord's answer to the devil. The manuscript evidence calls for leaving them out. So does the change of order in Luke, in which Luke was, I have no doubt, guided by God. The commonly received text gives a strange appearance: the Lord tells the adversary to go away, yet Satan stays where he was and tempts the Lord in a new way. Leave these words out, and everything flows on in exact connection with the context.
The offer was not an empty bluff. One writer separates what Satan held in fact from what he held by right:
That was false, and yet true. It was false as to title, but true as to fact; for Satan had acquired this by man's sin. As to title, he had none at all. Satan had no right to give glory to anyone. But by his craft he led man away from God. He attacked the first Adam and defeated him. He profits by this victory over man, and here he sets himself up as the usurper.
The Lord's answer covers both worship and service. One writer names what that shuts out:
The Lord answers the worldly temptations by insisting, according to the written Word, on worshipping the Lord God and serving Him only. Homage to Satan is incompatible with the service of God.
The refusal was not a loss. One writer follows the road that led to His exaltation instead:
He overcame the tempter by staying faithful to the One whose will He had come to do. He refused everything from the hand of Satan, and received only from the Father. The path to His exaltation lay through the cross. There He glorified God in all that God is. Victorious over death and the grave, He has forever set aside the claim and power of Satan.
Jesus does not answer with power. He answers with a text, and one writer notes where all His answers came from:
Notice that in each case Christ does not just quote Scripture; He quotes it as Scripture. Each time He says, "It is written." And it is a very remarkable thing that the Lord answers Satan every time from the book of Deuteronomy. The Lord gained the victory in every instance by the Word of God. It was the outcome of His simple dependence on God, and of having the Word of God in His heart. He proved the truth of the word, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
The refusal did not come from gritted teeth. One writer traces it to what already filled His heart:
Power and pomp and greatness dazzle and fascinate men. Men will sell their souls and deny their God for them. They had no charm for Jesus… A true worshipper of God is one whose heart is filled with His glory. It was always so with Jesus here on earth, and in that filled heart there was no room for the world; its empty splendour did not attract Him.
One writer sets fallen man beside the perfect Man, and then turns the question on us:
Fallen man would like the gift, and would long for the gift. The more glory it had, the more it would attract him. But the Lord Jesus — the perfect Man — thought of the giver. He thought of who it was that offered it… He would not take glory, pleasure, or honour from Satan… How blessed to hear Him say, "It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only." Him only! Are you as exclusive as that?
- Only, the claim. The whole answer turns on one word: worship belongs to God, and the service that follows belongs to Him alone.
- Only, and the usurper. Satan's claim to the kingdoms was true in fact but false in title — he holds by man's fall what was never granted him.
- Only, and the giver. Fallen man eyes the gift; the perfect Man looks at who is offering, and refuses everything from that hand.
- Only, and the cross. He took nothing from Satan's hand; His glory came the long way — through the cross, and from the Father.
- Only, and the weapon. Three times "it is written," three times from Deuteronomy — victory came through a heart already stored with God's Word.