We are aware of three temptations Jesus faced but it is important to point out verse two indicating He was tempted much more than three times. V2. "where He was tempted by the devil for forty days." Yes, He was tempted the three times recorded in Luke but understand He was tempted for forty days. Being tempted for forty straight days was quite an attack on Jesus. Also notice Luke tells us Jesus ate nothing the entire time and became very hungry. Fasting is a spiritual practice and perhaps Jesus fasted knowing He would encounter such temptation. A practice we can and should apply when we are faced with difficult times and trials.
Three particular temptations Jesus faced are written in Luke. The first temptation was to make bread for himself to eat to take away His hunger. The second was the offering of the devil to receive the glory of any of the worldly kingdoms tempting His pride and ego. During this temptation something the devil said jumped out at me. He said, V6 "I will give you the glory of these kingdoms because they are mine to give to anyone I please."
That statement caused me to understand how carefully we should view and desire worldly things. If the devil used things many of us treasure and strive for to tempt Jesus, then maybe we need to watch and make sure we are not being tempted with such things in our own lives.
The third was tempting Jesus to jump off the top of the Temple so God could save Him by ordering is angels, perhaps tempting Jesus to do something to prove God's power or exhibit His faith.
Now in verse 13, we read, "When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left Him until the next opportunity came." I take this to imply Jesus may not have only been tempted while in the wilderness for forty days but during His entire ministry. Jesus may have overcome much more temptation that we might think at first glance. We know He addressed a time He may have been tempted in Matthew 16:23. Jesus had just told the disciples He would go to Jerusalem and die there. Peter responded with "Heaven forbid" and "This will never happen to you." To which Jesus said, "Get away from me, Satan!" I believe this supports the idea Jesus was not only tempted in the wilderness but throughout His ministry.
In fighting with the devil during Hide times of temptation, Jesus used scriptures to fight back. If fighting temptation with scripture was Jesus way of combating temptation then maybe we should do the same. This is a huge reason for us all to read and study the Bible so we can use it or at least turn to it in times of trial and temptation.
Chapter four also gives us accounts of Jesus speaking in the Temple, saying He was the one referred to in the writings of Isaiah 61:1-2;
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."
Through the writings in Isaiah, Jesus declared He was the one who has come in the name of the Lord to do all those things. He later supports His claim by casting out demons and healing the ill. As He cast out demons, even they knew who He was by calling Him, the Holy One of God and the Son of God. Vs 34 and 41.
Crowds followed Jesus everywhere and begged Him to not leave them but He spoke to them of His mission in verse 43; "But He replied, " I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns too, because that is why I was sent."
Jesus came to tell all people of the saving gift of salvation God had sent them through Jesus Christ. Each one of us has been given that gift and can spend eternity with God if we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior