D. The Temptation of Jesus (4:1-13)

In the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus retreated to the desert. The forty days of fasting recall the experiences of Moses and Elijah (Ex 34:28; 1Ki 19:8). Temptation came to Jesus as the Son of God, but he refused to use his position to perform spectacular signs, and he refused to win political authority by worshiping the Devil. In rejecting these temptations he remembered the words of Scripture. Deuteronomy especially came to mind (for vv.4, 8, 12, see Dt 8:3; 6:13, 16).