NOTES for Mat 4:1-25
The evangelist could hardly have imagined that Jesus’ testing in the wilderness might have ended with Him yielding to Satan’s temptation and falling into some sin. Rather, the account of this strange dispute, in which the Son of God and Satan exchange biblical quotations, conceals the choice that stood before Jesus: which path would He take to fulfill His mission, how would God reveal Himself to people and bring them back to true life? The tempter offers Him the path of an earthly kingdom: if He truly is the Son of God, then all the kingdoms of the earth rightfully belong to Him, countless legions of angels will fight for Him, the earth itself will turn His realm into paradise, and stones will become loaves of bread. But the Lord chooses another path: He will not draw people with spectacular miracles and power; instead of slaves, He will have disciples who will recognize His divine glory without coercion, through faith and love.