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Matthew 4:1-12; Luke 4:1-13 – Order of Christ’s Temptations
Each both Luke and Matthew, the temptation involving bread and stones is listed first. However, the second temptation in Matthew is the third in Luke. In Luke’s record, Satan’s temptation to throw Himself down to prove trust in God is listed third. Matthew is better known for grouping biographical points topically, while Luke’s record is more chronologically arranged; so is Luke’s the correct order? Or is Satan’s offering all the kingdoms to Jesus actually the third temptation as in Matthew’s record?
Looking carefully at each account, there is no ordinal language such as “second” in either. But Matthew does use sequential language such as “then” (tote) suggesting that Matthew’s account is the exact order. Luke presents the scenes more separately, almost simply what Satan did. Therefore I conclude that Matthew organizes sequentially. In favor of Matthew being structured as it chronlogically occurred, Peter Leithart shows that even though Luke is overall written “in order” (Luke 1.3), it is not without thematic structure:
“Jesus’ temptations in Luke culminate at the temple in Jerusalem, as everything does in Luke’s gospel” (Leithart.com).
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