He
led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.
Luke 4:9-13
Luke 4 [8.] Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
Luke 4 [9.] He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, for it is written,
‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’
and,
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Luke 4 [12.] Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
Luke 4 [13.] When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.
Luke 4 [14.] Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Meaning:
Jesus had refused to turn a stone into bread (Luke 4:1-4) and to worship the devil in exchange for the kingdoms of the world (Luke 4:5-8). Luke places the temple temptation last, while Matthew places it second (Matthew 4:5-6; Matthew 4:7). Luke’s order fits his Gospel, which moves steadily toward Jerusalem, the city where Jesus would finish his work.
- “He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple”
The pinnacle was probably the high south-eastern corner of the temple courts, where the wall dropped steeply into the Kidron Valley. It was the most public and most sacred place in Israel. A dramatic leap from there, followed by a rescue by angels, would have announced Jesus to the crowds in the temple as a man sent from heaven. It promised fame without suffering, a Messiah who proves himself by spectacle rather than by the path of obedience and the cross. Many in Israel expected the Messiah to appear suddenly in the temple, so the temptation also played on popular hopes. Jesus would one day enter Jerusalem riding humbly on a donkey and then cleanse the temple, not leap from its walls to win applause.
- “for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you’”
Twice Jesus had answered the devil with Scripture. Now the devil quotes Scripture too, from Psalm 91: “For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11-12). The psalm is a real promise of God’s protection for those who trust him. But the devil twists it, taking a promise meant to comfort the faithful in danger and using it as a reason to create danger deliberately. Scripture torn from its meaning and used for selfish ends becomes a tool of deception. Knowing the Bible is not enough; it must be understood and used with humble obedience.
- “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”
Jesus again answers from Deuteronomy: “You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah” (Deuteronomy 6:16). At Massah, in the wilderness, the thirsty Israelites demanded water and asked, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?” (Exodus 17:2). To tempt or test God is to demand that he prove himself on our terms, to force his hand. Real trust does not need to stage a crisis to see whether God is there. Jesus would not jump to make the Father show his care. He already knew the Father’s love. Throughout his ministry Jesus refused to perform signs on demand for those who wanted proof (Mark 8:10-12). The same test came again at the cross, when the rulers scoffed, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!” (Luke 23:35). Once more he trusted the Father and did not save himself.
- “he departed from him until another time”
The devil had “completed every temptation.” He had tried appetite, power and religious display, and failed at every point. Yet he left only “until another time.” The conflict was not over. Luke later tells how, before the Passover, “Satan entered into Judas” (Luke 22:3), and how at his arrest Jesus spoke of “the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). The victory won in the wilderness was a first round. The decisive victory came through the cross and the resurrection.
The Significance of Luke 4:9-13
- Handle Scripture rightly
Even the devil can quote the Bible. Believers need to read Scripture as a whole, in context, and let one passage interpret another, as Jesus did. A verse used to justify pride or recklessness is a verse misused.
- Trust without testing
It is right to rely on God’s promises, but wrong to put God to the test by foolish risks or by demanding signs. Faith walks the path of obedience and leaves the outcome with God.
- Stay alert
Temptation often returns at “another time,” when we are tired, alone or under pressure. Jesus’ example calls us to watchfulness and prayer, and James promises, “But resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Cross-References:
Psalm 91:11: “For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.” The promise the devil twisted.
Deuteronomy 6:16: “You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah.” The Scripture Jesus quoted.
Exodus 17:2: Israel tested God at Massah when they demanded water.
Hebrews 4:15: “but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.” Christ’s victory for us.
Conclusion: In Luke 4:9-13 the devil takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and, quoting Psalm 91, urges him to throw himself down so that angels would rescue him. Jesus refuses to put God to the test, answering from Deuteronomy, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Having completed every temptation, the devil leaves until another time. Jesus shows that true faith trusts God without demanding proof, and that Scripture must be obeyed, not manipulated.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible