Luke 4:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,

NIV: The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.

NASB: And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

CSB: So he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

NLT: Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

KJV: And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

NKJV: Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

Christ is being tempted by Satan after forty days of fasting, alone in a desolate area (Luke 4:1–4). This is the second of three temptations recorded by Luke.

Much has been made of the difference in the order of temptations, as recorded by Luke and Matthew (Matthew 4:1–11). Even if the order was important—and it's not—Luke doesn't use chronological terms. Where Matthew says "then," as translated into English, Luke simply connects using the word "and." The same is true from passage to passage in Luke's gospel. In literal terms, Matthew indicates the three temptations happened in a certain order. Luke simply indicates that they happened. Another possibility is that Satan made similar temptations to Christ during the forty days, and Matthew's account focuses on the final, strongest versions of those tests.

Another criticism raised against this moment is the idea of Jesus seeing "all the kingdoms" of earth at once. This has been called either an absurdity or evidence that New Testament writers believed in a flat earth. The more reasonable explanation is that Satan is showing Jesus a vision. Taking Jesus to a high place would be part of the temptation's dramatic nature.

This temptation is about raw power and prestige. What Satan offers is the classic "selling one's soul" in exchange for worldly influence (Luke 4:6–7). Christ will reject this temptation, as well (Luke 4:8).

Luke 4:1–13 describes Jesus' temptation by Satan. During forty days of fasting, the Devil entices Him using offers of comfort, power, and prestige. In each case, Jesus responds with Scripture and a commitment to God's will. This series of events is also recorded in Matthew 4:1–11 and Mark 1:12–13. While Matthew's account implies an explicit order for these temptations, Luke's does not.

Jesus is taken into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. While fasting there, He is tempted by Satan. These temptations share an element of ignoring God in favor of what seems easier or quicker. Jesus resists all of these, citing Scripture as He does. When Jesus returns, He preaches and heals to great publicity in Judea and Galilee. While His hometown responds with stubborn skepticism, others are eager to hear His teaching and experience His miraculous power.

Chapter 3 explained how John the Baptist preached to prepare others to receive Jesus Christ. Luke then provided Jesus' earthly ancestry. Chapter 4 begins with Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. He returns to preach and perform healing miracles in Judea and Galilee. Chapter 5 shows Him calling disciples and demonstrating further proofs of His authority.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.