Luke 4:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.

NIV: And he said to him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.

NASB: And the devil said to Him, 'I will give You all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I want.

CSB: The devil said to him, "I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want.

NLT: I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,' the devil said, 'because they are mine to give to anyone I please.

KJV: And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

NKJV: And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

Scripture records one—and only one—incident where an individual is promised earthly prosperity in return for worship. This is that moment, and the one making the offer is Satan. God has made unconditional promises to individuals, and conditional agreements with nations. He also allows for cause and effect. Yet He never promises worldly wealth, health, victory, or power to those who follow Him. Those who suggest otherwise—peddlers of the so-called "prosperity gospel"—are liars and frauds (1 Timothy 6:5; 2 Peter 2:1–3), echoing the words of the Devil himself.

Satan has taken Jesus to some high place, heightening the drama of these temptations (Luke 4:1–5). There, Jesus is shown the kingdoms of earth, likely in a vision. Here, Satan points out that he has been given power and authority on earth (2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31; Revelation 13:2). As the next verse indicates (Luke 4:7), the Devil is offering to grant Jesus immense authority in exchange for worship.

In a literal sense, Satan is tempting Jesus to ignore God, to take power on His own terms. This is also the lure of seeking immediate, easier success instead of godly, eternal reward. It is the temptation to "short-cut" God's plan. Jesus could skip the suffering of the cross and take kingship over the world right now. This also appeals to human arrogance, by giving Jesus a way to think He, not God the Father, is responsible for gaining authority.

Jesus will once again cite Deuteronomy as He rejects this temptation (Luke 4:8; Deuteronomy 6:13). He will wait for God's timing, and follow God's plan, even if that means walking a path to crucifixion (Philippians 2:8).

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.