Matthew. Vol. 1.
God's Son Passes the Test God’s Son Passes the Test ( Mt. 4:1–11 , See Mark 1:12-13 ; Luke 4:1-4 ) Scholars’ interpretations of the temptation narrative broadly fall into three primary categories (Theissen 1991:218–19): (1) Jesus’ testing recalls that of Israel in the wilderness; whatever God commanded Israel his child in the wilderness, much more he would require of his Son the Messiah . (2) Jesus provides a model for tested believers. (3) The narrative affirms a correct understanding of Jesus’ messiah-ship as against contemporary political or militaristic interpretations. Clues within the narrative (such as Mt. 4:2 ) and the rest of Matthew (such as Mt. 6:13 ; Mt. 26:41 ; Mt. 27:42–43 ) indicate that the narrative functions in all three ways.* Matthew emphasizes that Jesus , unlike Israel, passed his test in the wilderness. Matthew makes this biblical background clear even in simple ways like saying the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, reflecting a common bi...