Single lesson
Jesus Is Tempted in the Wilderness
Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–15; Luke 4:1–13
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and tempted by the devil. In this lesson, children will follow Matthew’s order, compare it with Luke’s order, and notice how Jesus answered each temptation with God’s word.
Before you teach
Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell this part of Jesus’ story. They say Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days and was tempted by the devil or Satan. Mark adds that Jesus was with the wild animals, that angels served him, and then shows Jesus preaching in Galilee.
Students will be able to sequence Matthew’s three temptations, compare Matthew’s order with Luke’s different order, and explain from the text that Jesus refused to test God or worship Satan.
Welcome: Listen for choices in the wilderness
4 minIntroduce the lesson by saying this reading is about choices Jesus faced in the wilderness. Ask children to listen for three things as you read: what the devil said, what Jesus answered, and what happened at the end. Explain that Matthew and Luke tell the same three temptations, though they place the last two in a different order.
Matthew 4:3, Matthew 4:5, Matthew 4:8, Luke 4:3, Luke 4:5, Luke 4:9
Read and explain: Led by the Spirit, tempted in the wilderness
8 minRead Matthew 4:1-11 as the main account. Explain that the wilderness is an unbuilt place away from town. Jesus was led by the Spirit, fasted forty days and nights, and was hungry. Mark says the Spirit drove him into the wilderness, that he was with the wild animals, and that angels were serving him.
Matthew 4:1, Matthew 4:2, Mark 1:12, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:1, Luke 4:2
Discuss Matthew’s order: bread, temple, kingdoms
7 minWork through Matthew’s order carefully. First, the tempter told Jesus to make bread from stones, and Jesus answered with “It is written”. Second, at the temple, Jesus refused to test God. Third, when offered the kingdoms for worship, Jesus said to worship and serve the Lord God only.
Matthew 4:3, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 4:5, Matthew 4:6, Matthew 4:7, Matthew 4:8, Matthew 4:9, Matthew 4:10
Make and compare: Sequence cards and Luke’s order
7 minChildren make four cards for Matthew’s account: bread, temple, kingdoms, and angels serving. After sequencing Matthew’s order, compare Luke briefly. In Luke, the bread temptation comes first, then the kingdoms temptation, then the temple temptation. Explain that both accounts include the same three temptations, but in a different order.
Matthew 4:3, Matthew 4:6, Matthew 4:9, Matthew 4:11, Luke 4:3, Luke 4:5, Luke 4:9, Luke 4:13
Closing: After the wilderness, Jesus preached
4 minFinish with Mark’s short ending. Mark says angels were serving Jesus in the wilderness, and then Jesus came into Galilee preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom. He said, “Repent, and believe in the Good News.” Review that Jesus answered temptation with God’s word and remained faithful to God.
Mark 1:13, Mark 1:14, Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:11
Questions to explore
Who led Jesus into the wilderness, and what condition was Jesus in after forty days?
Read the opening verses and notice both who led him and what the passage says about hunger after the forty days.
Matthew 4:1, Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:1, Luke 4:2
How do Matthew and Luke arrange the last two temptations differently?
Compare the order after the bread temptation. Matthew places the temple before the kingdoms, while Luke places the kingdoms before the temple.
Matthew 4:5, Matthew 4:8, Luke 4:5, Luke 4:9
What did Jesus say when he was told to worship Satan for the kingdoms of the world?
Find Jesus’ answer in Matthew or Luke and listen for whom he said should be worshipped and served.
Matthew 4:9, Matthew 4:10, Luke 4:7, Luke 4:8
Make, think or respond
Matthew and Luke Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or textas
- Bible
- scissors
Try it together
- Cut or fold paper into four cards.
- Draw and label Matthew’s four scenes: bread, temple, kingdoms, and angels serving.
- Place the Matthew cards in order and retell that account together.
- Then compare with Luke by saying where the kingdoms and temple temptations appear in Luke’s order.
This helps children sequence Matthew’s account accurately and notice that Luke includes the same three temptations in a different order.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, use simple symbols on the cards such as bread, a tall building, a crown, and an angel, and retell the main ideas aloud together.
- For older children, ask them to match each temptation with Jesus’ exact answer from Matthew 4:4, Matthew 4:7 and Matthew 4:10, then compare Luke 4:4, Luke 4:8 and Luke 4:12.
An optional closing prayer
“Father, thank you for showing us Jesus in the wilderness. Please help us listen to your word, trust you, and worship you only. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Matthew 4
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.’ ”
5 Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’ ”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
Mark 1
12 Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.
13 He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.
14 Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom,
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
Luke 4
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”
5 The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I want.
7 If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.”
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.’ ”
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,
10 for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’
11 and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
13 When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.
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