3 temptations in this passage.
Better translation for v.3, "Since you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread." The challenge is not whether Jesus is the Son of God, it is whether Jesus will depends on God for His needs. NET notes, "Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man." Watch out. Temptation is not just wrong moral behavior. Temptation is we dont trust God to give us what we need. We try to use our own method. We want it now and we want it to satisfy our need now. For example when we are sick we need to wait for the time of healing set by God (does not mean we cannot see a doctor). But we dont and we worry and anxious why we cannot be healed today, etc. Noted here, Jesus had not eaten for 40 days and nights. He was extremely hungry. Even in that situation, He still waited for God to fulfill His needs. What can we say as excuse and not wait for God?
Have you thought about why Satan tested Jesus for throwing Himself down from the high point when Jesus was hungry? It seems irrelevant. When Jesus waited for God for food and no sign of food was coming at that time. Satan tempted Jesus to see if God really cared about Him. Satan might suggested this, "God did not give you food perhaps He had forgotten about you. Why dont you test Him? Throw yourself down. If He really cares about you He will lift you up." When you are waiting for God have you ever thought of God did not care about you?
(Jesus answered 3 times with "it is written" and Satan also quoted from the text the 2nd time. Be careful of twisted used of Scriptures).
In the final test, Satan went straight to the heart of temptation: worship me. Satan has been calling Jesus as the Son of God in the 1st and 2nd test, but no more in the 3 test. He wanted Jesus to change from worship God to worship him. Someone said, "Every yielding of temptation is a false worship, we think that temptation promises us something that even God cannot give. How do we resist? Focus on the happiness that God will give us. Set your hope on something better. (we can give up iphone6 because we hope on iphone7)."
If we follow the train of thought from the 1st test, we need to focus on the happiness that God will give us when we depends on Him alone.
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