Why are the Stones and the Temptations alike?

It seems to be an unfortunate truth that addition seems to be a subject that Christians don't get. They seem to be fine with everyday math when Christianity isn't involved but when it comes to religiosity they seem to lose all math sense and the ability to just read what is written. I am going to go through this with you and not let tradition get in the way. It doesn't matter if something has always been taught if what was taught was wrong.




We will begin in Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4:1And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

So the devil is dealing directly with Jesus. Michael Lewis pointed out to me that while dealing with the devil that the devil left out a word just like he did with Eve, What were the first words the devil spoke to Eve? Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? What was it God had said? God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: He left out the word freely. So what did God say about Jesus after his baptism? This is my beloved Son so again he leaves a word out so you no longer have the true word of God.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Seems he always starts with a question one which he already knows the answer to.

Unlike Eve Jesus didn’t fall for the bait. Notice he did hit at where he thought Jesus might be vulnerable. If you had not had anything to eat for forty days you’d probably be pretty hungry and now the devil is suggesting that you turn stone into bread. I am sure it must have been tempting to do just that.

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

There is the answer when the temptation is something you want but you know it is wrong “It is written”. Then you can substitute what ever he is using against you.

So here we have 1 temptation: 

1. Turn a stone into bread we will keep a running tally.

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

6 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.
An interesting point Jesus never said hey you can’t offer me that it belongs to my dad. He always challenged a lie what’s more it says in 

2 Corinthians 4:3,4 

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.


The word world would be better translated age either way the devil is in control of what is happening around us now. That will change when Christ returns to earth with his church of the body. He will come back to earth to take care of business and will rule.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Okay so far we have 

1. Turn a stone into bread
2. Give him the power in the world

So let’s keep on going

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

So the devil suggests that Jesus should try to tempt God. 

Okay so far we have

1. Turn a stone into bread
2. Give him the power in the world
3. Cast himself off the top of the temple. 

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Now notice it says that the devil departed for a season he is planning on returning. Here is how the NIV translates this verse

(NIV) Luke 4:13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

The devil is planning a return visit.

So now let’s look at the other record of Jesus in the wilderness.

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

So is this the same as Luke? Most people would say yes but if you look closely even in the English you will see they are not the same. In Luke 4 the word used is stone here in Matthew what is the word used? It is stones so even in the English the word used is plural not singular and in Luke it is singular. These cannot, if words have meaning, be talking about the same thing. In one record he says turn the stone into bread maybe so he could have a sandwich at a opportune time the Jesus has to be even more hungry than he was before so the devil goes for more than one stone and suggests multiple stones so Jesus could really chow down.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Now the answer is the same because it is a similar circumstance and the reply applies to both. That does not make it the same thing. Similar does not mean the same If you wear a red shirt and I wear a red shirt they are similar not the same yet they both need to be cleaned and cleaned probably the same way so similar is not the same.

So now we have a fourth temptation.

1. Turn stone into bread
2. Give him the power in the world
3. Cast himself off the top of the temple. 
4. Turn stones into bread

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Okay so I ask again is this the same as in Luke? Yeah it’s a trick question. Jesus used the word again. That means that he had said it before. SO at some other time Jesus had said these same words. What other time would he have said to the devil Man shall not live by bread… and so on. So this would be another time that this happens. So now we look at the total again so far.

1. Turn stone into bread
2. Give him the power in the world
3. Cast himself off the top of the temple. 
4. Turn stones into bread
5. Throw himself down again

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Well now this is not the same way it happened in Luke. In luke the order of events was different was different. Again it starts with the word again so it is not the same time it is another time.

1. Turn stone into bread
2. Give him the power in the world
3. Cast himself off the top of the temple. 
4. Turn stones into bread
5. Throw himself off the temple again
6. Fall down and worship me again

So now we have 6 different temptations not the three tradition teaches so it’s up to you. Are you concerned with tradition or do you want truth which is what makes you free.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

This is the thing God will always supply you with what you need when you stand for him. So like it says in Ephesians STAND