Mk. 1, 12, 13;

Lux. 4, 1, 2.

Immediately after this, the Lord Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, was led by this Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. And there in the wilderness He was tempted by Satan for forty days, and He was with the beasts. He ate nothing in these days; and after they had passed, having fasted forty days and forty nights, he hungered for the end.

20. Temptation from the Devil and His Defeat

Mf. 4, 3–11;

Mk. 1, 13;

Lux. 4, 3–13.

Then the devil the tempter came to Him and said to Him, "If Thou art the Son of God, command these stones to become bread, and command this stone to become bread." But the Lord Jesus answered and said to him, "It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Then the devil took Him into the holy city of Jerusalem, and set Him on the wing of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, The Lord God will give His angels charge for You, to keep You; and they shall bear thee in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone (Psalm 90:11-12). The Lord Jesus answered and said to him, "It is also written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" (Deuteronomy 6:16).

Again the devil takes Him to a very high mountain, shows Him in a moment all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and says to Him, "All these things I will give to Thee, if, fallen, thou wilt worship me." To thee will I then give power over all these kingdoms and their glory; for she is devoted to me, and I give her to whomsoever I will. Therefore, if you worship me, then everything will be yours. The Lord Jesus answered and said to him, "Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Deuteronomy 6:13).

Then, having finished all the temptation, the devil left Him and departed from Him for a time. And behold, the angels came and ministered to Him.

21. The Testimony of St. John of Christ the Lord

In. 19–34.

And this is the testimony that John gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He declared, and did not deny it, and declared that I was not the Christ.