As I slowly work my way through Luke’s gospel, there is a slight difference in the accounts of Matthew & Luke. Matthew says, “Then the devel left him, and angels came and attended him.” Luke puts it this way, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Many see that opportune time to be the final week. But I notice Jesus being tempted throughout Luke’s gospel.
In chapter 4 he faces the temptation to reveal his messianic identity too soon, as the demons try to “out him” repeatedly. Jesus was also tempted by the crowds to disobey the Father and stay in one location to preach. He had been sent to preach the gospel all through the region.
As the reports of his great authority and power spread, Jesus would often withdraw to isolated places to pray. He was resisting the temptation to pride. He was also tempted to fear men as he was verbally attacked in the synagogue (5:21ff). Later in that chapter he was tempted to give in to the legalism of the Pharisees, and John’s disciples. He faced this again in chapter 6, along with the temptation harden his heart to another man’s misery, as the Pharisees had.
So you see that a pattern of continual temptation emerges. This is why we find that he “faced all of the same temptations we do, yet did not sin (Heb. 4 15).” Like us, Jesus was continually tempted to sin- but didn’t. He did what we could not do. So, when he endured the curse (Galatians 2), he did it for us instead of for his own sin. My little girl knows that Jesus died for our sins. One day she asked “who died for Jesus’ sins?” Honest question from a 4 year-old. Honest answer- he had no sins but ours.
Cavman Considers 
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