Matthew 4 is the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of Christian Bible. Many translations of the gospel and biblical commentaries separate the first section of chapter 4 from the remaining sections, which deal with Jesus' first public preaching and the gathering of his first disciples.
Matthew 4:22-23 on Papyrus 102 (3rd century).
16th century master illuminator Simon Bening's illustration of this section. The foreground shows the first temptation with the devil offering a stone to be turned into bread. In the background the other two temptation scenes are depicted.
The temptation of Christ is a biblical narrative detailed in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. After being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was tempted by the devil after 40 days and nights of fasting in the Judaean Desert. At the time, Satan came to Jesus and tried to tempt him. Jesus having refused each temptation, Satan then departed and Jesus returned to Galilee to begin his ministry. During this entire time of spiritual battle, Jesus was fasting.
12th-century mosaic in St Mark's Basilica, Venice
Christ in the Wilderness by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872
Temptations of Christ (Melisende Psalter, 1131-43, folio f.4r)
Jesus Ministered to by Angels (Jésus assisté par les anges), James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum
