{"id":51417,"date":"2022-06-30T14:55:19","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T21:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/?p=51417"},"modified":"2022-07-07T08:28:38","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T15:28:38","slug":"harmonizing-the-temptation-of-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/harmonizing-the-temptation-of-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"Harmonizing the Temptation of Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever wanted to read all four of the Gospels at the same time without flipping or clicking back and forth? The Olive Tree Gospel Harmonies<\/a> make this possible. The Harmony of the Gospels is a chronological account of Jesus\u2019 life, death, and resurrection in side-by-side parallel format designed for chronological reading and comparing what each evangelist wrote about Jesus (check out this blog<\/a> for a great intro). Gospel harmonies have a rich history in the church, dating all the way back to the 2nd<\/sup> century<\/a>! In this post, we\u2019ll walk you through a comparison of the different accounts of Jesus\u2019 temptation in the wilderness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open the Harmony of the Gospels<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you know the Scripture reference to Jesus\u2019 temptation (Matt. 4:1-11<\/a>; Mark 1:12-13<\/a>; Luke 4:1-13<\/a>), simply select the Harmony of the Gospels in your Library and tap the chapter and verse in one of the Gospels. This will open with the parallel scriptural accounts in the other Gospels in a side-by-side column format. Here\u2019s how it looks in the app:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you can\u2019t recall the Scripture reference, you can access a topical index through the \u201cEnd Matter\u201d link underneath the four Gospels after tapping \u201cSelect Verse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This index gives you a chronological account of the Gospels along with the Scripture references for each topic. Simply scroll down until you find the topic you\u2019re looking for and tap on the subject or Scripture reference. In this case, Jesus\u2019 temptation in the wilderness is listed at number twenty-four (out of 252!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since the index includes the Scripture references from the Gospels, you can quickly identify which events from Jesus\u2019 life appear in the different Gospels. (In case you\u2019re wondering, the only miracle that occurs in all four Gospels is the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14:13-21<\/a>; Mark 6:31-44<\/a>; Luke 9:10-17<\/a> and John 6:1-15<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Temptation in the Wilderness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Okay, back to Jesus\u2019 temptation in the wilderness. Once you tap on this event, the parallel accounts will open in a side-by-side column format, as mentioned above and shown again below. What immediately strikes you is the relatively short account of Jesus\u2019 temptation in Mark\u2019s Gospel. Mark describes the temptation in just two verses, whereas Matthew uses eleven and Luke uses thirteen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When different accounts of Jesus\u2019 temptation are compared to one another, more differences or nuances are apparent. We shouldn\u2019t expect these accounts to be mirror images of one another. Where there are differences, they can often lead to important theological insights. Let\u2019s look at some of these to see if we can spot the emphases of the evangelists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Holy Spirit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First <\/strong>up is the role the Holy Spirit plays in the temptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n