Why did the devil come to tempt Jesus at that particular moment?
The devil came then because Jesus had spent forty days fasting in the wilderness and was hungry. That condition was a perfect setup for temptation, and the tempter recognized the opportunity to exploit His physical hunger and urge Him to satisfy it.
Les explains that Jesus had been out in the wilderness those forty days fasting, and it was a perfect setup for the temptations. The devil came along realizing that He had been out there in the desert and that He was hungry. In Matthew 4:3 the tempter said, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Since Jesus was hungry, the thought of bread would send His taste buds going crazy, and He was tempted with satisfying His hunger. Jesus answered in verse 4, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Les draws the lesson that in spite of our physical appetites, we must temper them with spiritual things that are far more important, keeping our priorities straight rather than upside down.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
More Questions
What was Satan's first temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:3?
Satan's first temptation was to press Jesus, with the word "If," to use his identity as the Son of God to command stones to be made bread.
What was the nature of the first temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness?
Because Jesus was hungry, the thought of bread set his taste buds going crazy, so He was tempted with the whole concept of satisfying His hunger.