According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus faced three temptations in the wilderness.
Matthew 4:1–11 and Luke 4:1–13 describe Jesus fasting for forty days before the devil tests him. The temptations involve turning stones into bread, throwing himself from the Temple, and receiving the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. Jesus answers each challenge with Scripture and refuses to abandon his mission.
The order of the second and third temptations differs between Matthew and Luke, but both accounts present three distinct tests. Mark also mentions the wilderness temptation, though its account is much shorter and does not list the individual challenges.
The forty-day fast is sometimes mistaken for the number of temptations. Forty describes the period in the wilderness; three describes the specific tests narrated in Matthew and Luke. The episode follows Jesus’ baptism and precedes the beginning of his public ministry.