Was the tempting of Jesus necessary? Jesus is the judge of all men, and the only way that he could meet out judgment upon the children of men is if he himself has proven that there is no temptation that cannot be withstood, under every circumstance. There must never come a time when a man or woman, who has fallen for a temptation, could say: "You just don't understand!"

It was necessary that Jesus met his adversary at a time when he was more physically fatigued than anyone of us will ever be able to experience, and withstand all Satan's attempts to make him fall from grace:

1 THEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (Matthew 4:1-11)

Forty days alone in the scorching sun and forty nights in the bitter cold, with neither food nor drink. You and I would have died, but Jesus had power over life and death, so, he met the pain of it all, and stayed alive, so that Jesus, at his weakest, would prove himself superior to Satan at his strongest.

What was the temptation? Jesus would not eat bread on the prompting of Satan. Neither would he ask God for a witness, by casting himself from the pinnacles, on the bidding of Lucifer. Neither would he gain power over the world now, before the time was ripe, as it was (illusively) given him out of the hand of the Fallen One.

Making bread out of stones cannot be more of a sin than making wine out of water. The difference was that it was Satan who suggested it. This temptation appears to be identical to the temptation of Adam and Eve. "Of every tree of the Garden thou may freely eat, but from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou may not eat". Adam and Eve did listen(eat), but Jesus did not. Jesus even proves this argument by saying that "man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God".

Satan did come back. When Satan left Jesus, having failed to make Jesus sin, we must not think that he was gone forever:

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. (Luke 4:13)

Be sure that Lucifer, when he returned, built on the encounter with Jesus in the wilderness.

Another reason why Jesus had to be tempted. Having suffered temptation, Jesus was/is perfectly capable of empathy, which makes it more inviting for us to turn to him for mercy and comfort:

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18)

                 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

                 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

                 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)