He claimed direct authority from Heaven to demand proof of Christ that he was the Son of God. He taunted him with being a poor representative of the angels, much less their high Commander, the acknowledged King in the royal courts; and insinuated that his present appearance indicated that he was forsaken of God and man. He declared that if he were the Son of God he was equal with God and should evidence this by working a miracle to relieve his hunger. He then urged him to change the stone at his feet to bread, and agreed that if this were done he would at once yield his claims to superiority, and the contest between the two should be forever ended. {2SP 91.2}

Han påstod, at han havde fuldmagt fra himlen til at fordre bevis på, at han var Guds Søn. Han foreholdt ham, at han var en dårlig repræsentant for englene og langt mindre kunne være deres ophøjede fyrste, hvem de ærede som konge i de himmelske sale. Han søgte på en listig måde at overbevise ham om, at hans nærværende udseende viste, at han var forladt af Gud og mennesker, og erklærede, at dersom han var Guds Søn, så var han lige med Gud og skulle bevise dette ved en undergerning, som kunne stille hans hunger. Han søgte derfor at få ham til at forvandle stene, som lå ved hans fødder, til brød og lovede, at dersom han kunne gøre dette, så ville han øjeblikkelig ophøre med sin påstand om forrang, og striden imellem dem skulle for evig være endt.