Let's be biblically literary

[GrandizerII]

Yes, what is your point exactly? That the Qur'an has it more correct or something?

Whether the crucifixion did happen or not, this is a belief that Christians hold: that Jesus was indeed crucified. And you can't get otherwise from that passage.

My point is that I think the stories might not be what they seem.

Did Jesus go into the wilderness or was it Eden where he went and was tempted?
Because I'm thinking the wilderness is Eden and the serpent does eat dust.
(Dust is Sword. Stubble is Bow. Straw is Spear.)

This is why I am thinking that:
　


Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Matthew 4:1

For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:3

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Genesis 3:24

Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. Isaiah 41:2


　
For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry. Nahum 1:10

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! Isaiah 28:1

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. Psalm 78:9


　
And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. Leviticus 16:22

We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.
Lamentations 5:9

Still not seeing your point. Are you saying the Temptation story is allegory?

And what you're doing here is cherry picking the OT verses that can be used to support your POV anyway.

It's nice to look at the immediate context first before looking elsewhere for a proper interpretation. Just because you can find "wilderness" in more than two places does not mean they must have the same sense of the term. Just because one passage is part of a poetic prophecy does not mean all other passages are the same.

That said, an argument could still be made that the Gospel stories were all intended to be allegory, and it can feel that way to some readers, but it would be good to have something concrete to go by rather than just intuition (and cherry picking verses).