SUBJECT: Jesus
QUESTION: Could Jesus have sinned?
ANSWER:
Was Christ unable to sin? Was there no struggle
involved in His 33 1/2 years of tabernacling in human
flesh? Today, some are plunging into error,
teaching that it was utterly impossible for Christ to
commit sin. If this is true, then you and I have no
Savior! Here is what your Bible says.
by Garner Ted Armstrong
Who was Jesus Christ? Was He God? Was He
merely human? Was He some mixture of both?
If He was GOD, then was it impossible for Him to sin?
If He was human, could He have sinned?
No subject has proved more controversial over the centuries
than that concerning the nature of Jesus Christ. Dozens of
"isms" have been documented in ecclesiastical history as
various would-be theologians attempted to define the
Godhead. Is God a Divine Triumvirate? One in "Three
Persons," each distinct, yet the same? Is Christ a
separate Member of the Godhead, subject to the Father, yet
"equal" with Him? Has Christ always existed, or was there a
time when Christ did not exist? Is He, as some teach, a
created Being?
Surely, one would assume the one doctrine all churchmen can
agree upon is the truth about Who, and What, Jesus
Christ really was, and is. But as surprising as it appears,
there is great confusion among religious leaders
about the origin and nature of Christ.
Was Jesus Christ merely human?
If He was, then His life could never atone for the sins of
the world. His life could only pay the penalty for
one other human being! The wages of sin is death
(Romans 6:23). But since God created all things by, and
through, the Divine Member of the Godhead (called the
Logos, or "Spokesman," in the Greek language) Who became
Christ; since He was the Maker of man, His death could pay
the penalty for all mankind.
How? Simply because, as Divine Creator, His one life is
worth more than all the humans who have ever lived.
In order to understand whether it was possible for
Christ to sin, we must come to understand just Who and What
Christ really was. If He was not truly human, and
possessed superhuman powers, then He would not have been
subjected to the pulls of human appetites and temptations,
human nature. On the other hand, if He was only
human, how could the sacrifice of His one life atone
for the sins of all mankind?
Was Jesus God?
Your Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word [Logos],
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
"The same was in the beginning with God.
"All things were made by Him; and without Him was not
anything made that was made" (John 1:1-3). These words are
impossible to misunderstand. Whoever is meant by the
Logos, or the "Word," in this passage is obviously
at the God plane; for He not only WAS GOD, but He was
also "WITH God."
Immediately we are confronted with the fact that our English
word "God" falls short of conveying the true meaning
of what is intended.
The first verse in the Bible says, "In the beginning God
created the heaven and the earth," (Genesis 1: 1), and verse
26 reads, "And God said, ‘Let US make man in OUR image…’"
Even without understanding the original Hebrew word,
Elohim, one can see from the text itself that more than
one Person was involved; that Elohim (God) said "Let
US"—more than One—"make man."
Elohim, or Elohiym, as Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
spells the English version of this Hebrew word, is
plural. Strong's shows it is the plural of Eloah, or
Eloahh, which means "God." The word in the first verse
of the Bible is a plural word, connoting
more than one, like our English words "group," or
"family" or, "pair."
Now, Who was this who did the creating? Who was it who said,
"Let US make man in OUR image?"
John answers, "In the beginning was the WORD, and ... all
things were made by Him..." He writes, "In Him was life;
and the life was the light of men.
"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehendeth it not ... He [the "Word," or Logos]
was in the world, and the world was MADE BY HIM, and the
world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own
received Him not.
"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His
name..." (John 1:1-12).
Is there any doubt in your mind about Whom this is speaking?
The Person who came into the world, unto "His own," was
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, born of the Virgin Mary, baptized
by John, tempted by Satan, commissioned by the Father to
preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God unto the Jews. They
"received Him not," but put Him to death! But "as many as
received Him," including Gentiles, and members of all races
of the human family down through time....... to them gave He
power to become the sons of God..." This is one of Dr. Billy
Graham's most oft-quoted scriptures. He knows, like any
other professing Christian teacher, that this scripture is
speaking of Christ.
It was He who "came unto His own," He who "made the worlds"!
Notice some further verses: "And the Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth.
"John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, 'This was He
of Whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before
me: for He was before me.
"'And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for
grace.
"'For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came
by Jesus Christ"' (John 1: 14-17).
These striking verses of John's Gospel, the first chapter,
plainly tell us the CREATOR Who is introduced in the first
chapter of the Bible is the One of the Godhead called the
"Spokesman," or the "Word," who BECAME CHRIST in the flesh!
WHY do so many fail to understand this plain, simple,
impossible-to-misunderstand text?
Because of all that it obviously implies!
What are, some of the things it implies?
Why, it plainly tells us that the One who wrote the Ten
Commandments with His own finger was the One who became
Christ! It tells us the One who brought the Flood on sinning
mankind; Who called Abraham; Who revealed which foods are
clean or unclean; established the laws of tithing and
giving; Who broke Egypt's power and brought Israel out of
slavery; Who parted the Red Sea; Who inspired His prophets;
Who was the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and all the
prophets of the Old Testament is the same Personage of the
Godhead as Jesus Christ of the New!
But have not millions supposed Christ came on the scene to
do away with the harsh, objectionable old laws of the old,
out of date, "Father" God of the Old Testament?
Have not millions supposed Christ DID AWAY with all those
"Old Testament laws"?
It is no wonder that many reject the plain truth of
John the first chapter, and the companion truths revealed in
Hebrews 1. For, if they admitted those truths they would
have to change their teaching about law; about the Sabbath,
the annual holy days, clean and unclean meats; a plethora of
doctrine!
Notice further proof: "God, who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets,
"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He
hath appointed Heir of all things, by Whom He also made
the worlds;
"Who, being the brightness of His glory, and the express
image [Greek, karakter] of His Person, and
upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had
by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high..." (Hebrews 1:1-3). Who has
"purged our sins?" Christ! Who was the exact,
express image of the Father, who said, "If you have seen me,
you have seen the Father"? Christ! Who is now sitting
at the right hand of the "Majesty on high," waiting until
His enemies be made His footstool? Christ! And Who
was the Executive Member of the Godhead who created the
universe? Christ!
You are reading the truth of God, from the pages of
your own Bible. It does not matter that many
theologians deny this truth. That is their responsibility,
and God will judge them for it. Your responsibility
is yours, not theirs. No amount of lame excuses or human
reasoning will relieve you of your responsibility
before God.
Will you now accept what your own startled eyes are
plainly telling you? Jesus Christ of the New Testament is
the One who did the creating; the One who wrote
the Ten Commandments!
No wonder He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM!"
Jesus, then, was GOD. He was a Member of the great, Divine
FAMILY, we call, in our English language, "GOD." He was One
of the ELOHIM of Genesis, the first chapter. Was He
also human?
Christ Was Also Human
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Sin is the
breaking of God's Ten Commandments (1 John 3:4). The penalty
of sin is the death penalty of a human life! Contrary to
popular belief, the wages of sin is not eternal life, though
eternal life in an everburning "hell fire"; the wages of sin
is death, which is oblivion, destruction—the cessation of
life!
Sin requires a penalty. The penalty is death. The penalty
must be paid. God will never compromise with His law, which
is "holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12).
We have learned that Jesus Christ was very God. Yet, He was
also human! Notice: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death [the
penalty for sins], crowned with glory and honor; that He by
the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Hebrews
2: 9). Christ was made human. One of the greatest of all
reasons for this miraculous fact was that He should "taste
death" for every man.
Christ was subject to death. He was a living human being,
with muscular, nervous, respiratory, digestive, circulatory
systems. His life of about thirty three and one-half years
on this earth was sustained by food, water, and air. Notice
further: "Forasmuch then as the children [of God] are
partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took
part of the same; that through death He might destroy
[annul, counterwork, or restrain] him that had the power of
death, that is, the devil;
"And deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage.
"For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He
took on Him the seed of Abraham.
"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" (Hebrews 2:9-18).
These verses clearly set forth the humanity of Christ. His
genealogies from Adam and the "seed of Abraham," are
contained in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. He was to be
like a Branch from the root of Jesse, David's father (Isaiah
11: 1-5).
That God in the flesh was to appear was made clear to the
prophets, and to Israel's leadership! "The people that
walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell
in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light
shined...For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is
given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and
His name shall be called WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, THE MIGHTY
GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE.
"Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be
no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to
order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice
from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Eternal
[YHVH, or "Yahweh"; Jehovah] will perform this" (Isaiah
9:2-8).
Yes, Jesus Christ was made flesh (John 1: 14; Hebrews
2:17). John wrote, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh is of God:
"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God..." (1 John
4:2,3).
How did Christ come in the flesh?
By one of the greatest of all miracles, the Creator of both
the macrocosm and the microcosm; Who dwells in eternity; Who
lives in a completely different, spiritual dimension,
emptied Himself, and became a tiny, human life—a
microscopic, zygote," to develop into a fetus, to grow into
a human baby, in the womb of Mary!
God's Word says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus:
"Who, being in the form of God [prior to His human
existence], thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
"But made Himself of no reputation [or, "emptied Himself"],
and took upon Him the form of a servant [human form!], and
was made in the likeness of men:
"And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the stake
[Greek: stauros—stake, or upright pale, not "cross"].
Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name
which is above every name:
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things
in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the
earth;
"And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord [Master, Ruler], to the glory of God the Father"
(Philippians 2:5-11).
Jesus Christ was very God, Who had become human; Who had
become human flesh, of the seed of Abraham, just like
you and me, like any other human being.
Christ called Himself not only the Son of God, but the son
of MAN repeatedly.
On one occasion, Jesus Christ asked His disciples about the
rumors concerning Him. "Who do men say that the Son of
man is? And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist,
others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the
prophets.' He said unto them, 'But who do you say that I
am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of
the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood hath not revealed this
to you, but my Father who is in heaven"' (Matthew 16:13-17).
Thus, Jesus not only called Himself the "Son of man," but
acknowledged He was the "Son of God." He was both. He
is called God in Titus 2: 10 and 2:13.
What Did Jesus Christ Say About Himself?
Did Jesus say He was the Christ, the Son of God? He
certainly did. When Jesus encountered a woman of Samaria,
she said, "…I know that Messias [the Messiah, or "the
Anointed One"] cometh, which is called Christ: when He is
come, He will tell us all things.'
"Jesus saith unto her, 'I that speak unto thee am He'" (John
4:25,26). He plainly claimed to fulfill the office of the
Messiah as described in the Old Testament (Matthew 11:3-5;
Luke 4:16-21; 7:19-23). He took upon Himself the names and
titles of the Messiah (Luke 19:38-40; Matthew 9:27,28;
21:9).
Jesus claimed He was "greater than Abraham" (John 8:53-56),
greater than Moses (Matthew 19:8,9), greater than Solomon or
Jonah (Matthew 12:41,42). He continually said He was sent by
God to this earth (John 5:36-43), and claimed God was His
Father (Luke 2:49). He said He was the "living Bread"
sent down from God the Father, in heaven (John 6:32-51), and
said He was in existence before Abraham (John 8:58).
Continually, Christ said He was sent by God (John
5:36,37,43), claimed God was His Father, (Luke 2:49, etc.),
forgave sin when challenged with the charge that only God
can forgive sin (Mark 2:7,10; Luke 5:21,24).
Christ said, "I and my Father are ONE" (John 10:30-36).
Dozens of additional scriptures could be listed from both
the Old and New Testaments proving Christ is the ETERNAL Who
is revealed in the Old Testament, the Logos Who did
the creating; that this Divine Member of the Godhead came
down to this earth to tabernacle in human flesh for 33 1/2
years; to become the Savior of His creation.
Christ was, therefore VERY GOD. His life was given in
payment for all human life. His death atones for the
sins of all mankind!
Christ's Pre-human Existence
Christ was the "ROCK" of the Old Testament. Paul described
how the Exodus from Egypt revealed many spiritual types
relating to repentance, baptism, and salvation: "Moreover,
brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that
all our fathers were under the cloud [Exodus 13: 21], and
all passed through the sea [Exodus 14:22]; and were all
baptized [an analogy, or type]; and did all eat the same
spiritual meat;
"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank
of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock
was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:1-4).
Christ, in His pre-human form as YHVH, or Yawveh, (or
"Jehovah," as some pronounce the Hebrew word), was the
Personage of the Godhead who dealt with the patriarchs, with
Moses, with the prophets.
The One who became Christ is called the "ROCK" many times in
the Old and New Testament alike.
"He is the ROCK, His work is perfect: for all His ways are
judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and
right is He ... When the Most High divided to the nations
their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He
set the bounds of the people according to the number of the
children of Israel ... of the ROCK that begat thee thou art
unmindful, and has forgotten God that formed thee"
(Deuteronomy 32:4-18).
David prayed, "I will love Thee, O LORD [YHVH, or Yawveh—the
Eternal God], my strength.
"The LORD [YHVH, the Eternal God] IS MY ROCK, and my
fortress, and my deliverer; my God...I will call upon the
LORD [The Eternal God—YHVH]" (Psalm 18:1-3).
David makes it clear that the ROCK of whom Paul wrote, the
"ROCK" that was Christ, was also the Eternal GOD to
whom David prayed, the One Who was called "YAHVEH" by the
ancients; the "Eternal God."
When Moses talked with this Member of the Godhead, and asked
Him His name, He replied, "I AM THAT I AM: and He said,
'Thus shalt thou say unto the children, I AM hath sent me
unto you.'
"And God said moreover unto Moses, 'Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel, the LORD [Eternal] God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent
me unto you: this is my name for ever and this is my
memorial unto all generations" (Exodus 3:14,15).
When Jesus disputed with the Pharisees, He said, "'Your
father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and
was glad.' Then said the Jews unto Him, 'Thou art not yet
fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?'
"Jesus said unto them, 'Verily, verily I say unto you,
Before Abraham was, I AM'" (John 8:56-58). When Judas
betrayed Jesus, He asked the group who had come to arrest
Him, "Whom seek ye?"
"They answered Him, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus saith unto
them 'I AM"' (John 18:4-8). He repeated this expression
three times, and the motley group reeled away backward, and
fell to the ground! The translators added the italicized
word, "He" in this passage, which is not what
Jesus said. He said, "I AM."
The Person of the Godhead who is our REDEEMER is Jesus
Christ of Nazareth! Read John 4:42, and Philippians 3:20.
Jesus, the Savior, is YAHVEH, the God of the Old
Testament (Isaiah 49:7; 60:16).
He is called the "Redeemer" in Isaiah 48:17. The proofs
concerning Christ's pre-human identity are many.
Christ was the One who was David's "Shepherd," and his
"Rock." He was the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." He
was the One who said, "Let there be light," and Who created
Adam and Eve!
This great CREATOR, this Logos, or "Executive
Spokesman" of the Godhead, "emptied Himself" of His Divine
power (Philippians 2:5-8) to become a tiny, microscopic
human fetus in the womb of the Virgin Mary!
By a stupendous miracle, God had become human flesh. So
says your Bible. Christ was human, yet was God in the
flesh.
Then, since He was also God in the flesh, was Christ
absolutely impervious to sin? Was it IMPOSSEBLE for
Christ to commit sin?
Christ Endured Great Temptations
When a professional athlete is about to enter a tournament,
or a special sports contest, what does he or she do? Relax?
Vacation? Hardly. We all know that whether we are speaking
of a concert pianist or a prizefighter; whether basketball
star or football quarterback; whether race car driver or
golfer—all practice, practice, practice!
Professionals must WORK at their sports, or their art, to be
keyed up, FIT, for special contests!
Each strives for perfection. They practice hard, endure
rigorous schedules, watch their diets, exercise, and undergo
self analysis, working on their attitudes prior to a great
contest in order to avoid disastrous mistakes!
Did Christ slide through 33 1/2 years with great, luxurious
ease? For, if it was impossible for Him to sin, then why
struggle?
If it were impossible for a professional athlete to
make a mistake, then why practice so hard? Athletes
practice for fame, career, and money.
Did Christ have to prepare for special temptations?
Just before the beginning of His public ministry, Christ
knew a horrible confrontation awaited Him. He was to
meet the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4); the
"prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2); that
powerful, fallen archangel (Revelation 12:9) who was the
most subtle, wily, clever, magnetic, deceptive, influential
spirit being this side of heaven: Christ was to come face to
face with Satan, the Devil!
Did He treat this impending encounter with a laid back,
nonchalance of "ho hum, so what's the 'big deal'?" For, if
Christ knew it would be impossible for Him to sin, to give
in to Satan's tempting suggestions, then why did Christ fast
for 40 days and 40 nights; why did He pray so fervently He
exhausted Himself, getting the spiritual help He needed for
this encounter?
God's Word says, "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had
fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward 'an
hungred"' (Matthew 4:1,2). This Greek expression, pienao,
indicates more than merely, "hungry," but comes from a
root which means "to be famished," and includes "pining
(away), starving."
The average human will die in about one or two weeks when
denied food and water. If panicked, as when lost in the
woods, and burning energy and bodily fluids at a rapid pace,
death can come much more quickly.
Christ, in this fast, had equaled those of Moses, Elijah,
and others—the longest fasts on record in the Bible. He was
near starvation. But, while physically weak,
He had become imbued with more and more of God's Holy
Spirit; of His Father's Spirit, Mind, and Will.
Christ called out to the crowds on the Last Great Day
following the Feast of Tabernacles, "If any man thirst [a
spiritual analogy], let him come unto me, and drink.
"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of
his belly [his innermost being] shall flow rivers of
living water" (John 7:37,38).
Christ showed how the Spirit of God flows from God,
like a current. An incandescent light bulb glows, giving off
light, because of a heated filament. The filament becomes
white hot because of flowing energy. Notice the
socket on your wall. There are always two holes for the plug
(sometimes three, for modern plugs which include a "ground"
connection for safety). One hole is for the positive flow of
electricity, the other for negative. The current does not
stop at the bulb, there to be spent—instead, a portion is
expended through heating the filament, while the rest
returns to its source.
Read Christ's analogy of the Bridegroom and the foolish
virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. Here, the foolish virgins
(sleepy, unconcerned "Christians") find their "lamps" (their
"reservoir" of the indwelling presence of God's Holy Spirit)
are about to flicker out. While they were out, trying to
"buy more oil," the Bridegroom (Christ) arrived, and when
the foolish ones cried out to gain entrance, His said, "I
know you not."
God uses the physical elements of this earth, such as fire
(as in Acts 2), water (John 3 and 7), and air or
wind (Acts 2 and John 3) as representations of God's
Holy Spirit.
Christ, through fasting and prayer, was divesting Himself of
physical cares; going well beyond the point of being
concerned for material, mundane things; experiencing the
indwelling presence of God's Holy Spirit like a full tide of
flowing, spiritual power.
Why?
Because He knew He would be facing Satan!
I will include, in an inset box, Dr. Bullinger's appendix
116, entitled "The Temptations Of Our Lord," from pages 156,
157 of the appendixes in his Companion Bible, in
which He convincingly explains that the temptations of Satan
probably came repeatedly during the entire 40 days and
nights, and not necessarily in only "three" temptations at
the very end of the fast.
Obviously, Luke's and Matthew's accounts differ in very
important aspects. Please read, carefully, the notes at the
end for a fuller understanding.
"And when the tempter [Satan] came to Him, he said, 'If Thou
be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread"'
(Matthew 4:3).
This was a clever, two-pronged temptation. First, Satan
probed to see if Christ would respond with anger, to see if
there was any human vanity present—for Satan had suggested
Jesus Christ was not really Who He said He was! "If you are
the Son of God," Satan subtly suggested.
Christ was now extremely close to God. He had divested
Himself of earthly concerns, fasting and praying for 40
days. He very powerfully felt the nearness of God, His
Father. He did not allow Satan's oily suggestions to anger
Him.
The second part of this temptation was Satan's attempt to
couple his suggestion of doubt about Christ's identity
and authority with His terrible hunger! By "proving" to
Satan Who He was, He could also satisfy His gnawing, painful
hunger!
Was Jesus tempted?
That is the whole point of this biblical account Yes, He was
tempted. But being tempted did not mean He dwelt on the
temptation.
Certainly, the instantaneous mental picture of fresh-baked,
savory loaves of bread had to flit through Christ's mind.
But He fought against these temptations—resisted them!
He did not allow His mind to dwell on the subject, did not
stare at the large stones, imagining each one as a different
kind of succulent bread, perhaps rye, or wheat, or corn, or
pastries, or buns, or biscuits, hot and steaming, with
butter and jam!
No, He instantly put the mental picture Satan had presented
out of His mind and quoted God's Word.
"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"'
(Matthew 4:4).
This is the first recorded statement of Christ!
It is quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, where manna was the
"bread" that sustained Israel's life for forty years, as a
type of God's Holy Spirit. The meaning, and the setting of
this first spoken teaching of Christ, is vitally important!
It forms the very basis of God's purpose for human life. It
shows that our ultimate life—life for all eternity as
members of God's own family—does not depend on the length of
time our physical bodies are sustained by "bread," or food,
water, and air. Rather, our future lives depend on whether
we hear and obey the Word of God!
Here, Christ quickly shut out of His mind the temporary
desire for bread! He forced His mind away from his terrible
hunger pangs. Instead, He thought of the beauty, glorious
truth, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to be gained
through "every word of God." He thought of the
life-giving quality of God's Word in contrast with the
temporary energy gained from physical food.
Now, notice a phenomenal thing! Remember, Satan is the
"prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). The devil
was able to destroy Job's eldest son's house, in which all
his children were eating and drinking (Job 1: 18,19),
probably by a sudden and powerful tornado! God allowed
Satan to do this.
Now, notice! "Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy
city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple..."
(Matthew 4:5). Christ was conveyed through the air
from the "wilderness" (the Negev), perhaps many, many miles
away, to the temple. They did not walk, or ride donkeys or
camels! Luke wrote, "And he [Satan] brought Him to
Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple."
Thus, Christ allowed Himself to be transported through
the air by Satan for the purpose of these temptations.
Satan apparently (see notes at the end) repeated this
temptation at least twice! Satan said, "IF [the same attempt
to appeal to power, position, authority, vanity] Thou be the
Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, 'He shall
give His angels charge over Thee: and in their hands shall
they bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot
against a stone."'
"Jesus said unto him, 'It is written again, "Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God'" (Matthew 4:6,7).
Have you ever experienced the momentary compulsion to throw
yourself down from a great height, like a tall building?
People have related how such a thought occurs to them. Here,
Satan was trying to get Christ to tempt God by
directly challenging His Word. But Satan twisted
God's Word.
David's Psalm reads, "For He shall give His angels charge
over thee [as guardians], to keep thee in all thy ways. They
shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot
against a stone" (Psalm 91:11,12). Satan added the phrase,
"at any time," and omitted the middle of the passage!
Neither would he quote the following verse, "Thou shalt
tread upon the lion and the adder..." which refers to
treading Satan underfoot.
God's Word shows angels are the protectors of God's people
"LEST" they should "dash their foot against a stone"—to
protect, and prevent accidents; they are not there to snatch
up someone who has deliberately tempted God!
Satan perverted, twisted, misquoted God's Word, and added
words of his own!
Christ resisted him again, properly quoting scripture, "Thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Study the notes at the
end for a full picture of these many temptations of Christ.
As Bullinger shows, there were two different occasions when
Christ rebuked Satan. Once He said, "Get thee behind me,"
and the second, and final time, He commanded, "GET THEE
HENCE, SATAN!" The Devil had to obey Christ's
command.
This was a spiritual battle. Our minds find it difficult to
accept, but a mental, spiritual struggle, a clashing of will
can leave one utterly weak, and exhausted.
Notice what happened immediately after the devil had to
slink away in defeat: "Then the devil leaveth Him, and,
behold, angels came and ministered to HIm" (Matthew 4: 11).
Christ was utterly exhausted. He was near death from lack of
food and water and from the grueling consequences of this
titanic clash of will. Did the angels provide water, a
sponge bath, food? It is certainly implied in the statement
that they "ministered" unto Him.
Anyone who foolishly believes Christ nonchalantly underwent
this climactic battle for control of all humankind, this
battle over who was qualified to be world ruler,
is either simply ignorant, or terribly deceived! It was
POSSIBLE for Christ to have failed. The fact that He fasted
for 40 days proves the depth of His concern, the
determination of His mind, the force of His resolve that He
not fail!
Like the professional athlete facing a championship, Christ
prepared to meet Satan!
Jesus Christ has placed eternity as very God at risk!
It was only through the most grueling, intensive prayer,
hours and hours of prayer—weeks of fasting—that Christ
overcame all these temptations; even though allowing Himself
to be transported about in the air by the devil, to the
temple, to a high mountain, He nevertheless resisted Satan,
and conquered him by the power of God's Spirit!
There are differing degrees of temptations, just as Satan is
more powerful than any of his demons. The Bible reveals
there are more tenacious demons, which require more
spiritual power to resist.
When Christ commissioned His disciples, He gave them power
over demonic spirits (Matthew 10: 1-8). They returned
joyfully, exclaiming over how demons had obeyed them, and
left their grip on people's lives. Yet, a little later, when
those same disciples attempted to cast some of Satan's
demons out, they failed.
"And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him
a certain man, kneeling down to Him, and saying,
"Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is 'lunatik' [an old
English word based on fable, meaning "moonstruck," which is
an erroneous translation], and sore vexed: for ofttimes he
falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
"And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure
him.
"Then Jesus answered and said, 'O faithless and perverse
generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I
suffer you? bring him hither to me.
"And Jesus rebuked the devil [demon]; and he departed out of
him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
"Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, 'Why
could not we cast him out?'
"And Jesus said unto them, 'Because of your unbelief: for
verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of
mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence
to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be
impossible unto you.
"Howbeit this kind goeth not forth but by prayer and
fasting" (Matthew 17:14-21).
Christ was Human, just like the disciples were human.
The disciples, however, had allowed their faith to wane;
they had not been fasting and praying enough! They were not
as close to God; did not have as much of His power,
His Holy Spirit, flowing through them like spiritual energy,
as did Christ. Christ had been fasting and praying! He was
imbued, "without measure," with God's Holy Spirit. But He
had to continually struggle to maintain this
spiritual closeness with God.
Could Christ Have Been Tempted to Sin?
God's Word says Christ was sorely tempted to sin.
"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.
"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.
"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).
The only difference between Christ's temptations and our own
is that He was "yet without sin"! Otherwise, our temptations
are the same as Christ's. Study that scripture
carefully. It shows us our High Priest in heaven can be
touched (moved, concerned—having empathy) with the
feelings we experience as we struggle against Satan's world,
against our own human natures, against the myriad
temptations that surround us.
Do we ever want something so bad we can hardly stand
it, yet know that it would be wrong? Do we FEEL such
a temptation? Does it set up an inner conflict—produce a
struggle within us?
Are we prone to feel hatred for others? Do we wrestle
with feelings of jealousy, envy, anger, greed, or lust?
Do we sometimes come to the "end of our rope," crying out to
God, "I can't take this any more"? Did Christ ever come
perilously close to the "end of the rope" in His earthly
struggles?
Christ was tempted. Therefore, He experienced desire
in many directions, which, if He had followed those
temptations to their ultimate conclusion in either thought
or deed, He would have committed sin! But He
overcame each temptation as it occurred! Did He do so
easily, like a champion weightlifter, picking up a mere
20 pound weight?
No, the Bible shows Christ had to WRESTLE with His own
inclinations, that He had to STRUGGLE to overcome
temptation!
Tempted Like as We Are
The book of Hebrews was written to convince Jewish
Christians of the efficacy of the Priesthood of Christ. It
goes deeply into the Levitical priesthood, the types of the
priest in the temple, and the far greater and eternal
Priesthood into which Christ has entered.
What Paul is showing in the fourth and fifth chapters is how
we may approach the "throne of grace" in heaven BOLDLY,
having faith to know our prayers are heard as we wrestle
with the same kinds of temptations Christ endured, and
overcame. God wants us to know that Christ knows how we
feel!
God says Christ was tempted "in all points ... like as we
are" Hebrews 4:15). The Greek word for "tempted" is
peirazo, which comes from peiro, meaning, "to
pierce through," or "to test." Some have twisted the
meaning of this expression, abandoning the obvious
implication of stress—a torturous, near violent
meaning of "to pierce through" like "to be stricken," or to
hurt—in favor of merely "testing," as if Christ's testing
were not rigorous, or that it required a real
struggle!
This is patently ridiculous in the context of Christ's
40-day fast. Why undergo such pain-wracked suffering
if He were to toss off His encounter with Satan with
consummate ease?
No, Christ suffered through His temptations! He felt them.
And He therefore knows how we feel!
Now, how are we tempted?
From earliest childhood, our human natures held sway over
our minds. We grow physically first, then mentally, and
finally emotionally—perhaps! From childhood, we give in to
our impulses, our appetites. When hungry at age 6 weeks, we
cried. When we were wet, or uncomfortable, or frustrated,
our crying took on new and more strident notes. Mothers and
fathers soon learn when their tiny progeny are angry, or
feeling self pity (watching those little lower lips curl up
and turn down at the edges as their child sobs can tug at
your heart!), or are tired, or frustrated.
As we grow, it is extremely rare if someone teaches us how
not to envy, or to be jealous, or to have resentment; how
not to be greedy, or engage in acts of violence.
Carnal human nature, apart from God's Holy Spirit, is a
collection of selfishness, vanity, jealousy, lust and greed!
These are the motives that drive people to "success" in
corporate business and private entrepreneurship, to
"success" in the military, or politics.
The most powerful human emotions, it has been said, and
written about interminably, are love and hate. Thousands of
plays, books, and movies have illustrated such themes.
Vengeance, lust, vanity, jealousy, love [usually lust, which
Hollywood thinks is love], hatred—these powerful
emotions form the basis for much of the world's
entertainment.
The "soaps" on TV are a continual merry-go-round of secret
desires, betrayals, jealousies, hatreds, lusts, love
triangles, homosexuality (and therefore illicit, perverted
lust), mental and emotional struggles. This is why so many
millions of frustrated people revel in such trash—they enjoy
watching others act out the real or imagined fantasies of
their own lives.
The reason so many hundreds of "country western" songs are
based on "You done left me fer another" is because this is
the way so many people live their lives, including most of
the country western singers! (Not long after Tammy Wynette
came out with her famous hit single, "Stand By Your Man,"
she divorced George Jones!)
The movies, TV, books, magazines, plays—practically
everything that passes for "entertainment" is geared to the
down side of human nature. It appeals to the prurient, the
illicit, the illegal, or the libidinous.
When we become converted; when we TURN AWAY from a life of
sin (to be converted means to be changed; Romans 12:1,2), we
find we have a struggle on our hands.
This world is filled with the Satanic enticements of sin,
with churches which are abandoning God's Word in favor or
the changing mores of human conduct, ordaining lesbians and
sodomites into the clergy, allowing premarital sex,
"live-in" relationships, same-sex "marriages." Perhaps it is
cynicism to observe that it is only a matter of time until
some pervert leads a horse down the aisle of one of these
churches.
Today, even churchmen seem to be saying, "If it feels good,
do it." In a drug-infested, sex-mad, chaotic society of
licenteousness and pleasure-seeking, it is a real struggle
for a converted Christian to overcome temptation!
Abraham's children could not see nude women exposing
themselves on centerfolds in magazines available in
practically any grocery store! Children in the time of
Christ could not go to movies and watch lovemaking scenes.
Children in Daniel's day had not sat in front of television
for more hours than they would ever spend in formal
education, watching garrotings, stabbings, bludgeonings,
rape, arson, shootings, dismemberments, sex orgies,
explosions, or chain saws slashing through human flesh—all
in the name of "entertainment"
People's minds had not been quite so polluted then.
Jesus Christ's temptations were real to Him. They ran the
gamut of all human appetites. Could not Christ have looked
upon the lovely young women of His time, and momentarily
experienced the thought of desire toward them? Either He
did, or no normal heterosexual male has a Savior! But Christ
did not lust for them! He could admire beauty without
thinking illicit thoughts.
God's Word is not implying that Christ experienced every
minute little temptation that might be around us today.
Rather, it is showing that Christ was tempted in every
category of human appetite, every category of human nature.
He was tempted to allow vanity, or jealousy, or lust, or
greed to enter in. But through God's Holy Spirit He overcame
those temptations.
Christ never smoked. Yet, He could experience temptations
having to do with appetite. Smoking is a sin. Smoking is
also an addiction. The body becomes dependent upon nicotine
once a person has struggled to force himself or herself to
ingest choking clouds of pollution into the lungs, and is
finally hooked on cigarette smoke. From that time on, the
body and its appetites are dictating to the mind and the
will what shall be done.
The mind is no longer in control. The bodily appetites have
taken over.
Christ was tempted by the senses of smell, taste, touch, and
the like. Surely He was mightily tempted to crave food
tempted to lust for it, when He fasted 40 days! Were not
there dozens of times when the vision of a savory lamb
roast, or a delicious stew, or some fresh fruits or crisp
vegetables, even a crystal clear glass of water, tormented
His thoughts?
But, by the power of God's Holy Spirit, He forced such
thoughts from His mind, turning, instead, to prayer.
Had He allowed His mind to give in to the temptation to
dwell on food; spending long moments imagining just how
certain things would taste, He might have broken His fast,
and then He might have failed when He locked minds and wills
with the most powerful spirit being this side of heaven!
But Christ overcame temptation!
He overcame it by a struggle—by literally suffering!
God says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for
when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which
the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.
"Let no man say when He is tempted, I am tempted of God: for
God [God in heaven, in His Divine state—not Christ during
His earthly experience] cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth He any man.
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own
lust, and enticed.
"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:
11-15).
God the Father in His flawless perfection CANNOT BE TEMPTED!
But Christ, in His human state was "tempted in every point
like as we are" so He could qualify to become our High
Priest; so He could suffer, struggle, agonize, and endure
the inner conflicts of human nature; so He could overcome
temptations, and prove it is possible for a human being,
filled with God's Spirit, to resist sin!
God says we are blessed when we endure temptation!
Those who have experienced the fight against smoking, and
who have overcome it; who have struggled against alcoholism,
and have beat it; who have wrestled against lust, and
conquered it, are "blessed," and shall receive "the crown of
life."
Is it horribly wrong to be tempted?
According to some, whose values are not those of God, it
would so appear. There are those who, knowing a spouse could
be tempted to break the commandment against coveting one's
neighbor's wife (or husband), would be blindly furious at a
mate simply because there might be a temptation! Such would
not call a person "blessed" who had wrestled with, and
overcome temptation, but would be horribly angry, instead!
Not our Savior. Not Christ. Instead, He would look down
kindly from His place at the right hand of God and say,
figuratively, "I know how you feel. I know what you endured.
I know what you just overcame." He would turn to His Father,
and ask forgiveness for such an one, would give strength to
such a person through the supply of God's Holy Spirit.
How Difficult was Christ's Struggle?
Those who teach the heresy that it was impossible for
Christ to commit sin are denying some of the most important
scriptures in the Bible. Worse, they are denying their
own Savior, for they are denying His traumatic struggles
in His human form! They are denying the humanity of Christ.
John warned, "For many deceivers are entered into the world,
who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh [they
do not confess His humanity, with its attendant pulls and
tugs of human nature, with its weaknesses, its potential for
failure, its struggles, pains, sufferings]. This is a
deceiver and an antichrist. "Look to yourselves [heretics
who deny Christ's sufferings, take heed!], that we lose not
those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a
full reward.
"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of
Christ [this is the whole truth about Jesus Christ—What and
Who He was, what He did, His human sufferings!], hath not
God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both
the Father and the Son.
"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine,
receive Him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed"
(2 John 7-10).
John felt this deeply, for He was the "disciple whom Jesus
loved," the disciple who was so moved by Jesus' passion that
he leaned on His breast at the Last Supper. John alone
seemed to have been deeply aware of the feelings of
rejection, the loneliness, the near anxiety of Christ as He
contemplated what awaited Him that horrible night of His
sufferings just before His death.
Now, notice some extremely important facts about Christ's
lonely sacrifice: "Who hath believed our report? and to whom
is the arm of the Eternal [YHVH] revealed?
"For He shall grow up before Him [Christ, as a baby, then a
boy, then a man, in the sight of His Father in heaven] as a
tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground [the
faithless generation and religious leaders of His day]: He
hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him,
there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief. and we hid as it
were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we
esteemed Him not.
"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God,
and afflicted.
"But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of [which
procured] our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we
are healed.
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every
one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the
iniquity [sin] of us all.
"He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not
His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as
a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His
mouth" (Isaiah 53: 1-7).
Notice! God says Christ was DESPISED!
Have you ever been despised? Does it hurt to know
someone absolutely hates you? What if someone you
love becomes filled with hatred toward you? Does that
hurt?
Jesus Christ was flawlessly perfect. He was of perfect
character, perfect conduct. There was no reason for
any person to have any emotion toward Christ except
admiration, approval, love, worship!
Yet, in spite of His perfection, He was despised by
the scribes and Pharisees, despised by his own near kin,
despised by countless hundreds and thousands! You and I know
how it hurts to be hated! Christ, too, hurt
under these rancorous, venomous, spiteful hatreds of people.
He suffered greatly under it!
God says He was "rejected of men..." Have you ever
been rejected?
Divorce is rejection! In such a terrible, sinful
occurrence, two people who once experienced the most
wondrous, romantic, expectant, exciting, loving emotions—who
grew close in marriage, experiencing the deepest and most
fulfilling intimacies of married love; two people who said,
over and over again, "I love you," who made up little words
of endearment to use for each other, have now become
hateful, spiteful, contemptuous, distant, reproachful,
angry, cold and aloof. Now, they REJECT their mate!
Does divorce HURT?
You KNOW IT DOES! Many reading this, divorced or not,
have experienced rejection! I was rejected by my own
father, charged with doing things I simply did not do,
and denied access to him for the next eight years—never
given the opportunity to see him personally, or even so much
as talk to him on the telephone. He died, never having
permitted me to see him. That is rejection! And I can
tell you, it HURT!
Christ was a "man of sorrows. Were these "fake"
emotions? Nonsense! Sorrow is painful. It is disappointment,
failure, emptiness, loss, sadness! It is an emotion of pain!
Christ experienced these feelings of rejection, of denial,
of loss and sorrow, so that He can help us in our time of
rejection, pain, and loss! He is our High Priest for daily
trials and troubles, not only our Savior Who paid the
penalty for our sins!
God says, "Surely He hath borne our grief." Is grief real?
Did Christ feel the pain of sorrow, and grief?
We know Jesus wept. Did He "fake" it? For, if heretics who
teach Christ could not have sinned are correct, then there
was simply no need for Christ to ever have been concerned—He
could have sailed through His physical experiences knowing
He could never make a mistake, knowing He had nothing to
lose!
Jesus Christ cried. He groaned with pain. He was deeply
sorrowful. He felt, deeply, the rejection of His own beloved
people. He suffered!
How utterly shocking to see there are those who are now
denying the sufferings of Christ! And how plain it is that
if they do so, they deny Christ!
Your Savior and mine risked it all for us!
God says, "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.
"For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted,
He is able to succor [help, comfort] them that are tempted"
(Hebrews 2:17,18). God says our Savior overcame through pain
and suffering, through trial and temptation; that He offered
up "strong cryings and tears" as He struggled against Satan,
against human nature, against the world around Him!
"But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the
angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with
glory and honor, that He by the grace of God should taste
death for every man.
"For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are
all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the
Captain of their salvation PERFECT THROUGH SUFFERINGS"
(Hebrews 2:9,10).
Finally, rejoice in these rich, blessed words: "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.
"For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched
[moved, made compassionate] with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin!
"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).
Thank God it was possible for Christ to sin! Glory,
honor, praise, awe, admiration, and WORSHIP to Him, praise
to His Holy Name, that He DID NOT!
=========================================================
NOTES
From The Companion Bible, Appendix 116:
THE TEMPTATIONS OF OUR LORD
It is well known that the order of the temptations in
Matthew is not the same as in Luke. Commentators and
Harmonizers assume that one is right and the other is wrong;
and proceed to change the order of one in order to make it
agree with the other...
But an examination of the combined accounts, giving due
weight to the words and expressions used, will explain all
the differences, and show that both Gospels are absolutely
correct; while the differences are caused by the three
temptations being repeated by the devil in a different
order, thus making six instead of three.
Mark and Luke agree in stating that the temptations
continued all the forty days (Mark 1: 13, Luke 4:2); they
are described as follows:
I. (Luke 4:3, 4)
"The devil (ho diabolos) said to Him, 'Speak to this
stone (to litho touto) that it become a loaf (artos).’
"This appears to be the first temptation: and
there is no reason whatever why it should not have been
repeated in another form; for it is nowhere stated that
there were three, and only three temptations.
II. (Luke 4:5-8)
"And the devil, conducting (anagagon) Him, shewed to
Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world, or land
(Gr. oikoumene), in a moment of time." Nothing
is said about "an exceeding high mountain." Lachmann
brackets the words "into an high mountain," and
Tischendorff, Tregelles, Alford, WH, and R.V. omit them.
The devil claims to possess the right to the kingdoms of the
world, and the Lord does not dispute it. Satan says: "To
Thee will I give this authority (exousia) and all
their glory, for to me it has been delivered, and to
whomsoever I wish I give it. Therefore, if Thou wilt worship
before me, all shall be Thine."
Nothing is said here about "falling down," as in
Matthew. Here, only "authority" is offered, for all the
critical Greek texts read "pasa" (not "panta")
fem. to agree with exousia.
The Lord did not say, "Get thee hence" (as in Matt. 4: 10),
but "Get thee behind Me," which was a very different thing.
Satan did not depart then, any more than Peter did when the
same was said to him (Matt 16:23).
III. (Luke
4:9-12) "And he conducted (egagen) Him to Jerusalem,
and set Him upon the wing (or battlement, Dan. 9:27m.) of
the temple, and said to Him, 'If Thou art the Son of God,
cast Thyself down hence, for it is written, that to His
angels He will give charge concerning 'Thee, to keep Thee
(tou diaphulaxai se),'" &c.
There is nothing said about this "keeping thee" in
Matthew; moreover, it is stated that having finished every
form of temptation, "he departed from Him for a season."
Note that the devil departed (apeste) of his own
accord in Luke 4:13, while in Matthew the Lord summarily
dismissed him, and commanded him to be gone (Matt. 4:10).
IV. (Matt. 4:3,
4) After the "season" (referred to in Luke 4:13), and on
another occasion therefore, "he who was tempting Him (ho
peirazon), having come (proselthon), said, "If
Thou art the Son of God, say that these stones become loaves
(artoi)." Not "this stone,' or "a loaf" (artos),
as in Luke 4:3. Moreover he is not plainly called "the
devil," as in Luke 4:3, but is spoken of as the one who had
already been named as tempting Him (ho peirazon); and
as "having come" (proselthon): not as simply speaking
as being then present.
V. (Matt. 4:5-7)
"Then (tote)'!—in strict succession to the preceding
temptation of the "stones" and the "loaves"—"Then the devil
taketh (paralambanei) Him unto the holy city, and
setteth Him upon the wing (or battlement) of the temple,"
&c. Nothing is said here about the angels being charged to
"keep" Him (as in Luke 4: 10); nor is there any reason why
any of these three forms of temptation should not have been
repeated, under other circumstances and conditions.
VI. (Matt.
4:8-10) Here it is plainly stated that the second temptation
(Luke 4:5-8) was repeated: for "Again the devil taketh Him
unto an exceedingly high mountain, and sheweth to Him all
the kingdoms of the world, kosmos, not oikoumene, as
in Luke 4:5, and their glory, and said to Him: "All these
things, not "all this authority," as in Luke 4:6, will I
give to thee if, falling down, thou wilt worship me."
Here, in this last temptation, the climax is reached. It was
direct worship. Nothing is said in Luke about falling
down. Here it is boldly and plainly said, "Worship me."
This was the crisis. There was no departing of Satan's own
accord here. The moment had come to end all these
temptations by the Lord Himself. "Go! said the Lord (hupage),
Get thee hence, Satan... Then the devil leaveth (aphiesin)
Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered to Mm."
This angelic ministry marked the end. There is no such
ministry mentioned at the end of the third temptation in
Luke 4:3-12; for then Satan "departed" of his own accord,
returning (in Matt. 4:3) after "a season" (Luke 4:13).
True, the Lord had said "Get thee behind Me, Satan" (Luke
4:8); but He did not, then, summarily dismiss him, nor did
Satan depart: he continued with his third temptation, not
departing till after the third had been completed.
We thus conclude that, while there were temptations
continuous during the whole of the forty days (Mark 1: 13,
Luke 4:2), they culminated in six direct assaults on the Son
of man, in three different forms; each form being repeated
on two separate occasions, and under different
circumstances, but not in the same order.
This accords with all the variations of the words used,
explains the different order of events in the two Gospels,
and satisfies all the conditions demanded by the sacred
text.
The two different orders in Matthew and Luke do not arise
from a "mistake" in one or the other, so that one may be
considered correct and the other incorrect; they arise from
the punctilious accuracy of the Divine record in describing
the true and correct order in which Satan varied the six
temptations; for which variation, he alone, and neither of
the Evangelists, is responsible.
-End-
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