Chapter 41—Third Temptation of Christ
[
This article appeared in
The Review and Herald, September 1, 1874
.]
Our Saviour showed perfect confidence in His heavenly Father,
that He would not suffer Him to be tempted above what He should
give Him strength to endure, and would bring Him off conqueror if He
patiently bore the test to which He was subjected. Christ had not, of
His own will, placed Himself in danger. God had suffered Satan, for
the time being, to have this power over His Son. Jesus knew that if He
preserved His integrity in this extremely trying position, an angel of
God would be sent to relieve Him if there was no other way. He had
taken humanity, and was the representative of the race.
Satan saw that he prevailed nothing with Christ in his second great
temptation. “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain,
shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the
glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will
I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine” (
Luke
4:5-7
).
In the first two great temptations Satan had not revealed his true
purposes or his character. He claimed to be an exalted messenger
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from the courts of heaven, but he now throws off his disguise. In a
panoramic view he presented before Christ all the kingdoms of the
world in the most attractive light, while he claimed to be the prince of
the world.
The Most Alluring Temptation
This last temptation was the most alluring of the three. Satan
knew that Christ’s life must be one of sorrow, hardship, and conflict.
And he thought he could take advantage of this fact to bribe Christ
to yield His integrity. Satan brought all his strength to bear upon this
last temptation, for this last effort was to decide his destiny as to who
should be victor. He claimed the world as his dominion, and he was
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