Basic HTML Version
Chapter 26—The Ministry of Christ
After Satan had ended his temptations he departed from Jesus
for a season, and angels prepared Him food in the wilderness and
strengthened Him, and the blessing of His Father rested upon Him.
Satan had failed in his fiercest temptations; yet he looked forward to
the period of Jesus’ ministry, when he should at different times try
his cunning against Him. He still hoped to prevail against Him by
stirring up those who would not receive Jesus, to hate and seek to
destroy Him.
Satan held a special council with his angels. They were dis-
appointed and enraged that they had prevailed nothing against the
Son of God. They decided that they must be more cunning and use
their power to the utmost to inspire unbelief in the minds of His
own nation as to His being the Saviour of the world, and in this
way discourage Jesus in His mission. No matter how exact the Jews
might be in their ceremonies and sacrifices, if they could be kept
blinded as to the prophecies and be made to believe that the Messiah
was to appear as a mighty worldly king, they might be led to despise
and reject Jesus.
I was shown that Satan and his angels were very busy during
Christ’s ministry, inspiring men with unbelief, hate, and scorn. Often
when Jesus uttered some cutting truth, reproving their sins, the
people would become enraged. Satan and his angels urged them
[203]
on to take the life of the Son of God. More than once they took up
stones to cast at Him, but angels guarded Him and bore Him away
from the angry multitude to a place of safety. Again, as the plain
truth dropped from His holy lips, the multitude laid hold of Him
and led Him to the brow of a hill, intending to cast Him down. A
contention arose among themselves as to what they should do with
Him, when the angels again hid Him from the sight of the multitudes,
and He, passing through the midst of them, went His way.
Satan still hoped that the great plan of salvation would fail. He
exerted all his power to make the hearts of the people hard and their
157