Temptation of Christ
65
himself from pain, and Christ, as his representative, was to bear his
trials as a man, leaving an example of perfect faith and trust in his
[93]
Heavenly Father.
Christ recognized Satan from the beginning, and it required strong
self-control to listen to the propositions of this insulting deceiver, and
not rebuke his bold assumption. But the Saviour of the world was
neither provoked to give him evidence of his divine power, nor to enter
into controversy with one who had been expelled from Heaven for
leading a rebellion against the supreme Ruler of the universe, and
whose very crime had been a refusal to recognize the dignity of the
Son of God. Armed with faith in his Heavenly Father, bearing in his
mind the precious memory of the words spoken from Heaven at his
baptism, Jesus stood unmoved in the lonely wilderness, before the
mighty enemy of souls.
It was not for the Son of God to descend from his lofty mission to
prove his divinity to Satan, nor did he condescend to explain the reason
of his present humiliation, and the manner in which he was to act as
man’s Redeemer. If the children of men would follow the example of
their Saviour, and hold no converse with Satan, they would be spared
many a defeat at his hands. Six thousand years has this arch-enemy
been warring against the government of God, and continued practice
has increased his skill to deceive and allure.
But Satan had too much at stake to lightly give up the battle. He
knew that, if Christ came off victor, his influence would be lessened.
So, in order to awe Christ with his superior strength, he carried him
to Jerusalem and placed him on a pinnacle of the temple. He now
demanded that, if he were indeed the Son of God, he should cast
[94]
himself from that dizzy height, and thus indicate entire confidence in
his Father’s preserving care.
The sin of presumption lies close beside the virtue of perfect faith
and confidence in God, and Satan endeavored to take advantage of
Christ’s humanity and urge him over the line of trust into presumption.
He now admitted that Christ was right in the wilderness, when he
placed such perfect confidence in the Father, and he now urged that
one more proof should be given of his entire faith in God, by casting
himself from the temple. He assured him that if he were indeed the
Son of God he had nothing to fear, for the angels would uphold him.
Satan was well aware that if Christ could be prevailed upon to fling