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Humble Hero
Only in this way could He rescue us from the lowest depths of our
degradation.
He Took All Humanity’s Liabilities
Many claim that it was impossible for Christ to be overcome by
temptation. If so, then He could not have been placed in Adam’s
position nor have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain. If in
any sense we have a more trying conflict than Christ had, then He
would not be able to help us. But our Savior took humanity, with
all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of
yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear that He has not
endured.
With Christ, as with Adam and Eve in Eden, appetite was the
subject of the first great temptation. “And when He had fasted forty
days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the
tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command
that these stones become bread.’”
These first words betrayed the tempter’s character. “If You are
the Son of God.” Here Satan introduced a hint of distrust. If Jesus
would do what Satan suggested, He would be accepting the doubt.
Satan had tried to plant the thought in Eve’s mind that withholding
such beautiful fruit contradicted God’s love for them. Similarly,
the tempter now tried to plant his own sentiments in Christ. “
If
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You a re t he Son of God.” In his voice was an expression of utter
disbelief. Would God treat His own Son like this, leaving Him in the
desert with wild beasts, without food, without companions, without
comfort? He hinted at the idea that God never meant His Son to be
in such a condition as this. “
If
You are the Son of God, show Your
power. Command this stone to become bread.”
The Temptation to Doubt
The words from heaven, “This is My beloved Son,” were still
sounding in the ears of Satan. But he was determined to make
Christ disbelieve this testimony. The Word of God was Christ’s
assurance of His divine mission; the Word declared His connection
with heaven. Satan intended to make Him doubt that Word. If he