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Wilderness Temptation
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took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only thus
could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation.
He Took All Humanity’s Liabilities
Many claim that it was impossible for Christ to be overcome by
temptation. Then He could not have been placed in Adam’s position,
nor have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain. If we have
in any sense a more trying conflict than had Christ, then He would
not be able to succor us. But our Saviour took humanity, with all its
liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding
to temptation. We have nothing to bear which He has not endured.
With Christ, as with the holy pair in Eden, appetite was the
ground of the first great temptation. “And when He had fasted forty
days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred. And when the
tempter came to Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God, command
that these stones be made bread.”
These first words betrayed his character. “If Thou be the Son
of God.” Here was the insinuation of distrust. If Jesus should do
what Satan suggested, it would be an acceptance of the doubt. Satan
sought to instill into the mind of Eve the thought that withholding
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such beautiful fruit was a contradiction of God’s love for man. So
now the tempter sought to inspire Christ with his own sentiments.
“If Thou be the Son of God.” In his voice was an expression of
utter incredulity. Would God treat His own Son thus, leaving Him
in the desert with wild beasts, without food, without companions,
without comfort? He insinuated that God never meant His Son to
be in such a state as this. “If Thou be the Son of God,” show Thy
power. Command that this stone be made 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 purposed to cause Him to doubt that word.
If Christ’s confidence in God could be shaken, Satan knew that he