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The Story of Redemption
Everything around Him was unpleasant, from which human nature
would be led to shrink. He was with the wild beasts and the devil, in
a desolate, lonely place. The Son of God was pale and emaciated,
through fasting and suffering. But His course was marked out, and
He must fulfill the work which He came to do.
Satan took advantage of the sufferings of the Son of God and
prepared to beset Him with manifold temptations, hoping to obtain
the victory over Him, because He had humbled Himself as a man.
Satan came with this temptation: “If Thou be the Son of God,
command this stone that it be made bread.” He tempted Jesus to
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condescend to give him proof of His being the Messiah, by exercising
His divine power. Jesus mildly answered him, “It is written, That
man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”
Luke
4:3, 4
.
Satan was seeking a dispute with Jesus concerning His being
the Son of God. He referred to His weak, suffering condition and
boastingly affirmed that he was stronger than Jesus. But the word
spoken from heaven, “Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well
pleased” (
Luke 3:22
), was sufficient to sustain Jesus through all His
sufferings. I saw that Christ had nothing to do in convincing Satan
of His power or of His being the Saviour of the world. Satan has
sufficient evidence of the exalted station and authority of the Son of
God. His unwillingness to yield to Christ’s authority had shut him
out of heaven.
Satan, to manifest his power, carried Jesus to Jerusalem and set
Him upon a pinnacle of the temple, and there tempted Him to give
evidence that He was the Son of God, by casting Himself down from
that dizzy height. Satan came with the words of inspiration: “For it
is written, He shall give His angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee:
and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou
dash Thy foot against a stone.” Jesus answering said unto him, “It is
said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Luke 4:10-12
. Satan
wished to cause Jesus to presume upon the mercy of His Father and
risk His life before the fulfillment of His mission. He had hoped that
the plan of salvation would fail; but the plan was laid too deep to be
overthrown or marred by Satan.
Christ is the example for all Christians. When they are tempted,
or their rights are disputed, they should bear it patiently. They should
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