Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

​I see two aspects of Satan's identity reflected in the temptation of Jesus referenced in the question. 

One would be the title of "father of lies" given to Satan by Jesus Himself in John 8:44. Satan did not have anything to offer Jesus. Anything that he regards as his possession is either not really his or is his only by the permissive will of God.

At the same time, in a very real sense (and as he is called in the Bible), Satan is "the ruler of this world" (John 14:30), "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), and "the prince of this world" (John 12:31). But submitting to that rule consists of offering him the worship and praise that belongs to God alone (as he tempted Jesus to do), while leaving in place the universal sin that would doom humanity to eternal separation from God, and that Jesus had been incarnated for the purpose of defeating.

Nevertheless, Satan's temptation of Jesus was a powerful allurement to Jesus' true humanity to escape the suffering (which I don't think any of us can fully appreciate or even understand) that would be involved (and that Jesus knew would be involved) in undergoing the torture and death (including the circumstances reflected in His cry from the cross of, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?") that He was later to undergo in order to make humanity's salvation possible.

February 23 2021 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Jesus is the Son of God, about whom it is written that He was in the beginning with God, and that all things were made through Him, and without whom was not anything made that was made (John 1:2, 3). 

So if Jesus is the Creator of all things, then He's the owner of all things. David testified as much: The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1). The same sentiment is stated by Asaph in Psalm 50. : For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. (vs 10)

Satan making Jesus an offer of anything that exists is like an alien from another planet offering the Mayor of New York a good deal on the Brooklyn Bridge! You can't barter with stuff you don't own; and surely not with the true owner. 

Who has given to Me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. (Job 41:11) (I don't think it can be stated much clearer than that!)

Satan doesn't own anything! Not even his own life. He's on the record as telling Jesus he would give him all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would worship him. And because Jesus didn't put him straight about who owns everything on earth, some people come away thinking that Satan was being honest with Jesus; that he owned those kingdoms and he'd turn them over to Jesus if Jesus would bow Himself just that one time to him.

Think about it: he had to mean that he wanted to be worshipped just once! Because if Jesus became ruler of the kingdoms of the world (that Satan was lying to Him about, saying he had control of those kingdoms), then Satan would then be under Jesus' authority. Plain ole common sense tells us he had to be lying from the first word that came from his mouth! He doesn't own anything and doesn't have anything with which to make a deal. He's a liar and the author and originator of the lie. That's the thing to remember about Satan.

17 hours ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report