THE TEMPTATION IN THE DESERT.

QUESTION: IT IS SAID THAT THE DEVIL TEMPTED CHRIST IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THE MAN JOHN BAPTIZED WAS INDEED THE MESSIAH.  DOES THIS MEAN THAT SATAN DETERMINES THE COURSE OF EVENTS AND THAT HE IS THE "SPIRIT"
THAT SENT JESUS INTO THE DESERT (MARK 1:12)?
ANSWER: IF SATAN HAD BEEN GUIDING THE COURSE OF EVENTS THEY WOULD HAVE PROCEEDED DIFFERENTLY, AND SURELY NOT ACCORDING TO THE PLAN THAT REDEEMED MANKIND!  THE SPIRIT WHOSE ACTION BOTH MATTHEW AND MARK REFER TO IS, AS THE TEXTS CLEARLY SHOW, OPPOSED TO THE DEVIL.THIS SPIRIT CAN ONLY BE THE HOLY SPIRIT.WE MUST THEREFORE ASK GOD TO EXPLAIN, AND HE OWES NO ONE ANY EXPLANATIONS. HOW EVER, HE ENCOURAGES US TO MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE, SINCE HE HAS PLACED IT AT OUR SERVICE. CHRIST'S SOLITUDE WAS NOT INTENDED TO SATISFY THE DEVIL'S SELF-INTERESTED CURIOSITY, BUT IT DID MAKE THE TEMPTATION POSSIBLE. IT IS EVIDENT THAT SATAN DID NOT KNOW CHRIST'S WAS GOD. FOR WHILE HE IS THE EVIL ONE, HE IS NOT STUPID. THUS, IF HE HAD KNOWN THAT "THIS MAN" WAS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD THE FATHER, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE TEMPTED HIM TO STRAY FROM HIS   OBEDIENCE  TO THE FATHER. HOW COULD JESUS' TEMPTATION  HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE? IT'S POSSIBILITY RESULTED FROM THE FACT THAT HE WAS REALLY A MAN.THIS MEANS HE ASSUMED THE HUMAN CONDITION IN ITS ENTIRETY: ITS PASSIONS, IN THE ANCIENT SENSE OF THE WORD, ITS DREAD OF SUFFERING, ITS MANY-FACETED EMOTIONAL REACTIONS. THE SCENE OF THE ANGONY IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANI CONFIRMS CHRIST'S VULNERABILITY AS MAN.
THIS FACT MAKES CHRIST MORE LIKE HIS EARTHLY BROTHERS, IF IT IS TRUE THAT TEMPTATION IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THEIR SPIRITUAL LIFE. THE TEMPTATION IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, WHERE ADAM AND EVE FELL, SEEMS TO INDICATE IN THE VERY FIRST PAGES OF THE BIBLE THAT MEN ARE BY NATURE SUSCEPTIBLE TO TEMPTATION. CHRIST, THE NEW ADAM, EMERGED VICTORIOUS FROM THE TRIAL. HE WOULD THUS BE ABLE TO ASK: " CAN ANYONE OF YOU CONVICT ME OF SIN?" (JOHN 8:46).
 THIS LESSON IS CERTAINLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPECUATIONS ON THE DEVIL'S CURIOSITY, AND IT TEACHES STILL ANOTHER TRUTH: JESUS' CHOICE IN FAVOR OF THE KINGDOM " NOT OF THIS WORLD" WAS CLEAR. HIS EARTHLY LIFE MOVED TOWARD THE SUFFERING OF THE MESSIAH ANNOUNCED IN THE HYMNS OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT (ISAIAH, CHAPTERS 42,49,50,52,-53).
WHY DID THE SPIRIT OF EVIL SUGGEST TO JESUS? THAT HE  TAKE THE EASY PATH OF THE UTILITARIAN MIRACLE, OF SPECTACULAR SUCCESS, OF POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT. IF CHRIST HAD YIELDED TO SUCH ENTICEMENTS, HE WOULD HAVE WORKED THE "SIGN IN THE HEAVENS" THAT HIS CONTEMPORIES WERE CLAMORING FOR SO LOUDLY AND THAT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE RALLIED THE CROWDS TO HIS SUPPORT. HERE WE GLIMPSE THE TRUE MEANING OF THE THREEFOLD TEMPTATION : AN EASY PATH FOR HIMSELF BY USING HIS MIRACLE-WORKING POWERS TO "TURN STONES INTO BREAD," DAZZLING HIS OPPONENTS BY "THROWING HIMSELF DOWN FROM THE PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE,"  DEPENDING ON THE ANGELS PROMISEDED IN (PSALM 91:11;) AGREEING TO COMPROMISE WITH " THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD" WHO IS SO SKILLFUL IN MANIPULATING HUMAN MOTIVATIONS. BUT SUCH A MESSIAH WOULD NOT HAVE LEFT TO MEN AND WOMEN THE FREEDOM OF BELIEVING IN HIM THROUGH FAITH, THEREFORE THE SERVANT ANNOUNCED BY THE PROPHET, AND THROUGH WHOM GOD''S GOOD  PLEASURE WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED (ISAIAH 53:10) HAD TO BE A DISCREET MESSIAH (ISAIAH 42:1-4) AND HENCE A VULNERABLE ONE (ISAIAH 53:1-12). JESUS FULLY REALIZED THIS PROPHECY (MATTHEW 12:18-21).
 THROUGH OUT HIS PUBLIC LIFE JESUS PROBABLY WAS HARASSED BY THE TEMPTER'S ENTICEMENTS TO A GREATER DEGREE THAN ANY MAN, LOWLY OR FAMOUS. LUKE'S CLOSING WORDS ABOUT THIS EPISODE SUGGEST IT: WHEN THE DEVIL HAD FINISHED ALL THE TEMPTING HE LEFT HIM, TO AWAIT ANOTHER  OPPORTUNITY" (LUKE 4:13). CAN WE NOT SAY THE TEMPTATION IN THE DESERT WAS PROLONGED IN MANY WAYS BY THE PRECARIOUSNESS OF A LIFE THAT OFFERED JESUS NO PLACE TO LAY HIS HEAD (LUKE 9:58). BY HIS ENEMIES'' CONSTANT DEMAND FOR A SIGN FROM HEAVEN (MATT. 12:38-39; 16:1-8) AND BY THE ROMAN AUTHORIES WHICH WOULD HAD WON OVER MANY OF HIS JEWISH ENEMIES (LUKE 2O:22ff)?
 THE GOSPELS LEAVE US WITH A PICTURE OF CHRIST'S THREEFOLD AND CONTINUING TRIUMPH OVER THE THREE-FOLD CONSTANT TEMPTATION OF NATURE, PRIDE, AND THE LUST FOR POWER AND THIS EXAMPLE IS OFFERED TO ALL WHO ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW THEIR MASTER AND TO CARRY THEIR CROSS AFTER IM.