The titanic, face-to-face, knock-down, drag-out winner-take-all, loser-get-nothing-conflict between Jesus and Satan didn’t end at the end of the 40 day and night wilderness testing.
Luke 4:13 perceptively viewed that TRIUMPH by Jesus only one of several times he faced Satan, sometimes in surprising people (not in any particular order). For example, the times demons proclaimed Jesus, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God” Mark 2:24. What more treacherous way could Satan weaken Christ’s authority than to claim he shared in it—the very compromise Jesus stoutly rejected in the third temptation. Matthew 16:22 revealed Satan’s presence in Simon Peter’s refusal to have Jesus die—the very future the Lord himself foretold. “Get behind me, Satan!” came the Teacher’s withering blast. Mark 3:20-21, 31-34 records Christ’s family as an instrument of Satan. Counting on the authority of family members to influence Jesus, Satan deceived Mary and the children by thinking him mentally unsound. They soon found themselves devastated by his reply—only believers in his message constituted his family. Mark 3:22 says Satan used willing Jewish leaders to accuse Jesus of “driving out demons” by the prince of demons. Again, the devil tried to insinuate himself as an ally of Jesus. Christ’s withering reply surfaced the inconsistency of thinking Satan would oppose himself. Abraham Lincoln used Christ’s very words in a political context in the Illinois State House in 1858 with his “House Divided” speech. His friends urged his silence since the truth seemed too divisive in a divided country. As friends of President Reagan implored him not to order Premier Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall. He did urging, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” Mark 10:17-31 records the Rich Young Ruler’s effort to find eternal life. The disciples couldn’t believe it when the Master taught the great difficulty of rich people missing heaven because their wealth blinded them to spiritual poverty. Numerous examples exist of the spiritual dullness of his Twelve. Mark 10:35-45, Luke 9:43-44, 46-50 are but three of other examples. Passing over other evidences, consider Acts 1. To the 11 disciples, the Kingdom of God meant restoration of the Davidic dynasty. Only to hear Jesus order them to TARGET the world with the message of his forgiveness. Thanks to the Holy Spirit’s presence on Pentecost, and his tutelage afterwards, they never again spoke of Israel’s dominance, but always of Christ’s authority over the nations as Savior and Lord! NOTE: Blog back on Friday.
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