D.A. Carson makes a connection between the temptation of Satan, where he holds out the kingdoms of this present world to Jesus (Matthew 4:8-10), and the time that our Lord recognized “that they [the crowd of the Jews] were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:14-15).
We see it as the temptation to rule apart from God’s plan, purpose and way. This slick temptation sought to lure Him away from the devotion and purpose of His mandate—a temptation to forfeit the foundational characteristic of a son’s relationship unto His father via the simplicity of trust, obedience and faithful service.
I had not thought about that temptation plaguing our Lord so repeatedly. I thought it was a Matthew 4 wilderness temptation matter with Satan alone; like a one-time thing and it’s over. But the vulnerability to slide into self-service always dogged Him, whether from Satan, the Jews, the Romans soldiers, one of the robbers beside Him on Golgotha, the disciples, and even a close friend in ministry like Peter. Carson’s comment made me start ticking through the Gospels and their stories on this.
It’s a huge temptation throughout Christ’s life.
“A man’s pride will bring him low…” Proverbs 29:23
Our Lord, who considered equality with God nothing to be held to tightly (Phil. 2:5-6), served His Father out of the abundance of thanksgiving and humility. Every gift of God was His; He used it all for God’s greater glory, not His own. He met this temptation for us, to be our Savior through and through; we can say that from the manger to the empty tomb He served as King all the way.
G. Mark Sumpter
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