Satan tempted Jesus by offering him political power over “all the kingdoms of the world,” an offer he emphatically refused. Instead of power and grandeur, he submitted to the way of the ‘Suffering Servant’ that led inevitably to death on the Roman cross. The most startling detail of this encounter is that Jesus did not dispute the Devil’s claim to have jurisdiction over the political systems of the world.
Jesus was “driven” into
the wilderness by the Spirit where he was “tested” by the Devil. The
incident was instigated by God. Satan tempted him in four ways, and his greatest challenge was the offer of unlimited
political power - (Matthew 4:8-11).
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| [Photo by Daniil Silantev on Unsplash] |
The Devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed him all the “kingdoms of the world (kosmos) and their splendor.” He was offering him more than just sovereignty over the Jewish nation.
In the version of the story in Matthew,
the term rendered “world” or “kosmos” can refer to the entire
physical world if not the Universe itself. The Devil offered Jesus a means to
establish the “Kingdom of God,” the very thing for which he was sent.
In the version
of the story in the Gospel of Luke, the Tempter boasted that he would
give Jesus “all this authority” if he only acknowledged
Satan’s overlordship, and he claimed that “it has been delivered to me, and
to whomsoever I will, I give it.”
Jesus did NOT
call him a liar or dispute his right to dispense political power, which almost
certainly he would have done if the Devil did not have this authority. Furthermore,
if Satan received this authority from a higher source (“it has been
delivered to me”), it could only be God.
Behind the
Devil’s claim was the fall of man as recorded in the Book of Genesis.
His “right” or rulership over humanity was the consequence of Adam’s disobedience
- (John 12:31, 14:30).
To acquire this awesome power Jesus
had to “render homage” to the Devil. The Greek verb so rendered denotes giving
allegiance to someone of higher rank. In other words, to gain universal sovereignty he needed to acknowledge Satan as his master and sovereign.
Was he not the Messiah appointed by God to reign over the nations? How could he govern the world without the military and economic powers of the World Empire? - (Psalm 2:6-8).
Satan was offering a shortcut
to the God-ordained sovereignty promised to the Messiah, a way for Jesus to avoid
suffering and death. Imagine all the good he could do if he possessed Caesar’s
throne and commanded the legions of Rome! With the military and economic might
of the Empire at his fingertips, would not righteousness and peace prevail throughout
the Empire?
If ever there was justification
for resorting to State power and force, this was it. Who better qualified to
wield the imperial might of Caesar than the Prince of Peace?
SUFFERING SERVANT
Rather than bow to Satan or stoop
to the violent methods that dominate the present world order, Jesus chose the path
of the Suffering Servant. In his Kingdom, victory is achieved through self-denial
and sacrificial service for others. “Greatness” is measured by acts of mercy
and love, especially to one’s “enemy.”
Contrary to the expectations of
his contemporaries, Jesus embraced the “form of a slave” and became “obedient
unto death.” Therefore, God exalted him to reign and gave him the name “which
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
However, Calvary must precede exaltation
and glory, and his disciples are summoned to adopt this same orientation by
letting this “mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus”:
- “Who being in the form of God, counted NOT the being like God a thing to be seized, but instead, poured himself out, taking the form of a slave, being made in human likeness; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross” - (Philippians 2:6-9).
Institutional Christianity has
a long and sordid history of mixing Church and State. The temptation to use
political power to impose “right” belief and conduct is too great, but advancing
God’s Kingdom through the political means of this fallen age necessitates
resorting to the coercive power of the State.
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| [Photo by Robert Bye on Unsplash] |
Thus, disciples of Jesus must choose between following the “Lamb wherever he goes,” or giving their allegiance to the “Beast.” When they employ the corrupt political systems of this world, they embrace the “Beast from the Abyss,” prostrate themselves before its “image,” and “take its mark.”+
Followers of Jesus must take
seriously the Scriptural portrayal of political power as Satan’s territory. If the
Devil works behind the scenes of this world if the possession of political
power necessitates giving allegiance to him, and since Jesus himself refused to
do so, should we not follow his example, or should we embrace what he rejected?
SEE ALSO:
- Son of David - (Jesus is the son of David and heir to the Messianic Throne, the beloved Son of God, and the Suffering Servant of Yahweh)
- Rend the Heavens! - (The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed the calling and identity of Jesus – Son, Messiah, and Servant of the LORD)