THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST FORETOLD

Angel Gabriel and Zechariah by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1852-1860

[The Temple in Jerusalem B.C. 6]

Luke 1:5-25

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias [which means YAHWEH Remembers], of the course [priestly division] of Abia [or Abijah]: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth [Elisheva: meaning -My God is abundance]. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying without at the time of incense.

In 1 Chronicles 24, King David divided the priesthood into twenty-four orders. Zachariah was serving in the order of Abijah (Abia). This was the eighth in sequence of the twenty-four orders. Each order served in the temple twice a year for one week each time. They would move to Jerusalem and live together during their period of service.

People have attempted to date the birth of John and the birth of Jesus based on this information. (I admit I tried this myself.) However, dating is difficult. I am of the mind God choose to obscure the actual dates so we wouldn’t become fixed on dates and not the personage. (See “A problem with Dates.)

But since we know the orders served in rotation and Abijah was eighth in the rotation, we think we can pinpoint when Gabriel visited Zachariah and deduce John’s birth from that and then because John is six months older than Jesus, infer Jesus’ birthday.

We could if calendars were exact measurements. Traditionally, the priestly rotation began in the Hebrew month Nissan, which would be mid-March to mid-April. Zachariah’s division would have thus served at the end of Iyyar (mid-April to mid-May) and Marheshvan (mid-October to mid-November). This is the rub. The Jewish calendar was twelve months long, but based on moon cycles, not the rotation around the Sun. The year was 354 days long, 11 days shorter than our solar calendar. Periodically, the Jews added an extra month after Adar, to make up the difference. This result in extra service and caused the service periods to fluctuate from year to year. Without knowing a specific year, it becomes impossible to know exactly when Zachariah was serving when Gabriel appeared.

We do know Zachariah had the great honor of burning the incense that day. This was an honor a priest only received once in his lifetime and it was chosen  by lot.

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Fear not, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John [Yochanan: YAHWEH is gracious].

“And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah], to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

And Zacharias said to the angel, “Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.”

And the angel answering said to him, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to you, and to show you these glad tidings. And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you believed not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Gabriel had appeared in the Old Testament to Daniel to interpret visions (Daniel 8:15-17 and Daniel 9:20-22). He is to appear again to Mary to tell her she will give birth to Christ. He is considered one of the four archangels. The name Gabriel means “Strong Man of God”.

There are three Archangels named in the Bible. Gabriel, who seems to bring prophesy to humans each time he appears. The name means “Strong man of God”. The name appears four times, twice in Daniel and then Twice in Luke, where he appears first to Zachariah to announce he will father John the Baptist and then to Mary to tell her she will give birth to the Messiah. In Daniel 8 and 9, Gabriel explains to Daniel the meaning of future visions

(It is Islamic tradition that Gabriel visited Muhammad on Mount Hira and this meeting led to future revelations that became the basis of the Qur’an.)

The second Archangel is Michael, meaning, “who is like God”. Also Michael is first mentioned in Daniel, as well as in Jude and Revelation. He always seems to be engaged in battle with the Devil and his demons.

A CONTROVERSIAL THEORY

The Devil is the third named Archangel, the fallen one, who became known as Satan and the Dragon, among other names. There is one place, Isaiah 14:12, he is referred to as Lucifer, meaning “light-bearer” or “Morning Star”.  However, the Hebrew word translated in the literal is “shining one” and it comes from a root that can mean boasting or boastful.

Compare “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” Isaiah 14:12 to 2 Peter 1:19,  “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” The Greek translated “Morning Star” in English would be translated “Lucifer” in Latin, but the verse in 2 Peter refers to Christ. If we translate Isaiah 14 more literally we would get, “O shining one [or boastful one], son of the dawn!” Some make the case that the name Lucifer is another name applied to Christ as the Morning Star. That Satan’s name was Heylel, one who once bore the reflective light of the dawn; that is, Christ his creator, but boasted of it as if he were the light bearer and not simply its reflection.

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless.

And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, “Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.”

The people were wondering what was taking him so long. There are bells sews in the hem of his robe, so they probably heard him move about. (There is a myth that the priest had a rope tied about his ankle in case he died. This would allow people to pull him out of the place. This is not true and has no scriptural basis.) When he did come out there was no doubt he had seen a vision.

It is not certain how long afterward Elizabeth became impregnated. It is not certain which day Zachariah served. He would have to serve out his week and then travel home. This trip may have been a couple days long.

Elizabeth, who was a descendent of Aaron, and of the Priestly family of Levites, had never been able to have children. We don’t know if it was her problem or his, but in those times it was always considered the woman’s problem. There was a certain stigma to being barren, which is why she says God took away her reproach.

This has personal meanings for me. My wife could not have children (we lost seven) and she had been told it was impossible for her to have a child. When I became a Christian at age 34, with the prayer of a church and the mercy of God, we had three children. Miracles are very real to me because I experienced them.

THE BIRTH OF JESUS FORETOLD

The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner's, 1898

(Nazareth in Galilee Late B.C. 6 or early B.C 5)

Luke 1:26-38

And in the sixth month [referring to the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph [Yosef:  meaning he will add], of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary [Miryam: Most likely is derived from Egyptian mry or beloved].

And the angel came to her, and said, “Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women.”

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said to her, “Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Then said Mary unto the angel, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.”

THE PROMISES FULFILLED

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15

Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:13-17

But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth, then the remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide for now shall he be great to the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land and when he shall tread in our palaces then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. Micah 5:2-5

THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Birth of John the Baptist by Giovanni di Paolo, circa 1454

(Spring B.C. 5)

Luke 1:57-79

Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had shown great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, “Not so; but he shall be called John.”

And they said to her, “There is none of your kindred that is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.”

And they marveled all.

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God.

And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What manner of child shall this be!”

And the hand of the Lord was with him.

It was the tradition of Jews, and this went on for thousands of years, to name a child in honor of a deceased relative (although for some sects, the name could be of a living relative or a great Torah scholar).  After the Diaspora [the one following the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD until the 1948 reestablishment of Israel], when the Jews were scattered throughout the world and their land no longer theirs, began a tradition of double naming; that is, giving a Hebrew name and a secular name. Within their own enclaves they would use the Hebrew name, but in the culture they lived within they would use the secular name. But that was to come later, so it must have been a real shock when Zechariah insisted on the name John, whom no one in his family had been called. John means "God is gracious". 

God was about to be gracious indeed, about to show the world His Grace through the birth and death of Jesus. I also think the name set John the Baptist apart just as his lifestyle and mission was going to set him apart from other men.  

Zechariah's Song

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

“And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Mary had been visited by Gabriel and told she would bear God's Son. She immediately went to visit her relative, Elizabeth, who lived some distance away and she stayed there for three months.

Here are a couple of things to consider. We were told in scripture it was the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy when the Angel appeared to Mary, and Mary then stayed with Elizabeth for three months.  It seems quite reasonable that Mary was present at John the Baptist's birth and then came back home.  Perhaps this was her explanation to her parents for her journey, to tend to Elizabeth during the pregnancy and birthing.

Since Mary was not yet pregnant when she went to Elizabeth, we can logically assume Joseph's visitation occurred after her return. She probably was reveled as "with child" upon arrival back. This would look bad; of course, your teenage daughter goes away for three months and returns home pregnant. This was a very grave matter. One wonders if Elizabeth sent any message of support with Mary, since Elizabeth had experienced a miracle under similar circumstances of angelic visits. Elizabeth obviously understood and believed Mary's story. We don't know what Mary's parents thought of this, but we do know Joseph's reaction. He was distraught. 

THE ANGEL’S APPEARANCE TO JOSEPH

"The Dream of Joseph" circa 1640 AD by Georges de La Tour.

(Nazareth B.C. 5)

Matthew 1:18-25a

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. [Secretly or privately. The NIV translates this as: “He had in mind to divorce her quietly.”]

There is some interesting information in the last sentence. If Joseph did not want to expose her to public disgrace, Mary's condition was probably not widely known. Perhaps it was confided and confined to her immediate family and Joseph. At any rate, Joseph had every right to divorce her under the Law. He would have cited Deuteronomy 24:1, "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house..." (NIV) This certificate of divorce was called a "Get" and would have been considered merciful on Joseph's part considering the punishment available for adultery. A Get would have accomplished three things. One, it would have severed any marital obligations between Joseph and Mary; two, it would have freed Mary to marry another man if she wished and it would have legitimized any child born to that marriage. Here are the basic rules for a Get:

(1) The parties appear before a rabbi learned in the laws of divorce, a scribe, and two witnesses.

(2) The husband requests that the scribe write the GET for his wife, which the scribe then proceeds to do using a special quill pen.

(3) The husband declares that he is giving the GET of his own free will, and the wife concerning its receipt makes a similar declaration.

 (4) At this point, the GET is then signed by the two witnesses.

 (5) The parties are again questioned as to whether they are giving and accepting the GET voluntarily.

 (6) The husband takes the GET and drops it directly into his wife’s cupped hands, stating: "This is your GET and accept this as your GET, you shall therewith be divorced from me, you are untied free and permitted to any man".

 (7) She then places the GET under her arm and symbolically leaves by turning and moving several steps away.

 (8) The divorcée then returns and the GET is taken from her by the officiating rabbi who tears the GET crosswise; and

 (9) finally, the divorced woman is given a Divorce Certificate to prove her divorced status, and the process is over.

It says Joseph wanted to do this quietly. He would not have been required to place blame in order to obtain a Get, he could simply claim his displeasure in Mary. He would not necessarily had to spell out what the indecency was he found in her. Obviously, her condition would become apparent. Perhaps the plan also included sending her away somewhere. Mary and Joseph were betrothed, which was as binding as marriage, but did not include consummation. If Mary were seen as pregnant, people would assume either Joseph and Mary had not remained pure in their betrothal or Mary had committed adultery. Joseph would probably have desired to avoid either accusation.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, fear not to take to you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS [Hebrew: Joshua, which means God is Salvation]: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” [Isaiah 7:14]

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took to him his wife and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

There are some who claim Mary and Joseph never had sex or children of their own. Here in Matthew 1:25 is the first of several passages in Scripture that refute that idea. They restrained from consummation of their marriage vows until sometime after the birth of Jesus. If Mary and Joseph had denied their bodies to each other as man and wife, they would have been committing sin against each other and the commands of God. (See Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:25-33 for example.) 

This also took great faith on Joseph's part, because by doing so he would bring some condemnation on himself for not restraining himself and his wife during the betrothal period. I am sure people were no different then than now and much whispering went on around the town speculating on just how and by whom Mary had become pregnant. Probably the rumor that she had been either raped or had an affair with a Roman soldier began here.

P.S.: In de La Tour's painting, Joseph appears as quite old. Often we see Joseph portrayed as much older than Mary and although it is possible he was a few years her senior, it seems more likely he and she were both quite young given the customs of the time. Mary may even been as young as twelve or thirteen and Joseph himself may have been a teenager. We really don't know their actual age at this time from any authentic source.

So why have classical artists often painted Joseph as this old man?

There are apocryphal writings, such as "The Story of Joseph the Carpenter", that contend Joseph had been married prior to Mary and was of quite an advanced age. According to these traditions, Joseph married one Melcha (sometimes called Escha) when he was forty years old and they lived together 49 years before she died. During their marriage, Joseph and Melcha had six children, two daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was known as James the Less.

Now a year after Melcha died, for reasons I really don't know, these priests send a message throughout Judea for a worthy man to Marry this twelve or thirteen year old girl named Mary. So Joseph, this ninety-year man, makes the trek to Jerusalem to apply as the groom and gets selected.

This idea caught on that Joseph was this very old man at the time of Christ's birth. I think one of the reasons this story was perpetuated came from the belief of some that Mary remained eternally a virgin after Jesus was born. There is a belief in some churches that Mary and Joseph never had any sexual relationship in their marriage, a situation I stated was a sin and violation of God's will. However, those who hold that this was the case faced the problem when Scripture mentions Jesus' brothers and sisters on occasion. This story then resolves the problem by claiming Joseph had a previous marriage and Jesus had half-siblings. Joseph would have been free to marry Mary because his first wife had died. (The same apocryphal stories claim Joseph died at the age of 111, which would have his demise coming halfway between Jesus' presentation at the Temple at age twelve and His ministry beginning at age 30.)

This whole idea that Mary remained a virgin and never had marital relations with Joseph is not Scriptural at all. The elaboration of a previous marriage for Joseph just shows the lengths some will go to rather than accepting what Scripture clearly tells us. Scripture tells us that Jesus had brothers and sisters who were the children of Joseph and Mary. Matthew tells us, "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son." (NIV) The form of that last statement indicates that after the birth of Jesus they did have normal marital relationships.

THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS

Angels announcing Christ's birth to the shepherds by Govert (or Govaert) Teuniszoon Flinck, 1639

 (Near Bethlehem)

Luke 2:8-20

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For to you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, “Let us now go even to Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us”.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things, which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Why shepherds, who were looked down on in that day, men who spent most of their time alone in the fields with sheep? You wouldn’t think these would be the first choice of the Angels to announce the birth of God’s Son. Yet, it makes perfect sense. Christ is often compared to a shepherd. We Christians are often referred to as his sheep. Ministers are called Pastor. Pastor is Latin for Shepherd.

Also take note it doesn’t say the Angels sang.

 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

JESUS TEMPTED BY SATAN

Judean Wilderness

Autumn 26 A.D

Judean Wilderness

The Judean Wilderness is not some totally barren desert. It is a sparsely settled rugged mountainous area along the Jordan River and the Dead Sea to the East of Jerusalem. It was poorly suited for crops, but was used for pasturing. It has extensive forests, but also places of rock.

Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13

And immediately the spirit drove him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.

Mark is very brief, leaving out all the details of Jesus temptation in the wilderness. Mark’s statements stand as a preface to what Matthew and Luke tell about this instance immediately after Jesus was baptized.

And then was Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted forty days of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungered.

And when the tempter came to him the Devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God command that these stones be made bread.”

But he Jesus answered him and said, ”It is written, That Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Notice the subtleness (the nuance if you would) of how the Devil tempts. First he told Jesus to turn the stones to bread and eat, an odd thing to say. Why didn't Satan turn the stones to bread and wave the baked aroma beneath the nose of the hungry man? Satan is very powerful, but there are limits to his power. The hungry man was also God, and there are no limits on God's power. Satan knew full well Jesus could produce all the food he needed if he just stretched out his hand and commanded it. Jesus didn't deny this fact. He said, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (NIV) He quoted scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3 - “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.) and didn't give in to the tempting.

And Then the devil he brought him to Jerusalem, took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, And said to him, “If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down for it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge concerning you to keep thee: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone’.”

And Jesus answering said to him, “It is written again, ’You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Again Jesus answers Satan with scriture from Deuteronomy, this time 6:16 - “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” We may ask what is this Massah? To answer that we must go to Exodus 17: 1-7 – “All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Is it total coincidence that Jesus answered Satan with these particular verses? Yes, they were fitting answers, but were the questions asked because Satan was trying to play with Jesus’ head? These scripture quotes came from the long speech Moses made to the Hebrews after they had been in the desert for 40 years, as Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days. 

When the Hebrews tempted the Lord at Massah it showed their fear and lack of faith in what God could do, even after they had witnessed several miracles. Although they should have known God would provide, they moaned and groaned about a lack of water. Satan may have felt Jesus would be like the Hebrews then, uncertain of God because of what Jesus knew was coming and might take his destiny into his own hands.

It is also interesting that this same reference pointing back to Massah involved the command to strike the Rock that would bring forth water, the salvation to the Hebrews who were thirsting, the Rock being the archetype of Christ, the Savior, who also would be struck for the salvation of men thirsting for redemption.

Anyway, the Devil tried a new tact. Satan took Jesus to the top of the highest temple in Jerusalem. Just stop and think about this for a moment if you doubt Satan has greater power than you do. He took Jesus to the highest point in Jerusalem. Do you think they walked there and climbed up the building? When they got there, like in an instant, Satan asked a question. "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down." Satan is great at asking these kinds of questions. How did he tempt Eve? By asking questions and here he asks Jesus the same question the Pharisees and Sadducees were always asking. "Will you show us a sign?" It was the same question asked when Jesus hung on the cross, "If you are the Son of God, come down off that tree?"

Then Satan has the audacity to quote scripture, Psalm 91:11-12 " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" (NIV) But Satan, just as when he was the Serpent in the Garden of Eden, takes this a bit out of context. Read Psalm 91 and see how it is God's assurance of his presence when we face the afflictions of this world.

Psalm 91

King James Version (KJV)

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

(Also note how Satan cherry-picked his verses. Satan certainly didn’t continue to Verse 13 where it says, “And the Dragon you shall trample under feet.”

But Satan also knows that God could command the Angels to swoop down and gather up Jesus if he jumped. Jesus knows this as well. Satan is good at trick questions, too. Look at how he phrased things before God concerning Job. If Jesus would have jumped and Angels weren't commanded to catch him, He could have been killed by the fall and God's Salvation Plan would have been impossible. If he jumped and the Angels grabbed him and He lived, He would have sinned and the plan would have been impossible anyway. Jesus answered with scripture, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Deuteronomy 6:16 NIV)

And again, the devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And the devil said to him, “All this power will I give you, and the glory of them, for that is delivered to me and to whomsoever I will I give it. All these things will I give you if you will therefore fall down and will worship me, it all shall be yours."

And Then Jesus answered and said to him, “Get you hence behind me, Satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve’.”

Satan is also persistent. Now he takes Jesus to a very high mountain. (Again, do you think they walked to this mountain, hired some Sherpas, rented some pickaxes and began climbing?) Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and said: "All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me?" 

Could Satan make that promise? Yes, otherwise it would have been just a silly bluster and there would be no temptation. It'd be as much of a temptation as if someone said to me, "Read my Blog and your psoriasis will immediately clear." 

Note Satan didn't say, I will give you the world. He said he would give him "the kingdoms of the world and their splendor."  The world belongs to God and God is in control. But Satan has rule over the superficialities of this world. This was given to him when man sinned. Man could have been the ruler of the world, but God took that away. Satan was the king of the political world, but there is a greater Kingdom where he has no rule. Jesus made this distinction between these kingdoms himself.

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"

"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. 

Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." John 18:33-37

Jesus doesn't laugh at Satan's boast, doesn't deny it as fact. (At another time he asks what good is it to gain the world and lose your soul, but not here.) Jesus addresses Satan's demand to be worshiped with more scripture, "Worship your God, and serve him only." (Deuteronomy 6:13) and observe that all Jesus' replies were taken right from the Law. If Jesus had acceded to any, he would have broken the Law and that is sin.)

Jesus also said, "away from me Satan!" Then the Devil left him. How come? Because as powerful as Satan is, even he knows his limits and whose really boss. 

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, then the devil left him, he departed from him for a season, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

 [Note: Luke reverses Matthew’s order of Satan taking Jesus to Jerusalem and the high mountain.]

“The angels came and ministered to him.” I believe Jesus always has this special protection by the Angels. When it says, “He shall give his angels charge concerning you to keep thee: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone”, that was to guard the human body of Jesus from the dangers of everyday life. We stump our toes on a coffee table and break them, we fall off of ladders and break a leg, we cut off a finger with a power saw, we step in the street and get run over by a bus. The world is full of hazards to this body. Jesus had a goal and purpose that must be fulfilled; he could not be subject to everyday accidents.

So why take the risks that existed in the wilderness? He could have been overcome by heat, bitten by scorpions, set upon by robbers. Jesus had just heard his Father in Heaven call him His son, yet he decides to take a forty-day hike alone in the badlands?

     No, this was no whim. This had a purpose. What were we told in the Scripture that opened this section?  (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13) “And immediately the spirit drove him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.

And then was Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted forty days of the devil.”

Jesus was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go immediately into the wilderness to be tempted. Like all of us, Jesus was tempted and tested. How would He know what we face if he did not face similar temptations? How would we fare in such a situation? Not only were the temptations grand, but these were made to a man now in a weakened physical condition, struggling to go on after forty days of deprivation. This would heighten the lure of what was offered, but in this Jesus did not sin.