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The Cross

           When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. (Matthew 2:16) 

           Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9)

 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Matthew 16:21-23)

            Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. (Matthew 26:38-40)

 

Perhaps you’ve heard songs by Carmen in which there is some sort of competition between Jesus and Satan. They’re a lot of fun. Or maybe you’ve heard the same idea in a different format. The gist of the message is that when Jesus died on the cross, the devil thought he’d won the victory. Then, oops, the resurrection takes place and Satan discovers that he was …wrong. This idea was shared by a well-known pastor this morning as I drove home from church.

But as I read through the Bible, I never find anything that suggests that Satan thought that Jesus’ death on the cross was a victory for Satan. Everything I read tells me that Satan saw two options. He either had to have Jesus killed before the cross, or he had to convince Jesus to stay off the cross. Even giving Jesus the earth as His kingdom was preferable to Jesus going to the cross. The plan was established before the creation of the world.

It is never wise to think that the Devil hasn’t read Scripture or that you understand better than he does what it means.

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