HOW DID SATAN “TAKE” THE LORD JESUS DURING HIS TEMPTATIONS?
by Shawn Brasseaux
How did Satan “take” Jesus during His temptations? Was the Lord hostage to the Devil, the Adversary?
Matthew chapter 4: “[5] Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,…. [8] Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;….”
Luke chapter 4: “[5] And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. [9] And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:….”
No, Satan did not snatch up the Lord Jesus and then drop Him in specific locations. We are not to suppose it is some kind of a violent, forceful capture like a law-enforcement officer holding and transporting an inmate. A better way to look at this is that Christ and Satan walked together to that pinnacle of the Jerusalem Temple and they walked together to that mountaintop. For example, if someone “takes” a person on a tour of his or her city, this is not in the sense of seizing or arresting the visitor and making him or her go on a tour. It is a walking together.
The Lord Jesus, exercising volition, has agreed to go with Satan to the roof of the Jerusalem Temple and has decided to go with Satan to the exceeding high mountain. Please understand that Christ was not a powerless prisoner here. The Lord was not forced into any of this. Even as a Man, He is still mightier than Satan. Notice how He orders Satan like a superior commands an inferior individual. If Satan had control over Jesus here, then Jesus could not have issued such decrees.
Matthew 4:10: “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Luke 4:8: “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Due to manuscript differences from the King James Greek text, in Luke 4:8, nearly every modern English version eliminates that command, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” If this is omitted, we cannot make the very point we are attempting to get across here!)
Also see:
» Why did Jesus Christ quote Deuteronomy during His temptations?
» Did Jesus ever claim to be God?
» What are Satan’s current operations?
