# "'If' Thou are the Son of God"



## Preach (Mar 6, 2006)

When Satan tempts Lord Jesus in the desert, is Satan actually questioning whether Jesus is God's unique Son? Or is Satan using the word "if" as in "'Since' You are the Son of God". I think the Greek connotes the word "if" meaning "Since". But I have read commentators taking each position.

Any thoughts?
-Bobby-


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## py3ak (Mar 6, 2006)

I have thought that Satan was trying to insinuate doubt into Jesus' mind, much as he did into Eve's. "If you really are the Son of God then you should be able to get away with this."


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## Preach (Mar 7, 2006)

Thanks for the posts. Your thought combined seem to bode well rtegarding the context of the Baptism and what immediately follows in the wilderness.


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## alwaysreforming (Mar 7, 2006)

My impression is that Satan was FEIGNING doubt as a lure in hopes that Jesus would want to "prove himself" to Satan and fall into his trap.


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## Contra_Mundum (Mar 8, 2006)

Regardless, you have an "if-then" clause. The only question: is this the preliminary statement or conclusion. I'm not sure "doubt" really enters into the equation at any point. The "then" portion is a Satanic dictate. Jesus must always do _whatever_ he does on the basis of God's Word, not Satan's.

Therefore, Satan might command you to do something that is not "morally wrong," like turning stones to bread if that is in your constituent power. But Jesus has to wiegh whether that suggestion comes from Satan or from God. Jesus rightly judges that Satan is not piggy-backing on the heavenly dictates, but that the Holy Spirit who drove him out there in the wilderness has not finished his hour of testing. Jesus, therefore, submits his considerable powers to God's direction exclusively.

Or Satan might command you--_even using God's own Word_--to do something. How many people have been led astray by this ruse?! But Jesus correctly judges that God's Word is non-contradictory. One part cannot be pitted against another, and therefore Satan's word is to be rejected--precisely because it is Satan's word, even when he tries to camouflage it under God's Word.

In the 3rd temptation, Satan does not put his command in so bold a dress. He puts it in the form of a *promise*. So, again Jesus judges GOD's promise a superior promise to Satan's, even though God's promise includes the way of suffering and death. Nothing Satan promises, even the greatest gift and donation in all the world _of all the world_ (assuming he could even give it) is worthy of comparison to God's gifts, even when God's are accompanied by difficulty, or sorrow, or pain, or loss.


[Edit]
I have decided to preach this text on Sunday morning.

[Edited on 3-8-2006 by Contra_Mundum]


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## alwaysreforming (Mar 8, 2006)

Wow, that was a great post, Rev. Bruce!
That opened my eyes to a few things....


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