The National tribune., 1894-08-02
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Aug.
II, 1894 eG9
Subject: The Temptations of Christ. st.
Matt, 4:i-11.


during the temptations save Satan. Ii is
possible our Savior told his Disciples all
about his experiences during those three
trials. But we see the need Of the Holy
Spirit as a guide in revelation. God moved
holy men to write said accounts, and pre-
served them from error. This was in the
interest of the Church. 1t was so that all
the Christian generations might have before
them the example of our Savior In tempta-
ton. IF God took so great pains to secure
record of these facts, it is our evident duty
to study the accounts and teach them to
others. May Sunday, Aug. IL, be full of
profit to the children and youth of the
Church as they learn how to resist tempta-
tons to evil doing.
2. Time.
We put the baptism of Christ A. D. %.
The temptations took place Immediately"
after that event st. Mark, 1:12. Jesus
was so years of age (St. Luke, $3.50 We
are carried back 500 years.
3. Places.
The temptations were endured in three
localities. The temptation to make bread
from stones took place in the wilderness of
Judea. The temptation to leap down from
pinnacle was at Jerusalem. The tempta-
ton to worship Satan occurred on Mt.
Quarantania. That elevation seems to meet
all the conditions, and is generally accepted.
1t has strong traditional support.
4. Parties 10 the Temptation.
j. Jesus. st. Mt, Al, Z, 10; ST. Luke,
Al, 4, 8, -. He is called Son of God. st.
Mt, AZ, 6; st. Luke, 4: 5, g.
BY implication Christ admits He was man.
st. Mt, A; st. Luke, A.
Jesus seemed left to himself as man in
the wilderness. Nowhere is Christ more
human than in his trials with Satan.
Even the Spirit holy Spirit seems to
have left Christ after leading him into the
contest with Satan.
What part of Christ was tempted? Was
his human nature left alone to sustain the
attack
IfChrist stood simply as man, then there
was no virtue in his refusing to comply with
the first two temptations. He was tempted
TO metamorphose stones into bread. He did
not do so. Why? fla mere man. lie did
not change stones into bread, and the reason
why he did not was because he could not.
II, however, be were divine, then he did not
convert rocks into food because he would not
do so.
Next he was tempted to- Jump from tenn
pie pinnacle. He would not do So Why?
If only man, he could not thus leap without
committing suicide. But, if he were per-
son (of the Deity then he could have
jumped from the pinnacle had he so chosen !;
but he refused, hence the value of his declen-
sion.
The third temptation is the only one which
could be addressed fully to mere mortal.
Many are of opinion that Heb, d IA, | ),
,1,, 81 O., A II,
Priest, was the one who was tempted, and
they can at least claim Scriptural authority
for their views.
But st. James, /: l3, proves God cannot be
tempted by evil 1t does not, however, de-
clare that, should a person OF what is called
the Trinity become incarnated, lie could not
be tempted. The incarnation OF Deity might
put him in an attitude more tangible to
Satan.
The first two temptations seem to many
TO show that Christ WAS Deity and that
Satan knew this fact. He know well whom
he attacked. He tempted Christ afterward
when surely lie knew him. ST. Luke, 4: IS;
%: %; Heb, Is. Surely Satan was not
ignorant Of those strange events, to wit,
Christs miraculous conception, birth, and
baptism.
Christ was God, says orthodoxy in general.
He tasted 40 days. Nobody could do so gen.
timely unless he were God or unless God
enabled him so to do. But God would not
assist an imposter. Hence Christ was
genuine. Ifso, he was all he claimed to be.
But he professed 10 be equal to God, and in
deed to be Deity.
in st. Mt, 4 A, and ST. Luke, A "A, Christ
practically claims he was man. lie was
hungry-had "A human body which could be
injured and panied. He was tempted. He
could worship God.
2. Satan. He is spoken of uniformly as
person. He was originator of sin in our
world. lie was enemy of God, of man, of
the evangelic plan Of salvation. He was the
same that overcame Adam and Eve. (Gen. 3
He is the chief Of bad spiritual intelligences.
3. The Holy Spirit st. Mt, Al: st.
NIX, / II; St. Luke, Al. He is the
Pneuma- He is called by many the third
Person of the Trinity. ST. Mark tells of the
descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of
dove at the baptism just before the tempta-
tion. (1:10.) ST. Luke, A: !, states Christ
was full Of The Holy Ghost, as a product of
his baptism. Now, guided by this Spirit,
Christ goes into the wilderness. Est. Mt,
A: ~
A. Man. St Mt, ~ Homo, member
vi IHo HuHiaH IdCe, HaVln5 bOuy, SOUL, ana
spirit all human. Christ admitted he was
such one.
). Angels. st. Mt, A: 6, II. Good spir-
itual intelligences They are Gods messen-
gers, and so he sends them to our world.
They are named from their Office work.
The word, angel, means simply messenger.
We are not told how many came. Christ
could order IL legions. tSf. Mt, 26 81
6. God. st. Mt, 4:6,7 Verse is
quoted from Deu., g.: 16 from which we
learn that the original for Lord Is Jehovah,
and for God, Elohlm. Jehovah refers TO the
divine being or Entity4the word Lord, say
some, to the plurality Of persons i'll the God
head.
5. Definitions.
]. Led up. st. Mt, Al. In ST. Mark,
/: IL, we find driveth! ST. Luke, A /, says
was led. The Holy Spirit influenced him
so powerfully that he could not forego en-
tering the wilderness unless by positive re-
fusal to yield to the promptings of the Holy
Spirit. Duty was so plain that no other
course was open to him but to go. ST. Mt,
; 16, shows how the Spirit descended on
him Just after his baptism. And this in
fiuence abode with him. ST. Luke, 4 ii, 10.
The nature Of this influence is illustrated in
the case of Simeon. He. came by the Spirit
into the Temple when Christ was being pre-
scented. st. Luke, 3: 81 In this same way
we are to be led by the Spirit. Ro., 8: Ii.
In this view the Spirit was not present in
carnated in any visible form.
Was there any force used? Was Christ