Humble Hero

The Terrible Temptation

Christ was now standing in a different relationship to God from that in which He had always stood before. As our Substitute, Christ was suffering under divine justice. Before this He had been an intercessor for others; now He longed to have an intercessor for Himself. HH 317.5

As Christ felt His unity with the Father being broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would not be able to endure the conflict. The tempter had come for the last fearful struggle; if he failed here, the kingdom of the world would finally become Christ’s and he himself would be overthrown. But if he could overcome Christ, the earth would become Satan’s kingdom, and the human race would be in his power forever. HH 318.1

Satan told Christ that if He became the Substitute for a sinful world, He would be identified with Satan’s kingdom and would never again be one with God. And what would He gain by this sacrifice? Satan pressed the situation on the Redeemer: The people who claim to be above all others in spiritual advantages are seeking to destroy You. One of Your own disciples will betray You. One of Your most zealous followers will deny You. All will forsake You. It pierced Christ’s heart to think that those whom He loved so much would unite in the plots of Satan. The conflict was terrible. The sins of humanity weighed heavily on Christ, and the sense of God’s anger against sin was crushing out His life. HH 318.2

In His agony, He clung to the cold ground, as if to prevent Himself from being drawn farther from God. From His pale lips came the bitter cry, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” Yet even now He added, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” HH 318.3