"All the kingdoms of the world and their glory."
Text: Matthew 4:8
TWO FAILED ATTEMPTS
The Devil had come up with what he thought would have caused Jesus to falter and stumble. In both attempts he met with stiff resistance. The Word of God was so central in the life of Jesus that He could not be persuaded to be distracted.
A THIRD ATTEMPT
This time round Satan would appeal to something that he felt Jesus could not resist.
“Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain,
and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You
if You will fall down and worship me.'”
Matthew 4:8-9
1. “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain”
a) So that Jesus could have a better picture of the glory of the kingdoms of earth.
b) Rome was then at its height of power and glory.
c) But there were other kingdoms that must have been just as appealing.
2. “Showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory”
a) Satan must have thought that Jesus would be enamoured of what He saw.
b) The glory of the kingdoms of the world had caused many to dream of possessing them.
c) The world conquerors of the past: –
i) Alexander the Great
ii) Adolf Hitler
iii) Napoleon Bonaparte
d) These had waged war on weaker nations in the hope that they could emerge conquerors.
e) But each in turn had died in failure.
f) But the allure of possessing great glory appeals to many.
3. “All these things I will give You”
a) Could Satan have given as he promised?
b) Or was it just an illusion of possession of great glory?
4. “If You will fall down and worship me”
a) This was the bottom line and it was finally revealed.
b) Satan desires to be worshipped as Deity!