Bible Discussion Thread

"When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone?" ( John 6:15) Earlier, Satan had tempted Jesus with a kingdoms of the world; in His temptation from Satan, Jesus overcame. Here, when Jesus perceived the people would come and by force make Him a King, he did not follow on with them. Satan in his temptations said unto Jesus, "If thou be the Son of God..." Later, when Jesus was on the cross we see these words being spoken to Jesus through man. "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." ( Matthew 27:40) "Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God." ( Matthew 27:41-43) Satan earlier had taken Jesus up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple: "And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." ( Matthew 4:5-6) Jesus did not jump off the pinnacle of the temple, neither did he come down from off the cross. Satan seeks to interfere and destroy the work of God. He can manifest himself directly; he can work through the fallen angels. He can manifest himself to the mind of man; he can also work through others to speak of perform his will towards another. He can present himself as an angel of light. "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." ( II Corinthians 11:14) Satan's goal is to steal, kill, and destroy; sometimes he looks like darkness, and sometimes he looks like light.