Jesus on the Cross

 Last week was Holy Week.  David and I read through the account of Jesus' last week from the book of Matthew. There is so much you can write about Easter, but many people have said everything better than I can.  

I just wanted to point out one thing I noticed while reading Matthew 27, the account of when Jesus was up on the cross. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints people often emphasize Jesus' suffering in Gethsemane.  That is because we have extra information about that part of Jesus' suffering found in the Doctrine and Covenants 19.  Many other Christian, however, focus on his suffering on the cross, and rightfully so.  There is no reason to believe that the weight of sin Jesus took on in Gethsemane was at all lessened when he was on the cross. Add to all that spiritual weight of sin, the physical torture of being on the cross, and psychological attacks from onlookers.  

As I was reading Matthew 27 I noticed that the challenges hurled at Jesus while on the cross, were reiterations of his temptations from the beginning of his ministry.  Here is a chart.

Temptation 1: And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (v.3) 

Challenge while on the Cross: They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. (v. 34)

Essence of the temptation: Break his resolve to meet a physical need.  In the Temptation Jesus was fasting and was tempted to break his fast.  On the Cross Jesus had told his disciples he wouldn't drink the fruit of the vine until he drank it with them in the Kingdom of heaven. 

Temptation 2: 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. (v.6)

Challenge on the Cross: 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. (v. 42)

Essence of the temptation: Satan was tempting Jesus to flaunt his divine power to save himself. 

Temptation 3: Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (v. 8-9)

Challenge from the Cross: And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Essence of the temptation: Satan was tempting him to seek the glory of the world.  If Jesus had rebuilt the temple in three days, it would have been proof of his power that would have brought him fame and glory.

In the end Jesus was able to resist these final temptations just as he did the initial ones. Did resisting the first temptations help him be better prepared to resist the last?  Applying this idea to ourselves, I wonder if sometime we are given little temptations first that, if we can resist them, give us greater power to resist temptation when it comes at our more vulnerable times.