Chapter 14—Angels at Christ’s Baptism and in the Wilderness
Christ’s Baptism
When Jesus came to be baptized, John recognized in Him a purity of character that he had never before perceived in any man.... As Jesus asked for baptism, John drew back exclaiming, “I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?” With firm yet gentle authority, Jesus answered, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” And John, yielding, led the Saviour down into the Jordan, and buried Him beneath the water. “And straightway coming up out of the water,” Jesus “saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him.”—The Desire of Ages, 110, 111. {TA 168.1}
Heavenly angels were looking with intense interest upon the scene of the Saviour’s baptism, and could the eyes of those who were looking on, have been opened, they would have seen the heavenly host surrounding the Son of God as He bowed on the banks of the Jordan.—The Youth’s Instructor, June 23, 1892. {TA 168.2}
The Saviour’s glance seems to penetrate heaven as He pours out His soul in prayer. Well He knows how sin has hardened the hearts of men, and how difficult it will be for them to discern His mission, and accept the gift of salvation. He pleads with the Father for power to overcome their unbelief, to break the fetters with which Satan has enthralled them, and in their behalf to conquer the destroyer. He asks for the witness that God accepts humanity in the person of His Son. {TA 169.1}
Never before have the angels listened to such a prayer. They are eager to bear to their loved Commander a message of assurance and comfort. But no; the Father Himself will answer the petition of His Son. Direct from the throne issue the beams of His glory. The heavens are opened, and upon the Saviour’s head descends a dovelike form of purest light—fit emblem of Him, the meek and lowly One. {TA 169.2}
The people stood silently gazing upon Christ. His form was bathed in the light that ever surrounds the throne of God. His upturned face was glorified as they had never before seen the face of man. From the open heavens a voice was heard saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”—The Desire of Ages, 111, 112. {TA 169.3}
The Lord had promised to give John a sign whereby he might know who was the Messiah, and now as Jesus went up out of the water, the promised sign was given; for he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God, like a dove of burnished gold, hovered over the head of Christ, and a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”—The Youth’s Instructor, June 23, 1892. {TA 169.4}
Of the vast throng at the Jordan, few except John discerned the heavenly vision.—The Desire of Ages, 112. {TA 170.1}
At the Saviour’s baptism, Satan was among the witnesses. He saw the Father’s glory overshadowing His Son. He heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Ever since Adam’s sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion with God; the intercourse between heaven and earth had been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan had hoped that God’s abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored.—The Desire of Ages, 116. {TA 170.2}
Satan could see through His [Christ’s] humanity the glory and purity of the One with whom he had been associated in the heavenly courts. There rose before the tempter a picture of what he himself then was, a covering cherub, possessing beauty and holiness.— The Bible Echo, July 23, 1900. {TA 170.3}
Christ’s Threefold Temptation in the Wilderness
Satan had declared to his associate angels that he would overcome Christ on the point of appetite. He hoped to gain a victory over Him in His weakness.—The Signs of the Times, April 4, 1900. {TA 170.4}
Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. The issues of the conflict involved too much to be entrusted to his confederate angels. He must personally conduct the warfare.—The Desire of Ages, 116. {TA 171.1}
While in the wilderness, Christ fasted, but He was insensible to hunger. He spent the time in earnest prayer, shut in with God. It was as if He were in the presence of His Father.... The thought of the warfare before Him made Him oblivious to all else, and His soul was fed with the bread of life. He saw the breaking of Satan’s power over fallen and tempted ones. He saw Himself healing the sick, comforting the hopeless, cheering the desponding, and preaching the gospel to the poor—doing the work that God had outlined for Him; and He did not realize any sense of hunger until the forty days of His fast were ended. {TA 171.2}
The vision passed away, and then, with strong craving, Christ’s human nature called for food. Now was Satan’s opportunity to make his assault. He resolved to appear as one of the angels of light that had appeared to Christ in His vision.—Manuscript Releases 21:8, 9. {TA 171.3}
Suddenly an angel appears before Him [Christ], apparently one of the angels that He saw not long since.... The words from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” were still sounding in the ears of Satan. But he was determined to make Christ disbelieve this testimony.—Manuscript Releases 21:9. {TA 171.4}
Satan appeared to Him [Christ] as a beautiful angel from heaven, claiming that he had a commission from God to declare the Saviour’s fast at an end.—The Review and Herald, January 14, 1909. {TA 171.5}
He [Satan] told the Redeemer that He need fast no longer, that His long abstinence was accepted by the Father, that He had gone far enough, and that He was at liberty to work a miracle in His own behalf.—The Signs of the Times, July 29, 1889. {TA 172.1}
Believing that the angelic character he [Satan] had assumed defied detection, he now feigned to doubt the divinity of Christ.—The Spirit of Prophecy 2:91. {TA 172.2}
The First Temptation
Satan reasoned with Christ thus: If the words spoken after His baptism were indeed the words of God, that He was the Son of God, He need not bear the sensations of hunger; He could give him proofs of His divinity by showing His power in changing the stones of that barren wilderness into bread.—Redemption or the First Advent of Christ With His Life and Ministry, 48. {TA 172.3}
Satan told Christ that He was only to set His feet in the blood-stained path, but not to travel it. Like Abraham He was tested to show His perfect obedience. He also stated that he was the angel that stayed the hand of Abraham as the knife was raised to slay Isaac, and he had now come to save His [Christ’s] life; that it was not necessary for Him to endure the painful hunger and death from starvation; he would help Him bear a part of the work in the plan of salvation.—The Review and Herald, August 4, 1874. {TA 172.4}
He [Satan] then called the attention of Christ to his own attractive appearance, clothed with light and strong in power. He claimed to be a messenger direct from the throne of Heaven, and asserted that he had a right to demand of Christ evidences of His being the Son of God.—The Review and Herald, August 4, 1874. {TA 173.1}
It was by ... [Satan’s] words, not by his appearance, that the Saviour recognized the enemy.—The Review and Herald, July 22, 1909. {TA 173.2}
In taking the nature of man, Christ was not equal in appearance with the angels of heaven, but this was one of the necessary humiliations that He willingly accepted when He became man’s Redeemer. Satan urged that if He was indeed the Son of God He should give him some evidence of His exalted character. He suggested that God would not leave His Son in so deplorable a condition. He declared that one of the heavenly angels had been exiled to earth, and His appearance indicated that instead of being the King of Heaven He was that fallen angel. He called attention to his own beautiful appearance, clothed with light and strength, and insultingly contrasted the wretchedness of Christ with his own glory.—The Spirit of Prophecy 2:91. {TA 173.3}
The Second Temptation
“Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth 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.”—The Desire of Ages, 124. {TA 173.4}
Satan, to manifest his strength, carried Jesus to Jerusalem, and set Him upon a pinnacle of the temple.—Spiritual Gifts 1:32. {TA 174.1}
He [Satan] again demanded of Christ, if He was indeed the Son of God, to give him evidence by casting Himself from the dizzy height upon which he had placed Him. He urged Christ to show His confidence in the preserving care of His Father by casting Himself down from the temple. In Satan’s first temptation upon the point of appetite, he had tried to insinuate doubts in regard to God’s love and care for Christ as His Son, by presenting His surroundings and His hunger as evidence that He was not in favor with God. He was unsuccessful in this. He next tried to take advantage of the faith and perfect trust Christ had shown in His heavenly Father to urge Him to presumption. “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.”—The Review and Herald, August 18, 1874. {TA 174.2}
The wily foe himself presents words that proceeded from the mouth of God. He still appears as an angel of light, and he makes it evident that he is acquainted with the Scriptures, and understands the import of what is written. As Jesus before used the word of God to sustain His faith, the tempter now uses it to countenance his deception. He claims that he has been only testing the fidelity of Jesus, and he now commends His steadfastness. As the Saviour has manifested trust in God, Satan urges Him to give still another evidence of His faith. {TA 174.3}
But again the temptation is prefaced with the insinuation of distrust. “If Thou be the Son of God.” Christ was tempted to answer the “if,” but He refrained from the slightest acceptance of the doubt. He would not imperil His life in order to give evidence to Satan.— The Desire of Ages, 124. {TA 175.1}
When Satan quoted the promise, “He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee,” he omitted the words, “to keep thee in all Thy ways“: that is, in all the ways of God’s choosing. Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience. While manifesting perfect trust in His Father, He would not place Himself unbidden in a position that would necessitate the interposition of His Father to save Him from death. He would not force Providence to come to His rescue, and thus fail of giving man an example of trust and submission.—The Signs of the Times, December 10, 1902. {TA 175.2}
If Jesus had cast Himself from the pinnacle, it would not have glorified His Father; for none would witness the act but Satan, and the angels of God. And it would be tempting the Lord to display His power to His bitterest foe. It would have been condescending to the one whom Jesus came to conquer.—Spiritual Gifts 1:33. {TA 175.3}
The Third Temptation
Jesus was victor in the second temptation, and now Satan manifests himself in his true character. But he does not appear as a hideous monster, with cloven feet and bat’s wings. He is a mighty angel, though fallen. He avows himself the leader of rebellion and the god of this world. {TA 175.4}
Placing Jesus upon a high mountain, Satan caused the kingdoms of the world, in all their glory, to pass in panoramic view before Him.—The Desire of Ages, 129. {TA 176.1}
In his first two temptations, he [Satan] had concealed his true character and purpose, claiming to be an exalted messenger from the courts of heaven. But he now throws off all disguise, avowing himself the Prince of Darkness, and claiming the earth for his dominion.—The Spirit of Prophecy 2:95. {TA 176.2}
The great deceiver sought to blind the eyes of Christ by the glitter and tinsel of the world, and presented before Him the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them. He who had fallen from heaven, pictured the world as possessing the gilding of the world above, in order that he might induce Christ to accept the bribe, and fall down and worship him.— The Signs of the Times, March 28, 1895. {TA 176.3}
The sunlight lay on templed cities, marble palaces, fertile fields, and fruit-laden vineyards. The traces of evil were hidden. The eyes of Jesus, so lately greeted by gloom and desolation, now gazed upon a scene of unsurpassed loveliness and prosperity. Then the tempter’s voice was heard: “All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine.” ... {TA 176.4}
Now the tempter offered to yield up the power he had usurped. Christ might deliver Himself from the dreadful future by acknowledging the supremacy of Satan. But to do this was to yield the victory in the great controversy.—The Desire of Ages, 129. {TA 177.1}
Calling him [Satan] by his true name, Jesus rebukes the deceiver. Divinity flashed through suffering humanity, and He made manifest through His word the authority of heaven. He reveals to the deceiver that, though he had resumed the disguise of an angel of light, his true character was not hidden from the Saviour of the world. He called him Satan, the angel of darkness, who had left his first estate, and had refused allegiance to God.— The Signs of the Times, March 28, 1895. {TA 177.2}
Satan left the field a vanquished foe, peremptorily dismissed. At the word of Christ, “Get thee hence, Satan,” the powerful fallen angel had no choice but to obey. Angels that excel in strength were on the battleground, guarding the interest of the tempted soul, and ready to resist the foe.—The Review and Herald, April 24, 1894. {TA 177.3}
Heavenly Angels Watched Christ Being Tempted
Apparently Christ was alone with him [Satan] in the wilderness of temptation. Yet He was not alone, for angels were round Him just as angels of God are commissioned to minister unto those who are under the fearful assaults of the enemy.—Manuscript Releases 16:180. {TA 177.4}
All heaven watched the conflict between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness. Angels stood ready to interpose in Christ’s behalf should Satan pass the prescribed limit.— The Bible Echo, September 3, 1900. {TA 177.5}
These were real temptations, no pretense. Christ “suffered being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). Angels of heaven were on the scene on that occasion, and kept the standard uplifted, that Satan should not exceed his bounds and overpower the human nature of Christ.— Selected Messages 1:94. {TA 178.1}
The strain upon Christ had left Him as one dead. “And, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.” Their arms encircled Him. Upon the breast of the highest angel in heaven His head rested.... The foe was vanquished.—The Bible Echo, September 3, 1900. {TA 178.2}
After Satan had ended his temptations, he departed from Jesus for a season, and angels prepared Him food in the wilderness.—Early Writings, 158. {TA 178.3}
After the Third Temptation
After Satan had failed to overcome Christ in the wilderness, he combined his forces to oppose Him in His ministry, and if possible to thwart His work. What he could not accomplish by direct, personal effort, he dete