Flashback Episode — God’s Greatest Temptation: Matthew 27:35-44

Over the past year, which I’ve loosely called our first chronological year moving through the gospels, we have been progressively moving forward through Jesus’ life and ministry looking at events that happened while He was here on earth. This episode marks the climax of Jesus’ life and ministry, and it focuses our attention onto something that happened while Jesus was hanging on the cross. While it is very tempting to jump to a different gospel that might give more or less insight on this event, the way Matthew frames what happened while Jesus was hanging on the cross is amazing in my mind.

Let’s read what happened. Our passage for this episode is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 27, and we will read it from the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 38, Matthew tells us that:

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

While reading this passage, I am reminded of a question I had a while ago. This question wondered whether Jesus had one big temptation that Satan pushed His way over the course of His life.

At the start of Jesus’ ministry, He is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where He was tempted, and the three temptations He faced are very significant. Also, throughout His ministry, Jesus is faced with many challenges. However, in the last weeks, days, and hours of Jesus’ life, He seems to be faced with one temptation that appeared to intensify the closer He comes to it – and that temptation is avoiding the cross.

Nothing about crucifixion weekend was a surprise to Jesus. While the disciples were all surprised with the crucifixion, and while Judas Iscariot happened to be the betrayer, none of the disciples believed Jesus would ultimately face the cross. Even Judas Iscariot, who chose to betray Jesus, believed Jesus would maneuver a way out of the religious leader’s trial and hostile plan. When Judas Iscariot realized Jesus wasn’t seeking to free Himself, Judas tried in vain to undo what he had done. Prior to the banquet where Jesus is anointed with expensive perfume, Judas likely didn’t have any clue that a traitor would show up within the twelve closest followers – or even that he would be that guy.

In my mind, leading up to the cross, I suspect Jesus’ big temptation was simply to avoid the cross and all the pain that would be associated with it. Even though no one in Jesus’ life could see it, for over three years of ministry, and over a decade more during His time living at home, Jesus knew and understood the cross as His end goal.

However, in our passage for this episode, Jesus has succeeded fighting off this temptation, because He is now on the cross. While some might think that Jesus’ temptations would now be minor in comparison, a new temptation presents itself and this new temptation might be even more powerful than the temptation to avoid the cross. Before being nailed to the cross Jesus had the option of, and the temptation to, avoid it entirely; after being nailed to the cross, Jesus faced the temptation to come down off of it.

While reading this passage and focusing on what the crowd says while they are mocking Jesus, we see a clear challenge and temptation for Jesus to prove who He was. We also see Satan behind all these challenges. In each of the three temptations in the wilderness, Satan beings by saying the words, “If you are the Son of God”, and here in our passage, this same challenge is repeated in the last half of verse 40, “Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”

The only way this temptation works is if Jesus really had the power to come down from the cross. The two rebels did not have this power, but Jesus did. It was fully within Jesus’ ability to come off of the cross. However, if Jesus had chosen to display this power, everything He would have worked to accomplish would have been lost. If Jesus abandoned the cross, Satan would have won – and the empty belief the priests and Jewish leaders were promising to give to Jesus would have meant nothing.

The insults thrown at Jesus while He is on the cross range from challenging Jesus’ ability, to challenging His mission, to tempting Him with additional people who will believe, all the way to challenging Jesus’ faith and trust in God.

In the few minutes we have left in this episode, let’s look closer at these temptations.

The first temptation Jesus faced was challenging His ability to come off of the cross. However, it did not occur to those present that, Jesus also had the choice to stay on the cross. Jesus chose to stay on the cross because His mission was more important than showing off His ability.

The second temptation Jesus faced challenged His mission. However, no one present even suspected or considered that hanging on the cross was the fulfillment of Jesus’ mission to this earth. Jesus fulfilled His mission on the cross because it is the way for His followers to receive salvation.

The third temptation Jesus faced challenged Him as the king of Israel. However, this temptation only works for someone who is interested in seeking glory, status, and position for themselves. Jesus was crowned King, but He chose to only accept this glory from God the Father after ascending into heaven and not from a group of hate-filled humans.

The last temptation that Matthew draws our attention onto is whether God would want to rescue Jesus from the cross. From Jesus’ perspective, this is a challenge of doubt, but it also is a challenge that is more directed towards God the Father Himself. In a similar way to Jesus’ big temptation being centered on the cross, whether it was avoiding it or coming down from it, God the Father’s gets drawn into this temptation because at His Son’s greatest moment of need, the temptation is present to rescue Jesus from the cross.

However, in all these temptations, both Jesus and God the Father kept a larger time frame in view. All the temptations present in this event focused on the moment of pain, and shortening or avoiding it. While I am sure it was difficult to do in the moment, both Jesus and God kept their perspective on eternity. While this moment in time is arguably the darkest point in all of human history, God the Father and Jesus kept their perspective on the big picture, and on how this sacrifice would open the way for all of God’s people to experience eternity with God in heaven.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you do to, intentionally seek God first in your life and if you are facing a big temptation or a challenge to your faith, consider meeting the problem with a broader frame of time. While problems we face today seem big, if we expand out the challenge we have today and look at it from the perspective of our lifetime, almost none of today’s problems seems that big.

For encouragement and because I always challenge you to do so, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself. As you read and study, look for examples of how God has worked behind the scenes to help those who trust in Him. I’m positive you will discover more places where God helped than you first realized or thought.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!