The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Now as we look at the world today, we do not yet see the redemption. We still see a world that is in rebellion against God. And we see the effects of that rebellion in our society. And it is totally wrong for men to blame God for the calamities of our world, which calamities have resulted entirely from men's rebellion against God ruling over the world. Yes, the world is in a mess. Yes, horrible things happen. Yes, there are things that we can't explain or understand, especially in the light of God's love. But we can understand them in the light of the world under the control of Satan, being governed and directed by Satan.Now Jesus did not dispute Satan's claim when Satan said, "Look, it's mine, it's been given to me, it's been delivered to me, and I can give it to whomever I will." Jesus didn't dispute that; He recognized that fact. In fact, He knew that was true, and that's what He had come for, is to wrest it from Satan. By redeeming the world by going to the cross, and dying to pay the price of redemption. The price of redemption was that of shedding the blood. And He was going to go to the cross to redeem the world. And that was God's plan of the redemption of the world and man. It's through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.Now what Satan is actually suggesting here is that Jesus can escape the cross. "You don't have to take God's plan. You don't have to take the path that God has prescript to redeem. I'll make a deal with you, I'll give it to you right now, without the cross. Only one little hitch, bow down and worship me."Of course, Jesus, had He bowed down to worship him, would then have been subservient also to Satan, and it would still be in his power. He would still be the one in control, because He would have bowed down to him. " Submit to my authority, I give it all to you. You can sit on the throne, you can rule, but you be under my authority, having bowed down to me."And Jesus answered: