THE REJECTED CROWN by A. T. Robertson

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 6, 1904

THE REJECTED CROWN.

By A. T. Robertson

[Prof. A. T. Robertson, in Baptist Argus.]

SATAN challenged Jesus at the very outset of His ministry. The very first step was resisted. God had set His seal upon His Son at the baptism in the Jordan. The devil was on the alert to prevent the inauguration of the kingdom of God. He had won in the struggle with Adam. He would now measure swords with the Second Adam. In the first encounter Satan posed as the friend of man to lead him into larger light and happiness. So now he appeared as the helper of Jesus in His enterprise of redemption. He offers His aid to every preacher who will accept it, and at the very start of His ministry. It is idle to doubt the genuine temptation of Jesus by Satan. That is what he wishes us to do about our own temptations. Jesus was able to recognize His adversary as an adversary, and not to be deceived by his plausible representations. To be able to see that it is the devil who prompts an action is the first step towards resisting. The power to see what is at stake in spite of the mist and fog around us is essential to victory. The battle is often lost because of the smoke. Satan preferred having Jesus as an ally rather than meeting Him as an enemy. So he offered Him the crown of the whole world. He claimed the world as his and calmly assumed that Jesus could not take it from him without his permission. He appealed to the mightiest human passion, ambition. Alexander had longed to rule the whole world. The Roman Emperor was the practical master of the civilized world. He offered it all to Jesus for the taking. The dream of Alexander would be surpassed. He could have a great Jewish world and satisfy the longings of his people. Constantine had a similar temptation in after ages, and yielded. He united the two kingdoms of the world and religion. The popes kept it up as long as possible. Jesus has not yet conquered the whole world. It was all offered to Him then. "To Thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them." "It shall all be Thine." It was a glittering diadem. Who would have pushed it aside?

It was an easy crown. He would not have to fight to get it as the Cæsars had done for theirs. There would be no struggle between Jesus and Satan, and Jesus could wear the crown of earth. Why have a prolonged conflict for the mastery of earth when they could both share the rule? They could consolidate the two kingdoms. Jesus could merely graft His kingdom on the kingdom of Satan. There would be many advantages in such a scheme apart from the long war thus avoided. The influence of Jesus would thus be universal. He would at once spring to world-wide rule. He would have access to all the subjects of Satan and on good terms as Satan's friend. The terms seemed easy enough and the results eminently satisfactory—to Satan.

There was only one condition imposed by Satan. He demanded some recognition on the part of Jesus in return for all this surrender of sovereignty and glory. He merely asked that Jesus acknowledge the source from which He would receive the kingdom of the world. That was all. He did not care to back down completely, and could not in dignity get out of the way and give up so much without some gratitude. He wished no trouble about the matter. It was very easily managed. "All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me." Just "fall down and worship me;" that is all I ask. Nobody will see you do it or know about it. You will be just as really King of men.

But Jesus was not deceived by this skilful pretension. He claimed the world as rightly His. He had created it. And if the kingdom of darkness was now supreme, it would not always be so. The kingdom of light would triumph in the end. He would be under no obligations to him who was the cause of all the trouble. He would put no crown upon His head that came from Satan. It was an insult to have suggested it. "Get thee hence, Satan." God alone is to be worshiped, not you. Partnership with Satan meant the supremacy of Satan. Water does not whiten ink but ink blackens water. He could go his way and get ready for battle. He would accept no compromise, but only absolute surrender. Till that defeat it was eternal war.

To Jesus it was a choice between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of the world. The acceptance of Satan's terms meant the renunciation of the kingdom of God. Satan offers a compromise with every preacher. He would like a pew in his church and will attend his preaching, if the preacher will only recognize his power. The kingdom of heaven was to be in the world, but was to be an outside power working a revolution in the world, and not a compromise standstill. The leaven was to work till all would be leavened. So Jesus chose the long, hard road to ultimate victory rather than the short, easy path to the dizzy heights of popular applause. To have compromised with Satan meant despair for the world. The battle with Adam had been lost. If this Champion deserted the cause, men would have no hope. Night would settle down permanently upon the world. Hope would die. The shadows would deepen with the hours. It would be everlasting midnight.

It would have been real ignominy for Jesus, and not "glory" as Satan lyingly promised. The favor of God would have been lost. If the Father withdrew His face when His Son hung on the cross as the sacrifice for sin, merely taking the sinner's place, the withdrawal would have been permanent in case of a league with Satan. Eternal night would have come. Jesus would have been ruined. The "good pleasure" of the Father expressed at the baptism would have disappeared. Satan would have been absolute master. So Jesus pushed the crown away. He preferred the cross. Better anything than that. Better the hate of the world and the most shameful death with the smile of the Father than the praise of men and the devil with the frown of God.