Reflections on Matthew 4:8-9
In Matthew 4:8-9, Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. Then he said he would give those kingdoms to Jesus if he would fall down and worship him. How would he give those kingdoms to Jesus? He would give them by the same methods of deception and violence that he used to give empires to Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, and Caesar Augustus. It was an arrogant and audacious plan, but the Son of God would have no part of it. Jesus was born to be king, but his kingdom was not of this world, and his servants would not fight (John 18:36). The good news of his kingdom would "conquer" the nations. His truth would set men free from the dominion of Satan (John 8:31-36) and transfer them to the kingdom of God's beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).
A great crowd from the chief priests and elders of the people went to arrest Jesus with swords and clubs, but Jesus did not resort to violence. At the end of the age, it appears that the Beast and False Prophet will persuade many kings to attack the Lord and his people (Revelation 16:12-13; 17:12-14) with every weapon imaginable, but the one riding on the white horse, whose name is the Word of God, will defeat them with the sword of his mouth (Revelation 19:11 ff.). He will need no physical weapons, and his army which follows him will need no physical weapons. His word, which was powerful enough to create the worlds, will be powerful enough to defeat Satan and all the enemies of God's people.
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