Communion With the Christ:: At the Pinnacle of the Temple

"And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If, you be the Son of God, cast yourself down from hence:" Luke:4:9

We are told by St. Luke that Jesus had been led by the Holy Spirit, into the wilderness and there was tempted by Satan himself.

It is important to understand that Jesus did not become the Messiah by defeating Satan, but rather demonstrated that He and He alone is the Messiah by defeating Satan. Jesus only showed what is and eternally has been true, which is, that he is the Messiah, the Son of God.

The last of the temptations recorded which our Lord Jesus Christ faced just prior to his public ministry is found in the Gospel of the Physician St. Luke, who took great care in assembling of his account of the life of Jesus.

The Pinnacle

We find in St. Luke’s' account that Jesus is taken by Satan to a high place in the Temple complex at Jerusalem which was called the Pinnacle, which was at the very Temple of God, the center of the "religious" life of Israel.

The Temple was intended to be the focal point of Israel’s' relationship with their God. The Pinnacle, which is referred to in the Gospel account is thought to be the south west corner of the Temple complex and may have been the location where the shofar (rams’ horn) was blown to call people to worship on the weekly Sabbath and the Old Covenant Holy days.

This was a highly symbolic location to which Jesus had been brought. It implies that there can be the worship of Jesus, yet, without the sacrifice of the cross. This could have been by design.

This spot , on the Pinnacle overlooked the Kindron Valley outside the wall of the city and would have been a fall of three hundred feet or more to the valley’s floor.

"And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down from hence:" Lk:4:9

Why would Satan attempt to goad Jesus to leap from such a place? What might really have been his motive? It is important to remember that the Temple was meant to be the center of the relationship between God and Israel, all that took place there was looking forward to the Messiah's coming.

This place, where Satan had brought Jesus to, would have provided a grand public audience filled with people coming and going, for Jesus to demonstrate his place as the long-awaited Messiah; it would have been a “spectacle” for the people who congregated there at the Temple.

Could it have been, that Satan was attempting to deceive Jesus into thinking that he could accomplished his messianic mission, and that salvation could be brought to humanity without sacrifice, that the suffering of cross could have been avoided and been unnecessary?

" If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down from hence:

For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you:

And in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said to him, It is said, You will not tempt the Lord your God. " Lk: 4:9b-12

If Jesus would have leaped from the Pinnacle, and Jesus being bore up in midair by the angels of God, this would have provided visual evidence to the assembled crowds of Jesus Messianic credentials in the eyes of the people. But by doing so, Jesus would have lost the very freedom which he came to bring to us all.

Satan would have accomplished this by using the Temple of God itself and a misquote of Scripture to goad Jesus to prove himself.

Possibly Satan was attempting to use these tactics to impose a religion on Jesus, a religion where Jesus would not have to die, the cross would have been avoided, Jesus could simply fly rather than die. Meaning, if people at the Temple had seen Jesus flying, they would have readily accept him as the Messiah, there would have been no death on Cross, and no resurrection.

"And in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone" (11)

If Jesus had done what Satan wanted, there would be no mechanism of the ransom for humanity, there would be no sacrifice, no atonement, no forgiveness, there would just be religion, all provided by Jesus the Son of God. This is just the very opposite of why Jesus came, Jesus came to set humanity free from religion not to enslave them even more.

Jesus was showing that true freedom is found in a relationship with God through him alone, not through religion.

Do Not Tempt

Jesus of course, saw the and motivation behind Satan temptation and quotes the word of God to counter Satan and to demonstrate all the more his place as the Son of God our Messiah who would faithfully fulfill the very will of God, even if that meant His death.

The Cross declares for all time and eternity that Jesus would rather die than to be outside of the will of God.

"And Jesus answering said to him, It is said, You will not tempt the Lord your God" Lk:4:12

Jesus quotes the Word of God not just to protect himself, but to reinforce again his ever abiding in the will of his Father and his desire that all humanity have admittance to a relationship with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Not Just a Vantage Point

The Temptation at the Pinnacle of the Temple was not just a vantage point, but was designed to offer humanity a “religious spectacle” and was to bring spiritual entrapment and enslavement of the one who had come to truly set them free.

This battle of religious enslavement over the human soul characterizes all the narrative of the New Testament and all of human history even from the very beginning.

Where ever the name of Jesus is preached, that same religious spirit that filled the religious leaders of the day will lash out at the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus, always attempting to add something to the simple grace that our Lord has offered to any and all who will but freely receive it. Jesus came to set us free from such enslavement.

This is why St. Paul writing to the Church throughout the ages tell each and all. Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage of religion but true freedom in a loving relationship.

why Jesus came, Jesus came to set humanity free from religion not to enslave them even more.

Jesus was showing that true freedom is found in a relationship with God through him alone, not through religion.

Do Not Tempt

The Cross declares for all time and eternity that Jesus would rather die than to be outside of the will of God.

"And Jesus answering said to him, It is said, You will not tempt the Lord your God" Lk:4:12

Not Just a Vantage Point

This battle of religious enslavement over the human soul characterizes all the narrative of the New Testament and all of human history even from the very beginning.

Where ever the name of Jesus is preached, that same religious spirit that filled the religious leaders of the day, will lash out at the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus, always attempting to add something to the simple grace that our Lord has offered to any and all who will but freely receive it. Jesus came to set us free from such enslavement.

"Behold, I Paul say to you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect to you, whoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love" Gal:5:2-6

In Jesus we find true freedom all through His Love and Grace....this is the true Pinnacle that our Lord stands upon.

Benediction: May we each and all ever worship our Lord Jesus who stand forever upon the Pinnacle of our exultation as that one who has brought us into true freedom of relationship with our God, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen