Gods Sabbath

C HRIST O UR E XAMPLE

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get that He was a Son, and to take over any of the Father’s re sponsibilities, so too must we remember who we are and keep our place, even if it should cost us life itself. If we meet Satan as Jesus did, we are assured of the same de cisive victory our divine Leader and Example gained. On the contrary, if we do not, we are guaranteed defeat.

Learning from Israel’s Errors

Jesus gained the victory where others have failed. His respon sibility as a submissive, obedient Son, was to go where His Father sent Him, and to wait there, content with whatever the Almighty supplied, until directed to go elsewhere. Even if, as every appear ance suggested, God had decided no longer to discharge His obli gations, Christ would still not step out of His assigned position as the dependant Son. He would die eternally rather than do that. It was His Father’s work to feed Him and therefore He would not solve this problem Himself. To Him, maintaining the Father-Son relationship was the most important principle to be upheld. Of course, if Jesus had died in the wilderness, all would have been lost. His awareness of this fact placed tremendous pressure on Him to live. But if He had succumbed to the temptation to do anything to preserve His life, the plan of salvation would still have failed. The only way to succeed was for Christ to wait with infinite patience until the Father supplied His needs. Although it was not without a tremendous struggle, the Sav iour replied to Satan in harmony with these divine principles, say ing, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (NKJV). This was Christ’s way of saying that God is our Problem Solv er, Plan Maker, and Burden Bearer who forms the plans by which He executes His work. As dependent receivers, we are to trust the ways and wisdom of God, without question, and act on ly as directed. It matters not what loss and suffering this may involve, for we must understand that the victory cannot be gained without self-sacrifice. Whatever may befall, we are to look to Christ just as He looked to His Father. In no other way can God’s work be done successfully.