Why did Jesus allow the devil to take him to the top of the pinnacle to be tempted?

Answer 1

Answer:

It wasn't until AFTER the temptation of Jesus by Satan that His ministry began. If Jesus, in his weakened physical state, would have failed in defeating Satan by rejecting all of his temptations, there would have been no earthly ministry, and man would have no Savior.

The whole purpose of it was to test Him to see if He would qualify to replace Satan's perverse leadership of the branch of God's Government he had corrupted in the beginning. Lucifer (Satan) originally held a high position of authority in God's Government at the very throne of the Father.

"Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth..." (Ezek.28:14). On the lid that covered the Ark of the Covenant, was the representation of the "throne of God" (the "mercy seat") with two angels on either side of it on the outer ends of the lid with their wings stretched in toward the "mercy seat"... COVERING IT! (Ex.25:17-20) One of those angels was Lucifer! The specifics of it aren't entirely clear... and evidently off-limits for us to know for the time being, as Paul seems to hint:

"...the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold... and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; OF WHICH WE CANNOT NOW SPEAK PARTICULARLY..." (Heb.9:4-5).

As it was... while Jesus was at His weakest, physically... He was at His strongest, spiritually - and defeated Satan at every turn by quoting scripture.

The temptation at the pinnacle was just one of many for the entire duration of that forth days and nights. In truth, it reveals that the governments of the world are indeed Satan's. And if Jesus would have bowed down to worship Satan for them, the good news of the coming Kingdom of God could not be preached.

Jesus could have called out to His Father to save His skin at any time and Satan would have been removed from Him. But our salvation... and the restoration of the Kingdom of God was at stake... and so, He "allowed" it.