Jesus had the chance to gain everything. In his last temptation in the wilderness, the satan offers to give all the kingdoms of the world to him. The satan claims that these have been given to him, and that is partly true. The world's systems are clearly influenced by dark forces. Wars and oppression are, sadly, just part of the human condition.
And so the satan offers Jesus complete control of all these spheres and systems. But this control depends on Jesus bowing down to worship the satan. But if Jesus were in control, he could end all the wars and oppression. He could use this power, gained by surrendering to evil, for good purposes.
It wasn't hard for Jesus to find a Bible verse saying we should worship the Lord and serve him only. But there is so much more to Jesus's rejection of this offer. Jesus knew that the Father would give him all authority in heaven and earth. He would receive this authority only after destroying the power of sin and death. Winning this victory would be painful, as Jesus allowed all the horror of evil to destroy him. He bore physical pain as he received all the evil of religion gone wrong, government conspiracy and abuse of power, and abandonment of his best friends.
It takes a lot of trust in God to believe that he will give his goodness to you, even while you are struggling or suffering. For those who are in Christ, we have the promise that we will also inherit the blessings of God's kingdom. But it is really tempting to take things now through earthly power. Like Jesus, we have a choice.
