Mat 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
Mat 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
Mat 4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Luk 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
*******
We don't know how much time passed after Jesus' temptation and when He began His ministry. The varying accounts tell us various things. What is true is that He began to preach.
'The people which sat in darkness-- saw a great light.'
'And to them which sat in the region and shadow of death-- light is sprung up.'
There they were, God's people living under the old covenant and they'd become so oppressed by the distortion of God's will for His people. Yes, the ceremonial laws were exacting, very exacting. Yes, the rituals required of God's people pointing towards the coming Messiah were exacting. There is no doubt whatsoever that God's teaching His people of His love wasn't easy and it wasn't easy because sin had such a hold on people. For 400 years God's people drifted from God's leading. They lived keeping many of the Hebrew ways handed down from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph but they also integrated many of the Egyptian ways into their lives. These oppressed people didn't KNOW God's leading as intimately as the patriarchs- they were to be afflicted for 400 years. Abraham knew this --
Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years
God forewarned Abraham and it came to pass. The oppression, the affliction was real for several generations and that time mingled God's ways with Egyptian ways- not in ALL things by any means but in enough ways that the children of God had learned all about worshipping idols, they'd learned that even in their affliction they were fed and didn't suffer hunger- their base needs were met and became more important to them than worshipping God. They learned SELFISHNESS. God took them out of the oppression. God released them from bondage. They were now free to worship Him in all ways and promised a land that would be theirs and not another's they were to be God's.
For many, many years God's people were to unlearn their corrupt ways. They were given many instructions. They were taught that God, their Creator, their Redeemer loved them and out of that love He wanted them to love. Truly the TEN COMMANDMENTS are commandments of love- love of God and love of our fellow man. When that is TRULY understood then they are not burdensome in any way! To be taught this wasn't easy when selfishness ruled and continued to rule. For all that God's people were given all the means, all the instruction, all the love they needed to live in God's way in hope of the coming Messiah they twisted things up and the love that was to be found was lost in ceremony, lost in laws, lost in pride, lost in selfishness, lost in so many ways. The Savior's arrival, the Savior's beginning of His ministry was to break from the ceremony that over the many, many years herald His coming. The ceremony that pointed to His life, His death, and His life again would be done away with. He would come and fulfill all the prophecy, all the many, many things that were meant to be fulfilled and in being fulfilled not to be continued. How could prophetic ceremonies pointing to His sacrificed be continued after He was sacrificed? They couldn't, a NEW COVENANT was to be made, the covenant that would take the vail away.
2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Jesus' Humanity
Luk 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Mat 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
*******
Angels came and ministered unto Jesus.
The test was over, the temptation ordeal endured and Jesus prevailed over it all.
Do you imagine the angels brought food and drink to our Savior? That they tended to Him in all ways ministering unto him? He had to be exhausted. Yes, exhausted. We don't like to picture our Savior that way, we just don't. I've said it before and I'll say it again and again. Jesus was HUMAN. Jesus felt the same way we feel. When we feel hungry and someone else says they're hungry we KNOW how they're feeling because we feel that same thing. We share so much as humans- we can feel compassion for one another because we share so much. We cannot take the humanity out of our Savior to do so is to demean Him, as strange as that will sound to some people. Too many believe extolling Jesus' humanity demeans His divinity as if the human part of Him takes away from His divine part, makes Him less divine. Jesus was NEVER less divine but always part of the divine, and always part human. Before the incarnation Jesus was not human there is NO getting around that fact whatsoever. The SPIRIT overshadowed Mary's womb and the substance of the SPIRIT joined with the human substance of Mary in creating Jesus- God's Son. A UNIQUE being was formed- Immanuel- God with us. This uniqueness took the humanity of mankind and incased the Spirit form of our Savior. The humanity came with ALL that makes us human leaving NOTHING out. Our Savior was a man. This is way so many who knew Him as He grew from boyhood to manhood could not accept Him as their Savior, to them He was just a man giving no indication of ever being anything else. He dressed, ate, slept, had hygiene to be concerned about, personal habits, he was a man. He laughed, He cried, He talked, He was HUMAN. He was so incredibly human that He didn't stand out in any way as being overtly special except for one time that we are told.
Remember this…
Luk 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
Luk 2:43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
Luk 2:44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
Luk 2:45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
Luk 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Luk 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
Luk 2:48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
Luk 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
Luk 2:50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
Luk 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Jesus knew who His Father was. Young Jewish men became of age at 13- Jesus was 12 when He revealed that He was growing into the full knowledge of His purpose, even if His parents weren't sure what it all meant. So even though He was growing in the full knowledge of what His purpose was it still wasn't time to fully embrace that knowledge and He subjected Himself to His parents and the upbringing He needed. Jesus grew- increasing in wisdom. You want to imagine He had ALL wisdom, but if you have ALL of something you surely don't need to grow any more in that area. Jesus needed to grow in wisdom and stature. Jesus needed to experience the humanity of growing from childhood to being of age and then growing into the full maturity of a man before He was ready to undertake His purpose- His Father's business. The humanity Jesus possess did not grow any faster than a normal human. Having to grow in wisdom yet, Jesus needed to experience so much more of life. Yes, He was God as well as human and yet He did NOT appear as a child God, He did NOT appear as God at all- worthy of worship. NO ONE worshipped Him not for 30 years!
After 30 years He was called to begin His Father's work- to begin it- and still He wasn't to fully reveal His purpose right off, remember this--
Joh 2:3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
Joh 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Joh 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Mine hour is not yet come. Jesus understood that He had a timeline to follow, that there was a time for everything and He knew that God the Father would reveal to Him all that He needed to know to follow His plan. Jesus also knew when things were not according to plan- Mine hour is not yet come - He said, His words!
Jesus' time had come when He left His entire life behind and went to meet John to be baptized. From there He was taken straight into a testing time, a proving time and then He moved into a healing time, a time of being ministered to while the devil was no longer allowed to tempt Him- gone for a season- the devil could not impede the Savior's mission, Jesus had proven first off that the devil could not tempt Him to fall. With the proving time over Jesus continued onwards slowly, surely ushering in the new covenant, ushering in the gradual change. For three years Jesus brought the new covenant it wasn't an instantaneous change over upon His baptism and it wasn't completed until He ascended into heaven that last time to sit at the right hand of the Father.
By His grace may we continue to learn more and more of this change from the old to the new in which we were born. We can't dismiss the old, it is from the old the new came into being.
In His love!
Amen
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Mat 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
*******
Angels came and ministered unto Jesus.
The test was over, the temptation ordeal endured and Jesus prevailed over it all.
Do you imagine the angels brought food and drink to our Savior? That they tended to Him in all ways ministering unto him? He had to be exhausted. Yes, exhausted. We don't like to picture our Savior that way, we just don't. I've said it before and I'll say it again and again. Jesus was HUMAN. Jesus felt the same way we feel. When we feel hungry and someone else says they're hungry we KNOW how they're feeling because we feel that same thing. We share so much as humans- we can feel compassion for one another because we share so much. We cannot take the humanity out of our Savior to do so is to demean Him, as strange as that will sound to some people. Too many believe extolling Jesus' humanity demeans His divinity as if the human part of Him takes away from His divine part, makes Him less divine. Jesus was NEVER less divine but always part of the divine, and always part human. Before the incarnation Jesus was not human there is NO getting around that fact whatsoever. The SPIRIT overshadowed Mary's womb and the substance of the SPIRIT joined with the human substance of Mary in creating Jesus- God's Son. A UNIQUE being was formed- Immanuel- God with us. This uniqueness took the humanity of mankind and incased the Spirit form of our Savior. The humanity came with ALL that makes us human leaving NOTHING out. Our Savior was a man. This is way so many who knew Him as He grew from boyhood to manhood could not accept Him as their Savior, to them He was just a man giving no indication of ever being anything else. He dressed, ate, slept, had hygiene to be concerned about, personal habits, he was a man. He laughed, He cried, He talked, He was HUMAN. He was so incredibly human that He didn't stand out in any way as being overtly special except for one time that we are told.
Remember this…
Luk 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
Luk 2:43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
Luk 2:44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
Luk 2:45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
Luk 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Luk 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
Luk 2:48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
Luk 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
Luk 2:50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
Luk 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Jesus knew who His Father was. Young Jewish men became of age at 13- Jesus was 12 when He revealed that He was growing into the full knowledge of His purpose, even if His parents weren't sure what it all meant. So even though He was growing in the full knowledge of what His purpose was it still wasn't time to fully embrace that knowledge and He subjected Himself to His parents and the upbringing He needed. Jesus grew- increasing in wisdom. You want to imagine He had ALL wisdom, but if you have ALL of something you surely don't need to grow any more in that area. Jesus needed to grow in wisdom and stature. Jesus needed to experience the humanity of growing from childhood to being of age and then growing into the full maturity of a man before He was ready to undertake His purpose- His Father's business. The humanity Jesus possess did not grow any faster than a normal human. Having to grow in wisdom yet, Jesus needed to experience so much more of life. Yes, He was God as well as human and yet He did NOT appear as a child God, He did NOT appear as God at all- worthy of worship. NO ONE worshipped Him not for 30 years!
After 30 years He was called to begin His Father's work- to begin it- and still He wasn't to fully reveal His purpose right off, remember this--
Joh 2:3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
Joh 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Joh 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Mine hour is not yet come. Jesus understood that He had a timeline to follow, that there was a time for everything and He knew that God the Father would reveal to Him all that He needed to know to follow His plan. Jesus also knew when things were not according to plan- Mine hour is not yet come - He said, His words!
Jesus' time had come when He left His entire life behind and went to meet John to be baptized. From there He was taken straight into a testing time, a proving time and then He moved into a healing time, a time of being ministered to while the devil was no longer allowed to tempt Him- gone for a season- the devil could not impede the Savior's mission, Jesus had proven first off that the devil could not tempt Him to fall. With the proving time over Jesus continued onwards slowly, surely ushering in the new covenant, ushering in the gradual change. For three years Jesus brought the new covenant it wasn't an instantaneous change over upon His baptism and it wasn't completed until He ascended into heaven that last time to sit at the right hand of the Father.
By His grace may we continue to learn more and more of this change from the old to the new in which we were born. We can't dismiss the old, it is from the old the new came into being.
In His love!
Amen
Monday, February 21, 2011
Remember to PRAY
Luk 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Mat 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
*******
Forty days and forty nights. There is a significance to forty days and nights that we don't really understand, at least I don't.
Forty days was a period of time allotted for some amazing things. Forty days and nights of rain for the flood. Forty days and nights searching the land. Forty days and nights in the mount, twice. Forty days to repent. Forty days journeying. Then we have the forty years- each day for a year. Forty years wandering. Forty years reigning. Forty days seen before ascending.
Forty days some have determined mean trails, testing.
It seems to be true to some extent, but I suppose it will be one of those mysteries. It's enough to know that this *special* time period was a time used throughout history and it was the same amount of time given to our Savior to begin and complete a SIGNIFICANT testing/tempting period. There was NO way the devil would be allowed to turn around and say that Jesus was NEVER tempted enough, that he hadn't been allowed to tempt Jesus properly. We live our entire lives off and on being tempted- some times more than others and we can probably recall some of the worst tempting occurrences in our lives (that's not to say there aren't many more to come.) The devil wants us, the devil will tempt us until he can tempt no more.
Temptation.
Jesus said--
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
WATCH and PRAY that ye enter NOT into temptation. WATCH and PRAY. Jesus understood us- that while our spirit is willing NOT to enter into temptation- our flesh nature is very weak. Watching and praying that we don't even ENTER into temptation- let alone giving in to the temptation is a must. We must pray NOT to even be tempted. Jesus faced being tempted, Jesus KNOWS the power of being tempted so it's no wonder that we are to PRAY not to even have to face temptation. Though the devil will do all he can to draw us into temptation, God does have a hand in things. We are protected just as Jesus was protected. However, that protection is lifted for various reasons but that NEVER means God tempts us, never! We still have the ability to PRAY and WATCH when that protection is lifted. Think of the story of Job- the devil was trying to tempt Job to blaspheme God. Job NEVER gave into that temptation. Job lamented being in the situation he was in, but he didn't BLAME God. Think of Jesus, He was led to temptation's door so to speak and was to be immersed in temptation for 40 days and night, and HE did not SIN! Allowed to face temptation, but never left without HOPE, never! Holding onto that hope, holding onto that faith, believing in God, believing in our Savior this is something we always have and is never taken from us, never. When we are facing our worst temptations hope is never taken from us, it is that hope we have to hold onto. The hope that we are redeemed, the hope that we are alive and will always live in our Savior. When we face our worst temptations and even before we are facing them we need to….
...remember… to PRAY.
'Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. '
Jesus told us to pray that way. Pray to not have to face temptation. Pray to be delivered from evil when we are faced with temptation. Pray, pray, pray! If we don't pray to not be lead into temptation we are missing out on something so vitally important it can't even be put into words.
Jesus facing temptation in the wilderness for 40 days and nights was His test, His trial, and the devil had to leave Him after the temptation was over- but only for a season. Jesus was truly tempted in all points just as we are, but we are each tempted in different points - not all. To think we'd ever be able to endure the sort of temptation that Jesus had to endure is foolishness. The devil gave every bit of temptation to Jesus that He was allowed and that was so much more than we as individuals face. When people think that Jesus didn't suffer, that He didn't endure the desire to stop resisting and give in they're wrong. Yes, Jesus was and in and has always been perfect never giving into temptation, never letting lust rule Him, never sinning - this is undeniable. But JESUS our Savior, our Redeemer, our Heavenly Brother, our Mediator, our Advocate walked the walk we walk and felt the things we feel, He became US, He became HUMAN so He could save us- living without sin perfectly relying upon our Heavenly Father. Through His worthiness alone we live, we have hope.
By His Grace may we be kept in Him, and kept from temptation now and always!
In His love!
Amen.
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Mat 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
*******
Forty days and forty nights. There is a significance to forty days and nights that we don't really understand, at least I don't.
Forty days was a period of time allotted for some amazing things. Forty days and nights of rain for the flood. Forty days and nights searching the land. Forty days and nights in the mount, twice. Forty days to repent. Forty days journeying. Then we have the forty years- each day for a year. Forty years wandering. Forty years reigning. Forty days seen before ascending.
Forty days some have determined mean trails, testing.
It seems to be true to some extent, but I suppose it will be one of those mysteries. It's enough to know that this *special* time period was a time used throughout history and it was the same amount of time given to our Savior to begin and complete a SIGNIFICANT testing/tempting period. There was NO way the devil would be allowed to turn around and say that Jesus was NEVER tempted enough, that he hadn't been allowed to tempt Jesus properly. We live our entire lives off and on being tempted- some times more than others and we can probably recall some of the worst tempting occurrences in our lives (that's not to say there aren't many more to come.) The devil wants us, the devil will tempt us until he can tempt no more.
Temptation.
Jesus said--
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
WATCH and PRAY that ye enter NOT into temptation. WATCH and PRAY. Jesus understood us- that while our spirit is willing NOT to enter into temptation- our flesh nature is very weak. Watching and praying that we don't even ENTER into temptation- let alone giving in to the temptation is a must. We must pray NOT to even be tempted. Jesus faced being tempted, Jesus KNOWS the power of being tempted so it's no wonder that we are to PRAY not to even have to face temptation. Though the devil will do all he can to draw us into temptation, God does have a hand in things. We are protected just as Jesus was protected. However, that protection is lifted for various reasons but that NEVER means God tempts us, never! We still have the ability to PRAY and WATCH when that protection is lifted. Think of the story of Job- the devil was trying to tempt Job to blaspheme God. Job NEVER gave into that temptation. Job lamented being in the situation he was in, but he didn't BLAME God. Think of Jesus, He was led to temptation's door so to speak and was to be immersed in temptation for 40 days and night, and HE did not SIN! Allowed to face temptation, but never left without HOPE, never! Holding onto that hope, holding onto that faith, believing in God, believing in our Savior this is something we always have and is never taken from us, never. When we are facing our worst temptations hope is never taken from us, it is that hope we have to hold onto. The hope that we are redeemed, the hope that we are alive and will always live in our Savior. When we face our worst temptations and even before we are facing them we need to….
...remember… to PRAY.
'Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. '
Jesus told us to pray that way. Pray to not have to face temptation. Pray to be delivered from evil when we are faced with temptation. Pray, pray, pray! If we don't pray to not be lead into temptation we are missing out on something so vitally important it can't even be put into words.
Jesus facing temptation in the wilderness for 40 days and nights was His test, His trial, and the devil had to leave Him after the temptation was over- but only for a season. Jesus was truly tempted in all points just as we are, but we are each tempted in different points - not all. To think we'd ever be able to endure the sort of temptation that Jesus had to endure is foolishness. The devil gave every bit of temptation to Jesus that He was allowed and that was so much more than we as individuals face. When people think that Jesus didn't suffer, that He didn't endure the desire to stop resisting and give in they're wrong. Yes, Jesus was and in and has always been perfect never giving into temptation, never letting lust rule Him, never sinning - this is undeniable. But JESUS our Savior, our Redeemer, our Heavenly Brother, our Mediator, our Advocate walked the walk we walk and felt the things we feel, He became US, He became HUMAN so He could save us- living without sin perfectly relying upon our Heavenly Father. Through His worthiness alone we live, we have hope.
By His Grace may we be kept in Him, and kept from temptation now and always!
In His love!
Amen.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Get thee behind me... It is written!
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
*******
A third great temptation- and I say great temptation because while WE might not personally find these particular temptations enticing, these temptations WERE extremely enticing to our Savior. To think that they weren't enticing at all and merely nuisances that Jesus could wave off without a second glance is to discredit the humanity that Jesus shares with us. We have to look at these revealed temptations from the point of view of ONE truly tempted. REAL temptations.
The devil once again transports Jesus supernaturally taking Him to a VERY high mountain. Once on top of that VERY high mountain the devil shows Jesus ALL the kingdoms of the world. Think about this for a moment. If we went up to the highest mountain on earth would we be able to see ALL the kingdoms of the world? Absolutely NOT. Again, the devil is using supernatural means to tempt Jesus. People don't believe the devil has supernatural power but he does and he's not afraid to use it whenever he can, whenever he's allowed. Using that supernatural power the devil flashed before Jesus' eyes in a moment of time ALL the kingdoms of the world…the entire WORLD.
Now imagine for a moment that's you again, you're on that mountain and the devil shows you all the kingdom's of the world- all the rulers, all the land that is being ruled throughout the world, the tremendous power involved in ruling all the land, all the people, all this is revealed to you and then you are told YOU can have it all. Now you know YOU do not possess the power, the rulership, the kingdoms they belong to another.
The devil OWNS them. That's right. The rulership of this world belongs to the devil. Shocked? Jesus wasn't shocked. The devil told Jesus that he would give Him ALL the power, all the glory of all the kingdoms of the world- that it was delivered to him and he could give it to whoever he wanted to give it to. This wasn't a lie, even from the father of lies, it was the truth. When Adam and Eve sinned they gave up the right to the world God created for them to rule, for them to have dominion over. The devil took over the dominion of the world and until our Savior returns and until the earth is made new it remains the devil's.
The devil told Jesus the world and all its power would be His if only Jesus acknowledged that the devil was worthy of being worshipped, worthy of being given the honor due to God. There was NO way Jesus was going to do that, no way. Jesus would suffer living in the world corrupted by sin, he'd lived in it since His birth and He would continue to do so rather than take a SHORT CUT, rather than take the path that would mean NO suffering. Jesus felt pain, intense pain. To think that Jesus didn't or couldn't suffer is foolish. The pain in store for Jesus was akin to the worst pain we can ever imagine, even more so.
This temptation that the devil offered to Jesus was a REAL temptation that Jesus resisted, that He endured. He replied to the offered temptation with this--
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus said- GET THEE BEHIND ME… Jesus was putting the devil where he belonged… BEHIND HIM. Jesus was telling the devil that not only would He not worship Him or bow before Him but the devil's place was BEHIND HIM, he wasn't even worthy of being in front of Him let alone being worshipped. Here the devil was tempting Jesus offering Him all the power of the world- here the devil was believing Himself to be important, powerful, godlike and Jesus put Him in His place with those words.
Just imagine a millionaire coming to you and offering you all their millions and you telling them no, that their offer wasn't worth a thing to you, that they were beneath you. This is just a tiny imaginary scenario here - Jesus faced the REAL thing, Jesus was offered a way out of all suffering and He refused. Jesus put the devil in his place- behind Him - completely unworthy of being in front of Him or beside Him.
And once more Jesus used these words - FOR IT IS WRITTEN. We cannot forget these words!!! We have to USE these words. FOR IT IS WRITTEN.
Jesus told the devil- For it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve
Psa 96:9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
Deu 6:13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Worship the LORD!
SERVE the Lord they God!
NO OTHER GODS BEFORE GOD!
Jesus God the Father first always!
No other would get His worship, no other!
Putting the devil in His place, Jesus resisted the temptations, Jesus endured the temptations. Victorious over the temptations enough was enough and the devil was no longer allowed to tempt Jesus- at least for a season.
More on this tomorrow by the grace of our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
*******
A third great temptation- and I say great temptation because while WE might not personally find these particular temptations enticing, these temptations WERE extremely enticing to our Savior. To think that they weren't enticing at all and merely nuisances that Jesus could wave off without a second glance is to discredit the humanity that Jesus shares with us. We have to look at these revealed temptations from the point of view of ONE truly tempted. REAL temptations.
The devil once again transports Jesus supernaturally taking Him to a VERY high mountain. Once on top of that VERY high mountain the devil shows Jesus ALL the kingdoms of the world. Think about this for a moment. If we went up to the highest mountain on earth would we be able to see ALL the kingdoms of the world? Absolutely NOT. Again, the devil is using supernatural means to tempt Jesus. People don't believe the devil has supernatural power but he does and he's not afraid to use it whenever he can, whenever he's allowed. Using that supernatural power the devil flashed before Jesus' eyes in a moment of time ALL the kingdoms of the world…the entire WORLD.
Now imagine for a moment that's you again, you're on that mountain and the devil shows you all the kingdom's of the world- all the rulers, all the land that is being ruled throughout the world, the tremendous power involved in ruling all the land, all the people, all this is revealed to you and then you are told YOU can have it all. Now you know YOU do not possess the power, the rulership, the kingdoms they belong to another.
The devil OWNS them. That's right. The rulership of this world belongs to the devil. Shocked? Jesus wasn't shocked. The devil told Jesus that he would give Him ALL the power, all the glory of all the kingdoms of the world- that it was delivered to him and he could give it to whoever he wanted to give it to. This wasn't a lie, even from the father of lies, it was the truth. When Adam and Eve sinned they gave up the right to the world God created for them to rule, for them to have dominion over. The devil took over the dominion of the world and until our Savior returns and until the earth is made new it remains the devil's.
The devil told Jesus the world and all its power would be His if only Jesus acknowledged that the devil was worthy of being worshipped, worthy of being given the honor due to God. There was NO way Jesus was going to do that, no way. Jesus would suffer living in the world corrupted by sin, he'd lived in it since His birth and He would continue to do so rather than take a SHORT CUT, rather than take the path that would mean NO suffering. Jesus felt pain, intense pain. To think that Jesus didn't or couldn't suffer is foolish. The pain in store for Jesus was akin to the worst pain we can ever imagine, even more so.
This temptation that the devil offered to Jesus was a REAL temptation that Jesus resisted, that He endured. He replied to the offered temptation with this--
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus said- GET THEE BEHIND ME… Jesus was putting the devil where he belonged… BEHIND HIM. Jesus was telling the devil that not only would He not worship Him or bow before Him but the devil's place was BEHIND HIM, he wasn't even worthy of being in front of Him let alone being worshipped. Here the devil was tempting Jesus offering Him all the power of the world- here the devil was believing Himself to be important, powerful, godlike and Jesus put Him in His place with those words.
Just imagine a millionaire coming to you and offering you all their millions and you telling them no, that their offer wasn't worth a thing to you, that they were beneath you. This is just a tiny imaginary scenario here - Jesus faced the REAL thing, Jesus was offered a way out of all suffering and He refused. Jesus put the devil in his place- behind Him - completely unworthy of being in front of Him or beside Him.
And once more Jesus used these words - FOR IT IS WRITTEN. We cannot forget these words!!! We have to USE these words. FOR IT IS WRITTEN.
Jesus told the devil- For it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve
Psa 96:9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
Deu 6:13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Worship the LORD!
SERVE the Lord they God!
NO OTHER GODS BEFORE GOD!
Jesus God the Father first always!
No other would get His worship, no other!
Putting the devil in His place, Jesus resisted the temptations, Jesus endured the temptations. Victorious over the temptations enough was enough and the devil was no longer allowed to tempt Jesus- at least for a season.
More on this tomorrow by the grace of our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Tempting God- Lack of Faith
Forty days Moses spent in the mount, after forty days he found the children of Israel had broken the new covenant they'd just formed with God.
Back to the mount, Moses spent another forty days there and this time when he returned he found the children of Israel contrite, still holding to the renewed covenant, unlike the first time.
However things didn't go as hoped, did they? God was WILLING to bring His children to the land promised to them many years ago. God WANTED to bring His children to the land promised to them. But after 400 years of captivity the PURE desire to be God's children and follow the ways of God, to honor God, to love God, to worship God- had been corrupted. The adult generation brought out from Egypt were stained with sin and filled with doubt, filled with defiance. God worked MIRACLES to free them from slavery- every single adult witnessed firsthand the miracles. Time and again the Egyptians were plagued while the children of Israel went untouched! Some like to logic away the miracles of God by believing each plague had its root in mundane fact. Some will even say the plagues attacked the Egyptians but not the children of Israel because they lived in a different section of Egypt. How does that explain the Hebrews living as slaves among those living in close proximity to the main city not being affected? It doesn't! How does it explain some of the animals being affected and others not? God smote the Egyptians quite pointedly and not just with one plague but several. Pharaoh could no longer take it because HE KNEW that God was attacking him and his people and not attacking the children of Israel. With such stark differences between those plagued and those not, Pharaoh could not deny the hand of God at work and so he let all his Hebrew slaves go… hundreds of thousands of them! If there were a logical explanation, Pharaoh would have seen it and never let all those slaves go! Never! Miracles beyond any question, beyond any doubt and yet the children of Israel were QUICK to forget the hand of God at work in their behalf. So caught up in their selfishness, so hardened to God's love they felt it was better to be enslaved than to suffer for freedom to worship God. They were an EVIL generation. They were corrupted and hope only remained in their children being brought up under the newly established covenant with God.
Now suppose they HADN'T been an evil generation… would they have gone to the promised land a lot sooner than 40 years later? Without a doubt.
After that first 40 days and 40 nights in the mount, Moses would have given to them the tables of stone with the commandments, as well as the instructions for the sanctuary and the people would have gone on to build the sanctuary and journey to the promised land.
It was only because of their evil ways that they had to wander for 40 years. They were blessed though, that they weren't completely wiped out that they were given a chance to be redeemed as a people.
Read these verses about the evil generation of Israel wandering for 40 years--
Deu 1:35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers
Num 14:30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Num 14:31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
Num 14:32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
Num 14:33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
Num 14:35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
Deu 2:7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing
Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Deu 8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
Deu 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
Deu 8:6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.
Deu 29:2 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;
Deu 29:3 The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:
Deu 29:4 Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
Deu 29:5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.
Deu 29:6 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.
Jos 5:6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
Neh 9:20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
Neh 9:21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.
Psa 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psa 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psa 95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Psa 95:4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
Psa 95:5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
Psa 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Psa 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
Psa 95:8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Psa 95:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
Psa 95:10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
Psa 95:11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
Heb 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Heb 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Heb 3:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Heb 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
Heb 3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
Heb 3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
When Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and nights to be tempted- it was a trying time like we can't fully comprehend. It was there that Jesus' loyalty to God was to be tested. There would have been NO redemption for the children of God had Jesus failed the testing. There would have been NO wandering for 40 years weeding out the evil because it wasn't a people being tested, but the Savior Himself. Jesus relying solely upon God for absolutely EVERYTHING, Jesus believing, Jesus having faith.
Also, Jesus wasn't coming out of 400 years of bondage. Jesus was coming out of people steeped in the old covenant ways, over a 1000 years obeying the old covenant ways, a lot longer if you take it all the way back to the beginning of sin's entrance into the world when Eve sinned. Animal sacrifice as an example of the ultimate sacrifice needed to wipe out sins dates back to Adam and Eve, back to Cain and Abel. Jesus was the central figure in the turning point from a covenant that pointed to a Savior - towards a covenant existing after the Savior's arrival. The turning point was going to be fought tooth and nail (so to speak) by Satan. He'd existed for thousands of years trying to prevent the Savior from coming into existence - thousands of years! Now here He was, the Savior born and grown, ready to usher in the new covenant way and Satan wanted Him destroyed.
The first temptation written about was Satan wanting Jesus to change a stone into bread so Jesus would eat it and no longer suffer being hungry. Jesus told Satan that it was written that it was better to obey God than to eat.
Another temptation…
Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luk 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
The devil was allowed to TAKE Jesus, to BRING Jesus to a pinnacle on the temple in Jerusalem.
Imagine it for a moment. Supernatural power being exert by Satan to transport Jesus from the wilderness to the holy city, and not just to the holy city but to a PINNACLE on the temple! We really can imagine it can't we? We can because we've seen enough movies on television that use special effects to do all sorts of fictional supernatural occurrences. The movie Superman from way back has Him flying about taking people here and there with him. Many other shows and movies use the same special effects to get the one watching to understand there is something spectacular taking place, something out of the ordinary. So yes, we CAN imagine it happening only with Jesus there was no special effects, no blue screen, no film manipulation, no special props it was the REAL deal. Satan took Jesus bodily from the wilderness and placed Him on a temple turret, a high place upon the temple. And once there Satan USED the written word of God to entice Jesus to sin. Did you catch that point… Satan USED THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD! People like to imagine that Satan recoils at the mere thought of God but it's not true, Satan uses God's words- manipulating them as He did right from the beginning with Eve. Did the words Satan recite ring true? Yes, they were true!
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luk 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
For it is WRITTEN- Satan used God's own words to tempt Jesus. Surely if God had said this it had to be true so Satan wanted Jesus to PROVE that what God said was true. You can just imagine Satan feeling superior and cunning ready to trip Jesus up with his wily ways. But it wasn't to be, Jesus knew God's word from the beginning to the end, every sentence written in what we call the Old Testament, Jesus knew.
Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Luk 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Deu 6:16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
Exo 17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Jesus knew better than to do ANYTHING other than what His Father wanted Him to do. When Satan told Him to cast Himself down because God said He'd bear Him up with angels, how easy it would have been for Jesus to do just that- just as easy as it would have been for Him to change a stone into bread- very, very easy. But doing ANYTHING at all to try God is asking for trouble. It's not because it can't be done, it's because there has to be BELIEF without seeing, a belief without a proving. The importance of faith goes way beyond what the devil would have us understand. Jesus already believed, Jesus had the faith already and didn't need God to prove a single thing. Jesus believed wholeheartedly. We need to have this kind of faith when we are tempted, a faith that realizes that God is allowing all that happens to us for a reason and we don't have to know why, just know that God IS, and God's will must be done and we are not to tempt God- because our tempting of God reveals our lack of faith in Him.
By the grace of our Lord, our Savior may we come to full knowledge of His will in all things. May we understand the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness as He would have us understand. Help us Lord to learn of this amazing transitioning period in time- the ending of one way of life and the beginning of the new way of life that would exist until everlasting life becomes the next transition of us, Your people.
By Your will, by Your grace!
Amen.
Back to the mount, Moses spent another forty days there and this time when he returned he found the children of Israel contrite, still holding to the renewed covenant, unlike the first time.
However things didn't go as hoped, did they? God was WILLING to bring His children to the land promised to them many years ago. God WANTED to bring His children to the land promised to them. But after 400 years of captivity the PURE desire to be God's children and follow the ways of God, to honor God, to love God, to worship God- had been corrupted. The adult generation brought out from Egypt were stained with sin and filled with doubt, filled with defiance. God worked MIRACLES to free them from slavery- every single adult witnessed firsthand the miracles. Time and again the Egyptians were plagued while the children of Israel went untouched! Some like to logic away the miracles of God by believing each plague had its root in mundane fact. Some will even say the plagues attacked the Egyptians but not the children of Israel because they lived in a different section of Egypt. How does that explain the Hebrews living as slaves among those living in close proximity to the main city not being affected? It doesn't! How does it explain some of the animals being affected and others not? God smote the Egyptians quite pointedly and not just with one plague but several. Pharaoh could no longer take it because HE KNEW that God was attacking him and his people and not attacking the children of Israel. With such stark differences between those plagued and those not, Pharaoh could not deny the hand of God at work and so he let all his Hebrew slaves go… hundreds of thousands of them! If there were a logical explanation, Pharaoh would have seen it and never let all those slaves go! Never! Miracles beyond any question, beyond any doubt and yet the children of Israel were QUICK to forget the hand of God at work in their behalf. So caught up in their selfishness, so hardened to God's love they felt it was better to be enslaved than to suffer for freedom to worship God. They were an EVIL generation. They were corrupted and hope only remained in their children being brought up under the newly established covenant with God.
Now suppose they HADN'T been an evil generation… would they have gone to the promised land a lot sooner than 40 years later? Without a doubt.
After that first 40 days and 40 nights in the mount, Moses would have given to them the tables of stone with the commandments, as well as the instructions for the sanctuary and the people would have gone on to build the sanctuary and journey to the promised land.
It was only because of their evil ways that they had to wander for 40 years. They were blessed though, that they weren't completely wiped out that they were given a chance to be redeemed as a people.
Read these verses about the evil generation of Israel wandering for 40 years--
Deu 1:35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers
Num 14:30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Num 14:31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
Num 14:32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
Num 14:33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
Num 14:35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
Deu 2:7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing
Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Deu 8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
Deu 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
Deu 8:6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.
Deu 29:2 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;
Deu 29:3 The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:
Deu 29:4 Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
Deu 29:5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.
Deu 29:6 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.
Jos 5:6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
Neh 9:20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
Neh 9:21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.
Psa 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psa 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psa 95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Psa 95:4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
Psa 95:5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
Psa 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Psa 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
Psa 95:8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Psa 95:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
Psa 95:10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
Psa 95:11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
Heb 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Heb 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Heb 3:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Heb 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
Heb 3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
Heb 3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
When Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and nights to be tempted- it was a trying time like we can't fully comprehend. It was there that Jesus' loyalty to God was to be tested. There would have been NO redemption for the children of God had Jesus failed the testing. There would have been NO wandering for 40 years weeding out the evil because it wasn't a people being tested, but the Savior Himself. Jesus relying solely upon God for absolutely EVERYTHING, Jesus believing, Jesus having faith.
Also, Jesus wasn't coming out of 400 years of bondage. Jesus was coming out of people steeped in the old covenant ways, over a 1000 years obeying the old covenant ways, a lot longer if you take it all the way back to the beginning of sin's entrance into the world when Eve sinned. Animal sacrifice as an example of the ultimate sacrifice needed to wipe out sins dates back to Adam and Eve, back to Cain and Abel. Jesus was the central figure in the turning point from a covenant that pointed to a Savior - towards a covenant existing after the Savior's arrival. The turning point was going to be fought tooth and nail (so to speak) by Satan. He'd existed for thousands of years trying to prevent the Savior from coming into existence - thousands of years! Now here He was, the Savior born and grown, ready to usher in the new covenant way and Satan wanted Him destroyed.
The first temptation written about was Satan wanting Jesus to change a stone into bread so Jesus would eat it and no longer suffer being hungry. Jesus told Satan that it was written that it was better to obey God than to eat.
Another temptation…
Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luk 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
The devil was allowed to TAKE Jesus, to BRING Jesus to a pinnacle on the temple in Jerusalem.
Imagine it for a moment. Supernatural power being exert by Satan to transport Jesus from the wilderness to the holy city, and not just to the holy city but to a PINNACLE on the temple! We really can imagine it can't we? We can because we've seen enough movies on television that use special effects to do all sorts of fictional supernatural occurrences. The movie Superman from way back has Him flying about taking people here and there with him. Many other shows and movies use the same special effects to get the one watching to understand there is something spectacular taking place, something out of the ordinary. So yes, we CAN imagine it happening only with Jesus there was no special effects, no blue screen, no film manipulation, no special props it was the REAL deal. Satan took Jesus bodily from the wilderness and placed Him on a temple turret, a high place upon the temple. And once there Satan USED the written word of God to entice Jesus to sin. Did you catch that point… Satan USED THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD! People like to imagine that Satan recoils at the mere thought of God but it's not true, Satan uses God's words- manipulating them as He did right from the beginning with Eve. Did the words Satan recite ring true? Yes, they were true!
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luk 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
For it is WRITTEN- Satan used God's own words to tempt Jesus. Surely if God had said this it had to be true so Satan wanted Jesus to PROVE that what God said was true. You can just imagine Satan feeling superior and cunning ready to trip Jesus up with his wily ways. But it wasn't to be, Jesus knew God's word from the beginning to the end, every sentence written in what we call the Old Testament, Jesus knew.
Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Luk 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Deu 6:16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
Exo 17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Jesus knew better than to do ANYTHING other than what His Father wanted Him to do. When Satan told Him to cast Himself down because God said He'd bear Him up with angels, how easy it would have been for Jesus to do just that- just as easy as it would have been for Him to change a stone into bread- very, very easy. But doing ANYTHING at all to try God is asking for trouble. It's not because it can't be done, it's because there has to be BELIEF without seeing, a belief without a proving. The importance of faith goes way beyond what the devil would have us understand. Jesus already believed, Jesus had the faith already and didn't need God to prove a single thing. Jesus believed wholeheartedly. We need to have this kind of faith when we are tempted, a faith that realizes that God is allowing all that happens to us for a reason and we don't have to know why, just know that God IS, and God's will must be done and we are not to tempt God- because our tempting of God reveals our lack of faith in Him.
By the grace of our Lord, our Savior may we come to full knowledge of His will in all things. May we understand the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness as He would have us understand. Help us Lord to learn of this amazing transitioning period in time- the ending of one way of life and the beginning of the new way of life that would exist until everlasting life becomes the next transition of us, Your people.
By Your will, by Your grace!
Amen.
Friday, February 18, 2011
This is temptation- the choice offered
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Jesus suffered.
He didn't only suffer pain from being physically abused, Jesus suffered being tempted.
Suffered.
What does the word suffer mean to you? Have you suffered being tempted? In today's world we are forever invoking the right to pursue happiness equating that with the right to NOT suffer, but rather indulge in our temptations because those temptations once realized bring us pleasure, they bring us the happiness we believe we have a right to possess. We do not like to suffer in any way, shape, or form, it's abhorrent to us. Alleviating our suffering of whatever sort is one of our main goals in life. Being told to suffer temptation- to ENDURE temptation isn't something we want to hear.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Jesus suffered being tempted in ALL points. There is NO temptation Jesus doesn't understand, not a single one. You say impossible, Jesus didn't live with the temptation of internet depravity, Jesus didn't live with the temptation of designer drugs, Jesus didn't live with the temptation of our modern existence so there is NO way Jesus suffered being tempted like we are today.
What we need to understand is the nature of temptation, not the nitpicking of every sin in the world. The nature of temptation is being given a choice to sin or not sin.
Read that again…
The nature of temptation is having the choice to sin or not to sin.
The nature of the sin isn't important- all sin warrants death- the greatest sin and the least sin.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death...
It doesn't say for the wages of the horrible sins is death.
Sin or not to sin - this is temptation - the choice offered.
The choice.
We are daily faced with choices between doing good and bad, and sometimes all day long, other days not so much but the choices we make every day to sin or not sin - make up the sum of our lives.
Being tempted is how Eve sinned from the beginning. The choice Eve made to sin is repeated by us all the time. The Devil tempts and will not stop tempting us, if we live to 100 he'll keep on tempting us. It doesn't matter if the temptation to sin is in getting drunk on wine back in Jesus' day, or the temptation indulge in narcotics today - it is still the offering of sin and a choice to either indulge or resist, endure. There are many forms of sinning, many, but in the end sin is sin and it's a disobeying of God's laws- we are to have NO other God before God; the god of alcohol, the god of drugs, cannot be our gods- they cannot be worshipped above God. We cannot be our own gods and yet many, very many are worshipping themselves.
Temptation- the opportunity to sin.
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Every man is tempted.
Every man is drawn away of his own lust.
Every man is enticed.
Jesus was tempted.
Jesus was drawn away of his own lust.
Jesus was enticed.
The LUST in our Savior was NEVER conceived! Therein lies His perfection!
We are tempted when we are presented with something we lust for- something we desire. Not giving in to that lust, not letting that lust bear fruit keeps us from sinning.
Jesus was tempted by Satan to sin, tempted one on one, tempted face to face. The powerful, supernatural fallen angel who had succeeded in tempting Eve into sin had to try all he could to tempt God's HUMAN Son into sinning. His tempting worked with Eve and subsequently all of mankind. Surely the Spirit who became Jesus, God's Son, who took on that WEAKENED flesh nature with it's full propensity towards sinning would mean an easy victory for the Evil One. None could resist Satan, none, all humans had succumbed to temptation, Jesus would be the same- and yet He wasn't! Jesus SUFFERED, Jesus understood the LUST pull to sin, Jesus felt the enticement to sin yet He NEVER for a single moment separated Himself from the love of God the Father. NO conceived lust could ever replace the love of His Father and He knew this. God the Father was EVERYTHING to Jesus, everything and He would never risk separation, never! Life without God the Father leading Him would be nothing- it would be living death.
JESUS SUFFERED TEMPTATION!
Do not believe for one moment He did not suffer. The victory of our Savior is all but beyond our comprehension.
The very real Satan, the very real hatred, the very real evil force wanted to destroy Jesus and unable to prevent His birth, His childhood, His early adulthood- Satan was now allowed to confront Jesus with the severest of temptations possible just as Jesus was at His most vulnerable.
Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Luk 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Remember temptation is being enticed, it's being drawn away by something we desired. Sustained for 40 days and 40 nights, enduring endless tempting from Satan, FINALLY the evil one sensed what He perceived to be a weakness in our Savior. Jesus suffering hunger, noticeably suffering. Jesus desired to eat. Now there's nothing wrong with eating when we are hungry, right? Being hungry isn't a sin, it isn't a lust as we like to think of lusts. Why would it be wrong for Jesus to eat? It wouldn't be wrong right? If ever anyone had a right to eat it would be someone who hasn't eaten for 40 days and nights. Eating wouldn't be wrong at all, eating wouldn't be a sin in any way- it was the fact that there was NOTHING available to eat, nothing. Satan didn't tempt Jesus with food- he tempted Him with stones- he tempted him to use His POWER to change those stones- he tempted Him to use SUPERNATURAL power- he tempted Jesus to forsake His humanity- he tempted Jesus to DISOBEY God the Father! It was God the Father's will that Jesus NEVER use His supernatural powers for any SELFISH act. The pain of hunger was real to Jesus, the desire to eat- to satisfy that hunger was real- yet Jesus knew that it was more important to follow the will of His Father than to eat.
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God
When Satan tempted Jesus to change stones into bread he did so by saying this first- IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD.
Jesus knew who He was, He knew He was God's Son, He had nothing to prove to Satan. That Satan was there tempting Him was proof enough.
Satan was using Jesus' hunger but he didn't do so by holding up a loaf of bread in front of Jesus. No, Satan was trying to use Jesus' desire to eat to get Him to throw off His humanity. If Jesus used His supernatural power selfishly, if Jesus used His supernatural power at a time not directed to do so by God the Father- it would be sin.
Jesus answered Satan by quoting from the book of Deuteronomy-
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
God provided MANNA- food from heaven. God would give Jesus manna as well if He wanted Him to eat. God knew Jesus was hungry, just as God knew His people journeying to the promised land were hungry and needed food. Would His people trust Him? Did His people believe that He held their lives in His hands? God humbled His people. God allowed His people to hunger so they would realize God would provide for them. If they had all the food they wanted but lacked God they would die eternal death. They had food in Egypt but they were in bondage. They'd been freed to worship God and the God who freed them would also provide for them. It would be better to die from hunger than to disobey God. Obeying God is life.
Jesus obeyed God the Father. Jesus chose to endure temptation.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Jesus received the crown of life- God the Father raised Him from death to life everlasting. All praise, all glory, all honor to our King! By His love!
Amen
Jesus suffered.
He didn't only suffer pain from being physically abused, Jesus suffered being tempted.
Suffered.
What does the word suffer mean to you? Have you suffered being tempted? In today's world we are forever invoking the right to pursue happiness equating that with the right to NOT suffer, but rather indulge in our temptations because those temptations once realized bring us pleasure, they bring us the happiness we believe we have a right to possess. We do not like to suffer in any way, shape, or form, it's abhorrent to us. Alleviating our suffering of whatever sort is one of our main goals in life. Being told to suffer temptation- to ENDURE temptation isn't something we want to hear.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Jesus suffered being tempted in ALL points. There is NO temptation Jesus doesn't understand, not a single one. You say impossible, Jesus didn't live with the temptation of internet depravity, Jesus didn't live with the temptation of designer drugs, Jesus didn't live with the temptation of our modern existence so there is NO way Jesus suffered being tempted like we are today.
What we need to understand is the nature of temptation, not the nitpicking of every sin in the world. The nature of temptation is being given a choice to sin or not sin.
Read that again…
The nature of temptation is having the choice to sin or not to sin.
The nature of the sin isn't important- all sin warrants death- the greatest sin and the least sin.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death...
It doesn't say for the wages of the horrible sins is death.
Sin or not to sin - this is temptation - the choice offered.
The choice.
We are daily faced with choices between doing good and bad, and sometimes all day long, other days not so much but the choices we make every day to sin or not sin - make up the sum of our lives.
Being tempted is how Eve sinned from the beginning. The choice Eve made to sin is repeated by us all the time. The Devil tempts and will not stop tempting us, if we live to 100 he'll keep on tempting us. It doesn't matter if the temptation to sin is in getting drunk on wine back in Jesus' day, or the temptation indulge in narcotics today - it is still the offering of sin and a choice to either indulge or resist, endure. There are many forms of sinning, many, but in the end sin is sin and it's a disobeying of God's laws- we are to have NO other God before God; the god of alcohol, the god of drugs, cannot be our gods- they cannot be worshipped above God. We cannot be our own gods and yet many, very many are worshipping themselves.
Temptation- the opportunity to sin.
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Every man is tempted.
Every man is drawn away of his own lust.
Every man is enticed.
Jesus was tempted.
Jesus was drawn away of his own lust.
Jesus was enticed.
The LUST in our Savior was NEVER conceived! Therein lies His perfection!
We are tempted when we are presented with something we lust for- something we desire. Not giving in to that lust, not letting that lust bear fruit keeps us from sinning.
Jesus was tempted by Satan to sin, tempted one on one, tempted face to face. The powerful, supernatural fallen angel who had succeeded in tempting Eve into sin had to try all he could to tempt God's HUMAN Son into sinning. His tempting worked with Eve and subsequently all of mankind. Surely the Spirit who became Jesus, God's Son, who took on that WEAKENED flesh nature with it's full propensity towards sinning would mean an easy victory for the Evil One. None could resist Satan, none, all humans had succumbed to temptation, Jesus would be the same- and yet He wasn't! Jesus SUFFERED, Jesus understood the LUST pull to sin, Jesus felt the enticement to sin yet He NEVER for a single moment separated Himself from the love of God the Father. NO conceived lust could ever replace the love of His Father and He knew this. God the Father was EVERYTHING to Jesus, everything and He would never risk separation, never! Life without God the Father leading Him would be nothing- it would be living death.
JESUS SUFFERED TEMPTATION!
Do not believe for one moment He did not suffer. The victory of our Savior is all but beyond our comprehension.
The very real Satan, the very real hatred, the very real evil force wanted to destroy Jesus and unable to prevent His birth, His childhood, His early adulthood- Satan was now allowed to confront Jesus with the severest of temptations possible just as Jesus was at His most vulnerable.
Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Luk 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Remember temptation is being enticed, it's being drawn away by something we desired. Sustained for 40 days and 40 nights, enduring endless tempting from Satan, FINALLY the evil one sensed what He perceived to be a weakness in our Savior. Jesus suffering hunger, noticeably suffering. Jesus desired to eat. Now there's nothing wrong with eating when we are hungry, right? Being hungry isn't a sin, it isn't a lust as we like to think of lusts. Why would it be wrong for Jesus to eat? It wouldn't be wrong right? If ever anyone had a right to eat it would be someone who hasn't eaten for 40 days and nights. Eating wouldn't be wrong at all, eating wouldn't be a sin in any way- it was the fact that there was NOTHING available to eat, nothing. Satan didn't tempt Jesus with food- he tempted Him with stones- he tempted him to use His POWER to change those stones- he tempted Him to use SUPERNATURAL power- he tempted Jesus to forsake His humanity- he tempted Jesus to DISOBEY God the Father! It was God the Father's will that Jesus NEVER use His supernatural powers for any SELFISH act. The pain of hunger was real to Jesus, the desire to eat- to satisfy that hunger was real- yet Jesus knew that it was more important to follow the will of His Father than to eat.
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God
When Satan tempted Jesus to change stones into bread he did so by saying this first- IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD.
Jesus knew who He was, He knew He was God's Son, He had nothing to prove to Satan. That Satan was there tempting Him was proof enough.
Satan was using Jesus' hunger but he didn't do so by holding up a loaf of bread in front of Jesus. No, Satan was trying to use Jesus' desire to eat to get Him to throw off His humanity. If Jesus used His supernatural power selfishly, if Jesus used His supernatural power at a time not directed to do so by God the Father- it would be sin.
Jesus answered Satan by quoting from the book of Deuteronomy-
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
God provided MANNA- food from heaven. God would give Jesus manna as well if He wanted Him to eat. God knew Jesus was hungry, just as God knew His people journeying to the promised land were hungry and needed food. Would His people trust Him? Did His people believe that He held their lives in His hands? God humbled His people. God allowed His people to hunger so they would realize God would provide for them. If they had all the food they wanted but lacked God they would die eternal death. They had food in Egypt but they were in bondage. They'd been freed to worship God and the God who freed them would also provide for them. It would be better to die from hunger than to disobey God. Obeying God is life.
Jesus obeyed God the Father. Jesus chose to endure temptation.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Jesus received the crown of life- God the Father raised Him from death to life everlasting. All praise, all glory, all honor to our King! By His love!
Amen
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Jesus Assaulted
Satan knew Jesus was vulnerable to temptation- or else he never would have tried tempting Him.
We don't like to imagine this at all. Instead we have this image of Jesus as a religious super man- able to defeat temptation automatically without batting an eye. Jesus UNDERSTOOD our suffering of being tempted. After Jesus fasted 40 days and nights, being tempted of Satan in so many ways, we read this…
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
He was hungry!
So here we have it, the fasting wasn't so supernaturally controlled that Jesus wasn't allowed to feel the pains of hunger. Jesus was kept from dying- as was Moses as they endured their 40 days and nights of fasting without water or food. These basics of human necessity were denied them and they were completely cleansed of all inward sustenance relying completely on God the Father to supply them their needs. The Holy Spirit ministered to them through angels.
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
How exactly did the angels minister to our Savior we don't know, but we do know He was kept alive without suffering dehydration and starvation. Did He hunger? YES. And I imagine He was thirsty as well. Our Savior went through this trial for a reason- it was a purifying time, it was a testing time, it was the beginning of a new covenant between God and man. As Moses was up in the mount communing with God, receiving the law- Jesus was in the wilderness facing the breaker of the law.
Some say Jesus was only tempted AFTER the 40 days and nights were up, others say He was tempted throughout the entire 40 days and nights and then after as well. Personally I believe He was tempted from the get go all through the 40 days and nights and afterwards as well. I believe that Moses was with God the entire 40 days and nights in the mountain and I believe Jesus had to face the temptations of Satan for the entire time as well. We KNOW that we are only told some of ALL the things that took place during our Savior's ministry here on earth. I believe the 3 temptations we are told about are significant ones, but not the ONLY ones. Jesus was tempted in ALL points. To begin this life changing new covenant way Jesus came face to face with Satan and Satan tried EVERYTHING absolutely EVERYTHING within His power to TEMPT Jesus to sin. Jesus prevailed over every single temptation refusing each and every temptation. You want to believe it was EASY for Him, but it wasn't, it truly wasn't.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Luk 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
When Jesus had suffered 40 days and night He was finishing up His time of fasting- just as Moses began His descent from the mountain after his 40 days and nights. Moses returned not to people obedient to God, but to the horrific knowledge that the people God had just freed from bondage were already sinning against Him, already breaking the covenant, already defying God. Jesus finished His time of fasting and did not enter immediately into a life surrounded by support of disciples and loved ones. As the time ended Satan wasn't through and with Jesus feeling the pain of the hunger he assaulted Him once again. Yes, assaulted Him. Just as we are ASSAULTED by Satan. It's REAL, Satanic assaults happen all the time and not the horror movie, supernatural thriller assaults that we've been trained to associate with exorcism and the like. Because we are bombarded with the sensationalized Satan we tend to minimize the EVERY DAY Satan in our lives. We tend to believe that He doesn't even exist around us. He's not AFTER us, he's just after… well … other people, bad people, right? Or special people, that's it, Satan is after special people He wouldn't waste his time on every day average people. What a lie! What a deception and we fall for it hook, line, and sinker.
Jesus was assaulted by Satan with such an intensity we can't begin to imagine it really. Yes, we are assaulted as well, but Satan wanted to kill the promised Seed that would destroy Him. If He couldn't kill the promised Seed then he would tempt the promised Seed into sinning and there by destroy any hope for anyone ever being forgiven of sin. He had to corrupt the Seed in any way he possibly could. This time- this 40 days and night, and directly after as Jesus was put through the torture of temptation- was Satan's initial grand assault and he was allowed to come out with both barrels blazing. Afterwards… Jesus was given a respite. He'd endured and passed through the front lines and came through unscathed, unblemished, unmarked by Satan.
Did Satan keep tempting our Savior even after the initial assault? Yes, but not in the same manner. Our Savior prevailed and the new covenant He was ushering in by His successful endurance of temptation had begun.
By His amazing grace! By His amazing love and mercy! May we continue to study and understand the miracle of salvation in our Savior, our God.
Amen.
We don't like to imagine this at all. Instead we have this image of Jesus as a religious super man- able to defeat temptation automatically without batting an eye. Jesus UNDERSTOOD our suffering of being tempted. After Jesus fasted 40 days and nights, being tempted of Satan in so many ways, we read this…
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
He was hungry!
So here we have it, the fasting wasn't so supernaturally controlled that Jesus wasn't allowed to feel the pains of hunger. Jesus was kept from dying- as was Moses as they endured their 40 days and nights of fasting without water or food. These basics of human necessity were denied them and they were completely cleansed of all inward sustenance relying completely on God the Father to supply them their needs. The Holy Spirit ministered to them through angels.
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
How exactly did the angels minister to our Savior we don't know, but we do know He was kept alive without suffering dehydration and starvation. Did He hunger? YES. And I imagine He was thirsty as well. Our Savior went through this trial for a reason- it was a purifying time, it was a testing time, it was the beginning of a new covenant between God and man. As Moses was up in the mount communing with God, receiving the law- Jesus was in the wilderness facing the breaker of the law.
Some say Jesus was only tempted AFTER the 40 days and nights were up, others say He was tempted throughout the entire 40 days and nights and then after as well. Personally I believe He was tempted from the get go all through the 40 days and nights and afterwards as well. I believe that Moses was with God the entire 40 days and nights in the mountain and I believe Jesus had to face the temptations of Satan for the entire time as well. We KNOW that we are only told some of ALL the things that took place during our Savior's ministry here on earth. I believe the 3 temptations we are told about are significant ones, but not the ONLY ones. Jesus was tempted in ALL points. To begin this life changing new covenant way Jesus came face to face with Satan and Satan tried EVERYTHING absolutely EVERYTHING within His power to TEMPT Jesus to sin. Jesus prevailed over every single temptation refusing each and every temptation. You want to believe it was EASY for Him, but it wasn't, it truly wasn't.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Luk 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
When Jesus had suffered 40 days and night He was finishing up His time of fasting- just as Moses began His descent from the mountain after his 40 days and nights. Moses returned not to people obedient to God, but to the horrific knowledge that the people God had just freed from bondage were already sinning against Him, already breaking the covenant, already defying God. Jesus finished His time of fasting and did not enter immediately into a life surrounded by support of disciples and loved ones. As the time ended Satan wasn't through and with Jesus feeling the pain of the hunger he assaulted Him once again. Yes, assaulted Him. Just as we are ASSAULTED by Satan. It's REAL, Satanic assaults happen all the time and not the horror movie, supernatural thriller assaults that we've been trained to associate with exorcism and the like. Because we are bombarded with the sensationalized Satan we tend to minimize the EVERY DAY Satan in our lives. We tend to believe that He doesn't even exist around us. He's not AFTER us, he's just after… well … other people, bad people, right? Or special people, that's it, Satan is after special people He wouldn't waste his time on every day average people. What a lie! What a deception and we fall for it hook, line, and sinker.
Jesus was assaulted by Satan with such an intensity we can't begin to imagine it really. Yes, we are assaulted as well, but Satan wanted to kill the promised Seed that would destroy Him. If He couldn't kill the promised Seed then he would tempt the promised Seed into sinning and there by destroy any hope for anyone ever being forgiven of sin. He had to corrupt the Seed in any way he possibly could. This time- this 40 days and night, and directly after as Jesus was put through the torture of temptation- was Satan's initial grand assault and he was allowed to come out with both barrels blazing. Afterwards… Jesus was given a respite. He'd endured and passed through the front lines and came through unscathed, unblemished, unmarked by Satan.
Did Satan keep tempting our Savior even after the initial assault? Yes, but not in the same manner. Our Savior prevailed and the new covenant He was ushering in by His successful endurance of temptation had begun.
By His amazing grace! By His amazing love and mercy! May we continue to study and understand the miracle of salvation in our Savior, our God.
Amen.
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