As Jesus began to preach and teach He gathered to Himself His apostles- those who would follow Him forever as well as the one among them that would end up betraying Him. What's the difference between those called disciples and those called apostles? What made the apostles special?
They were called to follow Jesus personally. They were called to preach that taught to them by the Messiah.
We know that Jacob had twelve sons.
We know that the number twelve is important - there were established twelve tribes of Israel out of Jacob's sons.
Twelve stones signifying the twelve tribes, placed in the ephod.
Exo 39:14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
Twelve oxen.
2Ch 4:14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;
2Ch 4:15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it
Twelve lions.
2Ch 9:19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.
Twelve gates, twelve angels.
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel
Twelve foundations.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Twelve thousands furlongs.
Rev 21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
Twelve gates, Twelve pearls.
Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Twelve manner of fruit.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Twelve apostles- chosen by Jesus, called by Jesus to a special purpose.
Could Jesus have gone about His ministry without apostles? Yes. He could have, but His plan was for His new covenant message to continue long after He would be called to His death and for that to happen He needed to train up teachers that would carry on His message bring the gospel, the good news, to all. Just as the twelve sons of Jacob became the twelve tribes- Jesus' twelve apostles would go on to multiple converts to Jesus. There was to be a continuation that would expand and keep expanding until Jesus' return. While many have gone to great lengths to destroy Christianity and God's seed, God's hope, God's people and still TODAY continue to wish for its extinction it has never been allowed to perish. With the good news of salvation needing to go to all Jesus needed men to learn from Him directly, to learn from Him intensely, to learn from Him by close association. Did Jesus *school* the Apostles as we imagine schooling? No. But every day they spent with Him He was teaching them and they were learning. Jesus wasn't seeking a multitude of followers to herald His rule, Jesus was seeking the pure in heart to learn of love from Him and carry on that message of love not of secular power.
After His baptism, after His trial of temptation in the wilderness against the devil, Jesus began to preach and very early on in the very beginning of His ministry He began to call His chosen students. Read the following verses...
Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Mat 4:20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Mat 4:21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
Mat 4:22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
Mar 1:16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mar 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
Mar 1:18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
Mar 1:19 And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
Mar 1:20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
Joh 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Joh 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
Joh 1:39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
Joh 1:40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
Joh 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
Joh 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Joh 1:43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
Joh 1:44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Joh 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Joh 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
Joh 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Joh 1:50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
Joh 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Called. Chosen.
Mat 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Mat 10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Mat 10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Mar 3:16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
Mar 3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
Mar 3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
Mar 3:19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
Luk 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Luk 6:14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
Luk 6:15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
Luk 6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Twelve were chosen as students of Christ who would then in turn become teachers of the message Jesus longed for all to have, the message of Salvation found in Him.
Do you suppose the willingness with which they left all to follow Jesus was because the Holy Spirit was influencing them- opening their eyes to see that Jesus was the promised Messiah? Just imagine it for a moment-- being called to follow Jesus and accepting that call readily willing to forsake everything to do so. Amazing, simply amazing. They has so much to learn and in a way-- unlearn. They, like Jesus, had all been raised under the old covenant way of life. As future Bible studies will show throughout their lives they were being enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to the new covenant ways. This change from old to new was not instantaneous, as I've mentioned before and will more than likely mention again and again. Jesus' ministry lasted 3 years and He initiated the change from one to another and He did so with a very intense ministry leaving room for NO DOUBT that the old covenant was no longer in effect upon His death and resurrection- the veil was torn never to be erected again, the way into the Most Holy Place was made through the sacrifice of our Savior.
As you can tell if you've read several of my recent studies I'm very interested in this link between the old and new covenant and it is something I'm going to be studying for a bit I imagine. There's a certain fascination for me in understanding more fully the change our Savior's birth, life, and death meant for those living in that time and for all ever after then. May God guide my studying, opening my heart to His truths and ONLY His truths, all through the Holy Spirit promised to us who believe and long to live in Him now and forever.
By His grace, in His most amazing love.
Amen.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Kingdom of Heaven
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.
Jesus preached first and foremost- REPENT.
The first sermon (if you will) that Jesus gave was on repenting.
Here we have God's people steeped deep in ceremonial traditions - those God given and those God given but warped by man's traditions and interpretations. They were following the commands of their God as they'd been taught. The sacrifices were being made as expected. The feasts were being kept as ordered. Their lives were rich with their religion. Oppressed by Roman rulership, they were still free to worship and did worship in a temple built for that express purpose. Worship in every sacrifice, worship in every sermon, worship in all that they did- or rather it was supposed to be that way. The Jewish way of life was dominated by their religion- in fact it was supposed to be the focal point of their lives- God first. As time passed -to many- the Jewish way of life had its *holidays- holy days*, it's weekly Sabbath, and they became the focal point and outside of them life went on without much thought of God. This way of life was like most religions today- worship on Sunday (Sabbath 7th day) and holidays. Most thought was NOT on God but on self.
With their way of life set in a pattern, God's chosen people hoped for a FANTASY messiah to free them from Roman rule and give them a life of nothing but happiness. They WANTED a messiah and they knew that the coming of a messiah would mean an altering of their entire way of life, but they didn't want a personal messiah, they wanted one for their religion as a whole. To have some common man, a carpenter's son no less, telling them to repent was ridiculous- especially to those in leadership roles- the priesthood. Repenting meant admitting to some wrong and genuinely being wrong for that wrong not wanting to commit that wrong again. Repenting meant admitting to being an UNFORGIVEN sinner. Repenting meant understanding that the ceremonial system wasn't sufficient in and of itself. How easy would it have been to hear Jesus call for repentance and dismiss it with the belief that you had no need to repent- it wasn't the day of Atonement, it wasn't time to bring an sacrificial offering, you were cleansed as you were every year on the day of Atonement and the priests saw to it that the proper sacrifices were being made so you were forgiven already- see - no need for repentance you had things in hand the way they'd been given to you for many generations. You had all the repentance you needed and some crackpot wasn't going to tell you that it wasn't enough.
It wasn't like that for every one of the chosen people. When John the Baptist preached many were baptized- they had this hope in them that their envisioned messiah was soon to come and here was this strange man heralding that event. However even when John the Baptist preached many were NOT baptized as well. They were caught between the desire for the messiah and the desire not to be deceived - and forsaking their way of life.
Now Jesus begins His ministry and He too is calling for repentance. He wants people to realize their sinful state, their need of a Savior. They'd already been taught the need for a sacrifice to obtain forgiveness, now they needed to understand that the sacrifice pointed to a PERSONAL Savior. It had ALWAYS pointed to a Savior.
Jesus said this--
'Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Did they understand what that meant? They did.
Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
2Sa 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
2Sa 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
An oath was sworn- the throne of His KINGDOM would be forever. They knew about the kingdom. David would NOT ascend to heaven, David would sleep with the fathers, another would not sleep with the fathers but His kingdom would be established for ever- His throne would be forever.
They knew about the kingdom BUT so many of them believed the kingdom would be established on earth, the kingdom of heaven would come down and remain rather than the kingdom of heaven being the Messiah ascending to Heaven and there being an advocate for His people.
Jesus came and preached firstly repentance because the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Repent- understand your need for forgiveness, your need for a Savior, a Savior that would be the key to the kingdom of heaven.
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
The kingdom of God is at hand- see NOT just the kingdom of heaven but the kingdom of God- heaven is the kingdom of God and Jesus is the way. That the kingdom was at hand revealed that the way to life eternal was at hand. People had to repent and they had to believe the word being spoken unto them.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
He taught-- He was a teacher-- He was there to teach and He was understood to be One who spoke with authority and that authority had Him glorified of all. Even being rejected eventually didn't stop Him from being embraced at the beginning. How many followed and listened eagerly only to turn away? At one point 5000 people who were fed fish and bread by a miracle turned away from Christ the next day. It seems unbelievable but it's true. Glorified of all, this isn't a lie, it's the truth for the time.
Our Savior began His ministry and He gave the call and His ministry was strong, His message came in the fullness of time, a message that WE today must heed.
We must repent, we must understand the kingdom of God is at hand for us all. We live not under the old covenant but the new, we live under the Messiah's arrival, the Messiah's death, the Messiah's resurrection, the Messiah risen.
By His grace we shall live in Him now and always!
Amen.
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.
Jesus preached first and foremost- REPENT.
The first sermon (if you will) that Jesus gave was on repenting.
Here we have God's people steeped deep in ceremonial traditions - those God given and those God given but warped by man's traditions and interpretations. They were following the commands of their God as they'd been taught. The sacrifices were being made as expected. The feasts were being kept as ordered. Their lives were rich with their religion. Oppressed by Roman rulership, they were still free to worship and did worship in a temple built for that express purpose. Worship in every sacrifice, worship in every sermon, worship in all that they did- or rather it was supposed to be that way. The Jewish way of life was dominated by their religion- in fact it was supposed to be the focal point of their lives- God first. As time passed -to many- the Jewish way of life had its *holidays- holy days*, it's weekly Sabbath, and they became the focal point and outside of them life went on without much thought of God. This way of life was like most religions today- worship on Sunday (Sabbath 7th day) and holidays. Most thought was NOT on God but on self.
With their way of life set in a pattern, God's chosen people hoped for a FANTASY messiah to free them from Roman rule and give them a life of nothing but happiness. They WANTED a messiah and they knew that the coming of a messiah would mean an altering of their entire way of life, but they didn't want a personal messiah, they wanted one for their religion as a whole. To have some common man, a carpenter's son no less, telling them to repent was ridiculous- especially to those in leadership roles- the priesthood. Repenting meant admitting to some wrong and genuinely being wrong for that wrong not wanting to commit that wrong again. Repenting meant admitting to being an UNFORGIVEN sinner. Repenting meant understanding that the ceremonial system wasn't sufficient in and of itself. How easy would it have been to hear Jesus call for repentance and dismiss it with the belief that you had no need to repent- it wasn't the day of Atonement, it wasn't time to bring an sacrificial offering, you were cleansed as you were every year on the day of Atonement and the priests saw to it that the proper sacrifices were being made so you were forgiven already- see - no need for repentance you had things in hand the way they'd been given to you for many generations. You had all the repentance you needed and some crackpot wasn't going to tell you that it wasn't enough.
It wasn't like that for every one of the chosen people. When John the Baptist preached many were baptized- they had this hope in them that their envisioned messiah was soon to come and here was this strange man heralding that event. However even when John the Baptist preached many were NOT baptized as well. They were caught between the desire for the messiah and the desire not to be deceived - and forsaking their way of life.
Now Jesus begins His ministry and He too is calling for repentance. He wants people to realize their sinful state, their need of a Savior. They'd already been taught the need for a sacrifice to obtain forgiveness, now they needed to understand that the sacrifice pointed to a PERSONAL Savior. It had ALWAYS pointed to a Savior.
Jesus said this--
'Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Did they understand what that meant? They did.
Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
2Sa 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
2Sa 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
An oath was sworn- the throne of His KINGDOM would be forever. They knew about the kingdom. David would NOT ascend to heaven, David would sleep with the fathers, another would not sleep with the fathers but His kingdom would be established for ever- His throne would be forever.
They knew about the kingdom BUT so many of them believed the kingdom would be established on earth, the kingdom of heaven would come down and remain rather than the kingdom of heaven being the Messiah ascending to Heaven and there being an advocate for His people.
Jesus came and preached firstly repentance because the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Repent- understand your need for forgiveness, your need for a Savior, a Savior that would be the key to the kingdom of heaven.
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
The kingdom of God is at hand- see NOT just the kingdom of heaven but the kingdom of God- heaven is the kingdom of God and Jesus is the way. That the kingdom was at hand revealed that the way to life eternal was at hand. People had to repent and they had to believe the word being spoken unto them.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
He taught-- He was a teacher-- He was there to teach and He was understood to be One who spoke with authority and that authority had Him glorified of all. Even being rejected eventually didn't stop Him from being embraced at the beginning. How many followed and listened eagerly only to turn away? At one point 5000 people who were fed fish and bread by a miracle turned away from Christ the next day. It seems unbelievable but it's true. Glorified of all, this isn't a lie, it's the truth for the time.
Our Savior began His ministry and He gave the call and His ministry was strong, His message came in the fullness of time, a message that WE today must heed.
We must repent, we must understand the kingdom of God is at hand for us all. We live not under the old covenant but the new, we live under the Messiah's arrival, the Messiah's death, the Messiah's resurrection, the Messiah risen.
By His grace we shall live in Him now and always!
Amen.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Jesus began to preach
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.
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.
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.
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