Who is Jesus? Luke 4:1-13
Who Is Jesus? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 9 viewsWe all have wilderness experiences. What Satan purposes for our destruction, God uses for good!
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Arms of Love
4 p.m. Prayer Group
Faith Promise Giving
Faith Promise is not a time to look at your budget and determine what you can afford to give.
Faith Promise is an opportunity to learn how to listen to God. I would encourage you to pray and ask God to reveal and even confirm the amount He would have you to pledge. Do not make a pledge until you feel confident that the amount pledged is from God and not your own opinion. We will not start collecting the pledges until March, so you have a full month to make your pledge.
A faith promise pledge is a pledge made by faith that God will provide the funds pledged. It falls under the category of God’s challenge to us in Malachi 3:10 when God said to Israel,
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
This is the only time God gives us the opportunity to test Him. He is talking about tithe here, but I believe a faith promise pledge is comparable, particularly if you have never tithed. This is an avenue to experience what God can do directly in YOUR life. I recently talked about firsthand and second hand experiences with God. If you have never had a firsthand experience of God’s action in your life, this may be your opportunity to do so.
Last but not least, you loose nothing. The pledge is by faith that God will provide. You watch for God to provide it and then you use what God provides. If God does not provide it, you are not obligated to pay it. However, if you truly have taken the time to hear from God what He would have you pledge, I believe you will be blessed by seeing God do so, and recognizing God’s blessings in your life in other areas for your faithfulness with this unique opportunity.
Do not feel obligated in any way. God loves a cheerful giver. This opportunity is for those who have a true desire to honor God and are looking to grow in your understanding of God. Are you seeking Him? Are you seeking to understand how to listen to God? To follow God? This is a great opportunity to do just that.
Stand with me as we open up our worship with a passage from Genesis.
27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Prayer
Worship Set
Prayer
Worship Through the Word:
Who is Jesus?
Who is Jesus?
We have followed Christmas by looking at passages that point to Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, yet also reveal His human nature as well. You see, Jesus was 100% God, but He was also in that moment, 100% man.
A couple weeks ago, we looked at how even at age 12, He understood that God was His Father, and He gravitated to the temple where He was learning about God’s Word, just like any of us would learn. Luke tells us that Jesus grew not only in favor with man, but also in favor with God. This was the last account provided of Jesus as a child. The next time we hear about Him, He is a man of 30 years and He presents Himself to John the Baptist for baptism, and then He walks away and into the wilderness. This is where we take up the account today.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ” And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ” And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
I. Jesus Faces a Time of Testing and Overcomes Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:9-13; Luke 4:1-13
I. Jesus Faces a Time of Testing and Overcomes Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:9-13; Luke 4:1-13
INTRODUCTION:
There seem to be two types of people in the world: those who love the wilderness, who camp, hike, hunt, and fish; and those who don’t, who much prefer a Hilton with an indoor heated pool over a tent by a mountain stream. Some view the untamed wild as an opportunity for adventure, challenge, and exploration. Others view it as a beautiful sight to be viewed from the window of a chalet, where you don’t need to wear bug spray or worry about bears. When we approach this text about wilderness, we tend to bring along our preconceived notions and preferences about wilderness too: either it’s a vast and beautiful wonder, or it’s a challenging and desolate landscape to be viewed from afar.
Wilderness for the Jews, however, would conjure up a very different image. The image wouldn’t be of camping, as much as one of journeying. It wouldn’t be of picture windows in mountain lodges, but of years looking out of tent flaps. For them, the idea of wilderness would bring up images of Moses and the exodus.
Moses’ wilderness experience came earlier. Moses was led into the wilderness after killing the Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave. The wilderness for Moses became a place of refuge, until the day he saw a burning bush. Suddenly the wilderness became a place of calling, a place where God spoke, and he had the choice to answer. Out of the place of calling, the wilderness became once again a place of refuge, not just for Moses this time but also for the Hebrew people, who fled the oppression of the Egyptians.
In that same wilderness God spoke again, through the Ten Commandments, calling his people to be a people of covenant relationship with him and with one another. The wilderness also became a place of provision, where the children of Israel were fed manna and quail, where water poured from rocks. This wild and untamed wilderness, however, was not just a place of refuge, of calling, and of provision. It was also a place of great temptation.
Around every corner the children of Israel were tempted to forsake the God who was performing miracles before them. They erected statues to worship, they grumbled about the food, they complained about the water. Ultimately, when they were told to take the promised land, they fell into the temptation of not trusting God, and they were forced to wander the wilderness for forty years.
These forty years of temptation and trial, of hope and promise, are what we see reflected in these forty days of Jesus’s wilderness journey. It is a time when he too finds refuge, calling, temptation, and provision in the midst of the wild.
We begin with the ...
A. Wilderness as a Refuge
A. Wilderness as a Refuge
It is interesting that most would feel the wilderness a place to be avoided and yet it is the wilderness where we find Jesus predecessor John the Baptist.
1. John the Baptist, was a wild man who lived in the wilderness and prepared the way for the people to meet the Messiah Luke 3:3-4
1. John the Baptist, was a wild man who lived in the wilderness and prepared the way for the people to meet the Messiah Luke 3:3-4
Luke 3 talks of his coming and his works among the people, pointing to Isaiah’s prophecy which gives us the image of crooked paths being made straight.
Our lives can be crazy winding this way and that way, making it difficult to know the right path to navigate. However, in Jesus we see the straight path to salvation. He makes our paths straight if only we will listen. So we find that...
i. The wilderness is not something we must avoid but is the place where we meet God.
i. The wilderness is not something we must avoid but is the place where we meet God.
He demonstrates the way for us, the path we all need to take. We all make our beginning in the wilderness. I cannot remember a single person who has followed Christ who does not share their beginning in a wilderness experience. The wilderness is not a place to fear because the...
ii. Wilderness is not just a place of barrenness; it is a place of promise.
ii. Wilderness is not just a place of barrenness; it is a place of promise.
If we look back at all the various adventures through the wilderness; Abraham, Moses, the Children of Israel, King David and Jesus, we find that it is always in the wilderness where God’s promises are shared. That is why...
2. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads Jesus into the wilderness.
2. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads Jesus into the wilderness.
God always has a plan and God has something He wishes to accomplish in Jesus’ life before He sends Him into ministry. To best understand Jesus’ ministry and preparation to be called, we need to look to the books of 2 Corinthians and Hebrews for a moment. The first thing we need to understand is that…
i. Everyone experiences temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13
i. Everyone experiences temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
For this reason, God provided us with priests by which to make atonement for us.
ii. The priests were to have compassion for people because of their own experiences with temptation. Hebrews 5:1-4
ii. The priests were to have compassion for people because of their own experiences with temptation. Hebrews 5:1-4
Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
However, no matter how much the priests cared about the people, nor how often they made sacrifices, more sacrifices were required. The sacrifices offered by the priests were never perfect enough to complete the task. So, God had a more perfect solution. He sent His Son to be the perfect priest and to make the perfect sacrifice. Which brings us to our next point.
iii. For Jesus to be our sin offering and our High Priest, He needed to experience the same temptations we all experience and overcome them. Hebrews 4:14-16
iii. For Jesus to be our sin offering and our High Priest, He needed to experience the same temptations we all experience and overcome them. Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
This is the calling of God upon Jesus and this is why He had to experience the wilderness.
Yet Jesus does not enter the wilderness alone. God set his Spirit upon Jesus when Jesus was baptized and the first thing the Spirit does is to lead Jesus into the wilderness because...
B. The Wilderness is a place of beginning.
B. The Wilderness is a place of beginning.
Jesus is following in the path of those who have gone before him. Abraham was called to leave Ur and travel to Canaan. Moses fled Egypt by running into the wilderness, and later returned for the Israelites who then journeyed through the wilderness as well.
King David alluded Saul’s murderous rampage by escaping to the wilderness and even John the Baptist dwelt there. So, we find that the wilderness is a place of beginning. Once in the wilderness we see...
1. Jesus fasts for forty days while in the wilderness.
1. Jesus fasts for forty days while in the wilderness.
Fasting is another place of beginning when seeking the will of God. Moses fasted for forty days and nights (Deuteronomy 9:9) as he prepared for the revelation of God on the stone tablets. Fasting in the Old Testament was often preparation for divine revelation. Forty appears to have some importance as it is used 146 times in the scriptures, and there were others who fasted for 40 days.
i. The fasting of Moses and Jesus parallel each other in such a way that it is clear that this is a time of preparation for a divine revelation.
i. The fasting of Moses and Jesus parallel each other in such a way that it is clear that this is a time of preparation for a divine revelation.
Like Moses, Jesus is specifically seeking to hear from God. Of course, this was not the only time Jesus pulled away from people to hear from God, but this one is particularly significant since it was at the beginning and for a full 40-days. Like Moses and Jesus...
2. We too can find refuge and beginnings in the wilderness.
2. We too can find refuge and beginnings in the wilderness.
However, we often resist these places. We feel inconvenienced by them. We are often fearful of what God will ask of us in such places. However, when we lean into the wilderness, we often find that...
i. Our fear is removed and the wilderness becomes a place refuge and spiritual formation.
i. Our fear is removed and the wilderness becomes a place refuge and spiritual formation.
Such wilderness experiences may consist of job losses, times of illness, family difficulties, any time that something happens to upset the equilibrium of our lives can be considered wilderness experiences. My first real experience with the wilderness of this sort was a tough job assignment. I worked in a corporate office that was demanding both of time and interpersonal relationships. The overtime required was atrocious, the work load overwhelming, and the conflict within the office untenable. Yet as I prayed to be released from this assignment I felt God calling me to stay. I did not understand and it was not uncommon for me to go home in tears. Little did I know in that moment, that it was this wilderness where I would receive my call into ministry and God was already training me for the job. It was in this wilderness place where I was also learning to live daily in God’s presence in order to survive. God became my refuge in that wilderness. However, I have also just mentioned the next important fact about the wilderness. So, let us look at the...
C. Wilderness as a Place of Calling.
C. Wilderness as a Place of Calling.
You see, it is usually within the wilderness refuge that people hear God directing them to what He would have them to do. It is difficult to hear God within the context of every day life, but when wilderness times come, people often draw nearer to God out of desire or necessity to survive. In that desire to hear from God, a person is better poised to hear from God.
1. Jesus comes out of His wilderness declaring His calling.
1. Jesus comes out of His wilderness declaring His calling.
Within the context of this entire chapter, it is apparent that Jesus is being led into public ministry by the way of this wilderness experience. He has come to hear from God in preparation for ministry. He has availed Himself to God by pulling away alone to better hear what God would wish to instruct. We know this is what is occurring since He comes out of the wilderness declaring that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him to preach.
i. We are brought back to images of Moses being called to free the children of Israel as we see Jesus called into the desert by the Holy Spirit.
i. We are brought back to images of Moses being called to free the children of Israel as we see Jesus called into the desert by the Holy Spirit.
Whereas Moses was to free the Children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, Jesus is called to free all God’s children from the bondage of sin. And aren’t we glad He did that!
ii. We often find our call in the wilderness.
ii. We often find our call in the wilderness.
I mentioned the corporate office that was my wilderness experience. I worked in that office for 6 years, but it was in the last couple years that I heard the call and began to understand the purpose of this wilderness journey. You see, in that corporate office I learned to be strong. I was trained for leadership. I learned how to organize my work load to make the most of it under overwhelming demands. I learned how to work with and supervise people in projects. I especially learned how to work with difficult people! Yes, this can be an important part of ministry! :-)
Finding refuge and receiving a call from God are positive experiences, even in the midst of difficulties. However, God is not the only one who seeks us in the wilderness. The enemy also seeks us there and God allows it as it is a time of testing. So, let’s consider the...
D. Wilderness as a Place of Testing.
D. Wilderness as a Place of Testing.
You can bet that where God is calling us, the enemy is waiting to distract us. Jesus is the Son of God yet...
1. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness.
1. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness.
This might be the most obvious role of the wilderness: Jesus is there to be tempted. You see even temptation serves a purpose. For Jesus, it was an important part of His call as He needed to overcome it to be our Savior. During this time, He probably experienced the same kinds of frustrations we often do. Things like our minds wandering when we desire to focus on prayer. Perhaps discomfort in those moments when He wanted to sleep. By the time the 40 days were coming to a close, Jesus probably felt pretty good. He would be on a spiritual high by this time. Forty day fasts often lead to a sense of euphoria. He would be feeling good about the things that took place at his baptism and the nearness to His heavenly Father over the past weeks. Now, His fast is coming to an end.
It is interesting that it is in this moment when Satan makes his appearance. I am sure he was around that entire time, seeding doubt and distraction. However, he was waiting for Jesus to be at His weakest before becoming more bold. Jesus was feeling very hungry by this point. It had been 40 days and He was probably beginning to feel distracted by a longing to see family and friends. When we are alone that long, our need for others becomes intense (TV show Alone). Jesus was ready to move on and then there he is. Satan himself, confronting Jesus. Satan thinks he is in charge, however, he plays right into God’s hands as he tempts Jesus in the same three ways we are all tempted. He begins with our...
i. Physical Need Matthew 4:3-4; Luke 4:3-4
i. Physical Need Matthew 4:3-4; Luke 4:3-4
Jesus is tempted to meet immediate felt needs on his own and in his own way, by turning stones to bread. Satan literally taunts Jesus that the Father has not provided for Him, so what is wrong with providing for Himself? He can step out of those people shoes long enough to do the God thing and provide for Himself. However...
a. Jesus understands that our spiritual life is more important than our temporary physical wellbeing. Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4
a. Jesus understands that our spiritual life is more important than our temporary physical wellbeing. Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4
There is a lot of difficult struggles coming and if Jesus does not resist Satan here and now, how will He ever learn to do the same later as things get harder? How many times have we compromised things in our life thinking, “this is a little thing that doesn’t matter?” How many times do we let our self talk persuade us that something is an innocent little side trek? Only, that self talk is not usually us but a demon leading us down the path of self provision. If Jesus had accepted Satan’s challenge in that moment, we would all be lost eternally. I am thankful He stayed the course and we each need to remember that when we are tempted in the area of our physical needs or desires.
Jesus is next tempted with...
ii. Justify Yourself Matthew 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12
ii. Justify Yourself Matthew 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12
Do something amazing! Jump off this ledge and watch the angels flock to rescue you! It is interesting that in this instance, Satan misquotes Psalm 91. God does not promise to rescue us when we do something stupid. God is not a dog and pony show. Many times people urged Jesus to prove Himself by doing something spectacular. That is what happened in Nazareth. They said, “show us all the amazing things we have heard you perform in other places!” However, Jesus is not a performer. When He acts it is due to the Holy Spirit’s leading and in acts of compassion. It was never for show! You see,
a. Jesus understands that we should not test God by taking action to justify ourselves. Instead we should trust in the power of God, instead of our own power. Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12
a. Jesus understands that we should not test God by taking action to justify ourselves. Instead we should trust in the power of God, instead of our own power. Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12
God always has the power, influence and means to use us according to His purpose. When we seek to justify or prove ourselves,we are taking matters out of God’s hands and into our own, ultimately playing right into Satan’s hands.
The third temptation was to gain...
iii. Political Power Matthew 4:8-10; Luke 4:5-8
iii. Political Power Matthew 4:8-10; Luke 4:5-8
In a moments time, Satan shows Jesus all the powers of the world and the glory that goes with it and offers it to Jesus. Do not think Satan doesn’t have supernatural powers. He does and we are told, that he showed it all to Jesus in a flicker of time. We do not know if this was a vision of the mind or literally a movie in front of Jesus. It always makes me think of Star Trek episode when they faced an open rock that showed history moving by in front of them. However it happened, Satan was offering Jesus power and means to escape God’s plan. Satan would give Jesus authority if Jesus would only worship him instead of God. However,
a. Jesus understands that God alone is the one owed all glory and honor. Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8; Phil 2:5-7
a. Jesus understands that God alone is the one owed all glory and honor. Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8; Phil 2:5-7
Satan thought for sure this would attract Jesus, because it attracted him. This was Satan’s issue. So often we expect others to respond to the same things we would respond to. However, this is what set Jesus apart from Satan. Jesus loves God and has no desire to usurp God. Jesus is content in who He is.
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
We need to be content with who God has made us to be and where he places us. If we are content with that, Satan has less leverage over us. Just as Jesus experienced temptation in the wilderness...
2. We also will face temptations in the wilderness.
2. We also will face temptations in the wilderness.
We should not be surprised by this, but we should anticipate it. We can usually count that it will come when we are at are weakest. Times when we are tired, hungry, or frustrated. Or times when we are feeling really good, particularly after a spiritual moment of success. However, in these times, Jesus is our example and our power in overcoming temptations.
i. We can learn to stand firm against temptation through the power of Christ. Hebrews 4:15
i. We can learn to stand firm against temptation through the power of Christ. Hebrews 4:15
Christ knows and understands what it takes to stand firm in times of temptation. Look at Hebrews 4:15.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Having experienced it Himself, Jesus is the best person to help us. Not only do we have His example, but if we have received Him as our Savior, we have His Spirit living within us giving us the power we need to overcome temptation.
We also learn by His example that...
ii. Knowledge of Scripture is another powerful tool against temptation.
ii. Knowledge of Scripture is another powerful tool against temptation.
Satan is a master deceiver. However, it is hard to deceive someone who is well versed in truth. God’s Word is truth! It helps us understand all we need to, to give us the desire to stand in truth, and the knowledge to speak truth.
When our testing time ends, we should not expect that our times of temptation have come to an end. Satan recognizes when a battle is lost, but he has not given up the war. Luke 4:13 says,
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
This time in the wilderness was intense, but Satan will continue to hound Jesus the rest of His days here on earth. Satan even uses those closest to Jesus to do so. Who can forget Jesus words to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan...”.
Now, there is one final thing I want us to see about the Wilderness experience. I want us to recognize the...
E. Wilderness as a Place of Confirmation. Matthew 4:11
E. Wilderness as a Place of Confirmation. Matthew 4:11
In Matthew’s account of this event, he says this.
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
As difficult as the wilderness can be, it is also the place we often find confirmation and grow in our confidence of God’s calling. In this account, we find that in the midst of the temptations, who Jesus is, is being reconfirmed.
If you have ever had a strong call from God to do something, you understand that there are times in the beginning when we doubt that call. It is an odd feeling. On one hand we believe it, yet on the other it seems so unbelievable, and we think, “is this really possible? Am I just imagining this?” I wonder if Jesus did not have those same doubts from time to time in the beginning. Remember when He was 12 years old? In the temple He seemed so confident of who He was and where He belonged. As children, we usually have strong convictions. However, as we grow, we experience failures that chip away at our convictions and we become hesitant to be as outspoken about our conviction. When Jesus was baptized, we see God affirming the truth when He said,
and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
Now Jesus is in the wilderness and Satan is saying, “if you are the Son of God...”. I believe Satan knew the truth, but he was putting Jesus to the test. He is either sowing doubt, or he is goading Jesus to take actions to prove Himself. Jesus has been raised by human beings. He has lived as a human child. He literally is a human child! And Satan insinuates that perhaps Jesus has misunderstood. However, Jesus never denies that he is the Son of God; Nor does He rise to prove Himself, rather, he reiterates that he is a humble servant devoted to the worship and service of God. In so doing, He grows stronger and more confident in who He is.
There are several ways in which God ministers to Jesus confirming His identity and His call throughout this encounter in the wilderness.
1. In the midst of the wilderness, Jesus’ needs were met.
1. In the midst of the wilderness, Jesus’ needs were met.
Satan had insinuated to Jesus that His needs were not being met. That is why he encouraged Jesus to make bread for Himself out of the rock. However, God had not overlooked Jesus’ need. God was waiting for the right time. When that time came, God provided bountifully through His angels.
This compares to the needs of the children of Israel in the wilderness; they did not need to leave the wilderness to be cared for. God cared for them even in the midst of the wilderness. They were provided manna, water, quail. God took care of their needs. Another action on God’s part that brought confirmation was...
2. Jesus was given strength and words in the midst of His temptations.
2. Jesus was given strength and words in the midst of His temptations.
God does not allow us to flounder. His Holy Spirit works in our life providing us the words to say. When these moments happen, they strengthen us in our conviction giving further confirmation that we are in God’s will.
There are many stories of Christians standing before their accusers who have been given incredible wisdom in what to say. Several years ago, I read of a woman put on trial for her faith. She had no experience or education, yet she served as her own attorney. Like Jesus, the court brought forward false witnesses, but God directed this young woman with wise words that made her accusers look foolish. She was continually able to demonstrate their accusations were false.
3. God provides for us in the wilderness as well, and it gives confirmation to our calls.
3. God provides for us in the wilderness as well, and it gives confirmation to our calls.
We often think of the wilderness as a wasteland, but we are reminded through this text that God does not abandon us even in the midst of the wilderness. We usually walk away from the wilderness with wonderful confirmation of God’s call. For Jesus, the angels attending to His needs was Him all the final confirmation He needed.
At the end of my wilderness journey, I knew God was calling me to go to the Nazarene Bible College. Before I took any action, I found they had been provided references for me and mailed me applications, my home sold within a week, and the corporate office presented me with an incredible letter of recommendation that opened doors of employment for several years to come.
Conclusion:
The wilderness cannot be avoided, as much as we might try. I actually expect that the coming years will produce many wilderness experiences for all of us. We will either face them with God and grow in our spiritual walk, or we will fall away from God. However, if we choose now to walk intentionally into those experiences with God, we need not fear the wilderness. God will provide for us in the wilderness just as He did for Israel, and just as He did for Jesus. Even more, we now have Jesus on our side.
Because Jesus overcame His time of testing, we can all now have confidence in our salvation and in our final outcome after all our testing. We never face it alone, but we face it with internal power and strength because the Spirit of Christ is now within us. When Adam faced his temptation, he was living the good life. All things were available and provided for him. There really was no need for him to have want or to strive for anything. However, when Jesus experienced temptation, he felt the pull of a sinful nature from within. There was plenty of need and want around Him. His temptation would have been far greater than that felt by Adam, yet He overcame. It is that same Spirit of Christ that lives within each person who has given their life to Christ. It is that same Spirit of Christ, who will carry each of us past the finish line into eternity. Our confidence isn’t in ourselves, but is in He who lives within us.
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