Mark 1:11-13

Mark 1:11-13  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”  At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan.  He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. 

Luke 4:1-2  Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

We see as Jesus came up from the water of baptism, God affirmed him as his beloved Son, yet at once the Spirit sent him out into a desolate and lonely place to be tempted in body, mind, and spirit.  In the desert the Devil meets Jesus, promising him the ultimate aspirations of rulers and kings: to control all the earthly elements, to have power and authority, to be protected from harm.  As He struggles with the temptations of the Devil, Jesus is also exposed to the compelling needs of the body: food, shelter, and drink.  As Jesus struggles with the Devil and fleshly needs, He adamantly asserts his allegiance to God's authority in his life by using the Word of God against the Devil's claims and assertions: “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’” “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”  “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”  (Luke 4:4,8, & 10-11)  Jesus did not resist the devil with his own words but with the written Word of God as an example to all that He came in the name of his Father, God.  Jesus' baptism at Jordan meant that He was all in for his Father's purposes.  His biological needs and personal success or failure would not hinder him from fulfilling his Father's will.  He put his trust in the knowledge that God had a purpose for him to fulfill.  He knew He could trust in the steadfast love of the Lord.  He knew God was pleased with him and would lead him through every desert and every valley.  Jesus could not be tempted by the false promises of Satan because He recognized him as an adversary.  The Holy Spirit within Jesus guided him at all times and gave him power to resist the devil and to trust his Father.  

As with his forty days and forty nights in the desert, Jesus would live every day regardless of his personal needs or desires as an uncompromising Light in a dark and dismal world of sin.  He would contest the Devil at every front.  Often, He would be tempted by the people around him to avoid his journey to the cross. As the Devil tried to do, people would try to persuade him to seek the fame and comforts of the world.  Many clamored for him to be the king of Israel, to help throw off the yoke of Roman oppression.  For a time his apostles probably thought they were on the fast track to fame as long as they stuck to this Jesus, this strong leader who could work miracles and attract large crowds.  But Jesus kept talking about servanthood, not fame, fortune, or ruling power.  Finally, Judas the deceiver realized his "leader" was not going to be the "lord" of the secular world.  Hence, thirty pieces of silver was a good pay off to betray this ambitionless leader.  As Jesus journeyed through this world, He could have easily fulfilled Satan's desires for him: winning the affection of the masses and ruling over the kingdoms of the world.  He was in position for rulership, for He had healed the people, delivered them from demons, raised them from the dead, fed them when they hungered.  For many, Jesus was the answer to their problems, especially the sick, maimed, poor, and powerless.  Satan's message in the desert was a reality every day for Jesus, always present with him.  All he had to do was compromise a little by feeding fleshly desires.  But He did not come to compromise with the flesh, with evil.   He did not come for self-adgrandizment.  Instead, He came to release people from bondage, to set captives free.  He came to suffer and to die on the cross.  He came to make men and women righteous before the Father as new creatures in Christ their Savior.  He came to bring adopted brothers and sisters into the family of God.  As Jesus proclaimed when He read from Isaiah in the Temple: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  (Luke 4:18-19)  Praise the precious and lovely name of Jesus!

Have you ever experienced a desert, a place of unyielding temptation?  Have you ever in the midst of a maelstrom found yourself so weak that you needed angels to minister to you?  Such times test your will, your baptism of repentance, your commitment to the family, your "all-in" attitude.  God asks you to make up your mind for him by stepping out in faith: He says, Will you trust me and believe me regardless of the circumstances?  Will you say, "I will rest in God's will and not my own.  I know the path I have marked for myself is easier and more rewarding, but  I will follow him."  If you have not committed fully to your Lord, you are still dealing with a double-minded personality as a child of God.  A double-minded person may appear very religious outwardly, but  when the pressures come or when the Lord asks for a full surrender, the cracks in the foundation of the house of faith are evident.  We read in James 1:8 that a double-minded person is unstable in all he does.  Such instability leads to doubt, anxiety, fear, and unbelief.  Remember, Jesus was tempted every day of his life not to follow his Father's will.  Even at the last we see him asking the Father if the cup of the crucifixion could be removed, but He did not flinch or waver.  His desire to please his Father was cemented in the desert experience.  He would follow God regardless of the situation.  As Job said, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.  (Job 13:15)   Dear friends, are you determined to do God's will regardless?  If today, you have been led to the desert by God, make up your mind to serve him regardless, to hear his voice, and to follow his plan for your life.  If you do so, eternal life and a fountain of God's blessing will be yours throughout eternity.  When Jesus told his disciples He had to go away, He said He would send the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, to abide with them and to teach them all things.  Then He said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  (John 14:27)  Fear not dear ones: we are not alone.