EmmDev 2021-03-31 [Lent2021] Mother Tongue

Mother Tongue

Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. (Time was measured from sunrise and so Jesus was crucified at the 3rd hour (about 9AM))

At the 6th hour (about midday) darkness covered the land until the 9th hour. This darkness represented the time in which Jesus experienced separation from God. This was the penalty for my sin and yours. God's wrath is complete separation from Him.

Imagine what that was like for Jesus. As part of the Trinity, He had experienced eternal and perfect love and communion with the Father and Spirit. Now on the cross, He is separated from the Spirit and the Father.

In this gut-and-heart-wrenching moment Jesus does two incredible things.

Firstly he quotes from Psalm 22 which starts "My God my God why have you forsaken me..." If someone on their deathbed says "Our Father who art in heaven..." we would say they prayed the Lord's prayer on their deathbed. If someone says "The Lord is my shepherd..." we would say that they recited Psalm 23. Jesus, by quoting the first line of Ps.22, is therefore connecting to the whole of the Psalm which is an exploration of the pain of unjust suffering and God's ultimate deliverance. If we ever wondered whether God understands our pain, this Psalm and the fact that Jesus had it on His lips on the cross should cancel all our doubts.

Secondly, Jesus quotes the Psalm in Aramaic. This is His "mother tongue" - the language He was first taught as a child and the language He grew up with. When we are pushed to the limits of our humanity, we go back to our earliest memories and language. We tend to talk about the cross as though it was a tea-party. Jesus, in this moment of intense pain and suffering, is pushed back to his "mother tongue". It should fill us with incredible awe and wonder that we would be loved SO much.

It's important to note that Jesus isn't surprised or caught off guard here. It's not as though He didn't know what was going to happen. Some interpret "Why have you forsaken me?" as a moment of desperate pain. Although the pain takes Jesus back to "mother tongue", He is not surprised or "out of His mind with pain". He deliberately alludes to Psalm 22 and faces separation with the clear hope that God will deliver him.

Psalm 22 ends with "They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn--for he has done it.

Jesus at the 9th hours says "It is FINISHED!" (I have done it).

HALLELUJAH!!!

(I've included the full Psalm 22 below...)

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"       (Mark15:33-34)

PS 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.
4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him--
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn--
for he has done it.

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EmmDev 2021-03-30 [Lent2021] An Act of Beauty

An Act of Beauty

It seems there may be two or maybe even three occasions where Jesus was anointed:

The first anointing is recorded in Luke 7 and takes place in Galilee in the middle of Jesus public ministry where Jesus is invited to the home of Simon, a Pharisee. Simon was very rude to him and didn't even offer Jesus an opportunity to wash His feet which was what hospitality norms suggested. It seems that in response to Simon's rudeness, a sinful woman came and washed Jesus' feet anointing them with perfume and drying them with her hair. Jesus used the moment to talk about gratitude for being forgiven.

The second anointing is recorded in John 12 and took place in Bethany, Judea, at the home of Mary, Martha and the resurrected Lazarus, just before the Triumphal Entry . It is Mary of Bethany, Lazarus' sister, who once sat at Jesus' feet while her sister Martha fussed in the kitchen, who now anointed His feet with perfume and it is fitting that the King would be anointed before riding into Jerusalem.

The (possible) third anointing also takes place in Bethany, but at the home of Simon the Leper (not the same Simon as Luke 7) and Jesus is anointed by an unnamed woman who pours perfume from an alabaster jar over his head (and not just his feet). In Matthew 26 and Mark 14 this takes place on the Tuesday or Wednesday night of Holy Week. While this may be a variation of the account we have in John 12, it is still possible that it is in fact a third anointing before Jesus goes to the cross.

There is so much to say about this beautiful passage...

• One could talk about the broken alabaster jar which was probably part of the woman's wedding dowry
• One could also talk about her generosity compared to the scarcity mentality of those who were indignant at the "waste of perfume".
• And one could talk about the comfort that she must have brought to Jesus in this tender act.

But the thought that stays with me is that the scent of this perfume, so lavishly poured out, would have permeated Jesus' nostrils as He sweated in the Garden of Gethsemane. The soldiers would have smelt it as they pushed the thorny crown into His scalp and whipped Him. I imagine the soldier who put the sign above his head would have caught a whiff of it too.

They say that smells and scents are very evocative, we remember scents and they take us back to the moment where we first smelt them. This is a scent of beauty in the midst of brutality and pain and humiliation.

Jesus brings peace and beauty and His Presence into our lives when we experience stress, brutality, pain and humiliation.

In 2Corinthians2:14 Paul reminds the Corinthians that we are the fragrance of Christ. May our lives be a moment of beauty in a deeply troubled world...

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. 6 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."      (Mark14:3-9)

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EmmDev 2021-03-26 [Lent2021] Triumphal Entry (4) ... Awe

Triumphal Entry (4) ... Awe

There are four moments in our Scripture reading today:

Moment1: Jesus, having been truly recognised by the crowds as He entered Jerusalem, arrives at the temple ... and it is a great disappointment... But it is late and so He leaves... I imagine He spent a difficult night pondering what He had seen. I would not be surprised if He was brought to tears again just as He had been when coming into Jerusalem.

Moment2: The next morning, Jesus having "slept on it", heads for the temple, but spots a leafy fig tree. Although it was not the season for figs, it was spring and the tree should have been full of little "pre-fig-buds" (which were edible) and would be the promise of the harvest of figs to come. This tree, although very leafy, had no evidence of figs to come. Its leafiness was an empty promise, not unlike the temple: bustling with activity but devoid of fruit. Jesus curses the tree - giving us some idea of what He feels about the temple.

Moment3: Jesus, having considered what He had seen overnight and telegraphing His thoughts at the fig tree, arrives at the temple and shows His Holy Displeasure. This is not a "temper-tantrum" - it is a clear demonstration of righteousness and authority. There are two key issues at stake here: His primary concern is that there is now no place for Gentiles to pray, because the traders and money-changers had occupied their space. The secondary concern is the corruptness of the "temple trade". So Jesus preaches a sermon with actions. The question I have is: "Where were the temple bouncers?" With all the trading going on, there must have been significant security measures. I can only believe that Jesus' holiness and authority shone so brightly in this moment that no-one could confront the "holy fire" that blazed in Him.

Moment4: The next day they found the tree withered to its roots. This is confirmation of Jesus' authority and also a picture of the future destruction of the temple in 70AD. What should have been a "light to the nations" and a place that the "nations would stream to" had become an exclusive club that blocked out the nations and generated a tainted income for a select manipulative religious mafia. There is a deep an profound sense of Justice that pervades this parable-in-action.

These four moments reveal a great deal about Jesus:

• He isn't "losing His temper" - His actions are deliberate and considered.
• He is profoundly concerned about justice and about those who are excluded.
• His authority is significant.

There is a line in an Andrew Peterson song about the crucifixion that is appropriate here: "Was it the fury of His anger or the fury of His love?" I think these four moments beautifully display the "fury of His love."

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it 'a den of robbers!' " 18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, they went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.      (Mark11:11-18)

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EmmDev 2021-03-25 [Lent2021] Triumphal Entry (3) ... Tears???

Triumphal Entry (3) ... Tears???

The Triumphal Entry is recorded in all four Gospels.

Matthew sees it as a fulfilment of prophecy and notes how Jesus healed many blind and lame in the temple courts. (Healing the blind was a sign of the Messiah). Matthew also notes that there were children singing praises in the temple - and when the Pharisees complain, Jesus comments: "have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" (A quote from Psalm 8)

Mark makes it clear that although Jesus visited the temple on Palm Sunday, it was only on Monday morning that he overturned the tables of the money changers and sacrifice sellers. This negates the argument that Jesus lost His temper in the temple. His actions were deliberate and focussed. The space that the traders and money-changers were in was the Court of the Gentiles. It was the only place in the temple where a non-Jew could go to pray. His desire and passion was that all could come to the Father.

John's account of the triumphal entry emphasises His Mission. Jesus makes it clear he is going to die for doing the Father's will: "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." (John 12:23-24). As He asks God to be glorified in Him, the Father answers: "I have glorified it and will glorify it again." - A clear sign pointing to the resurrection.

But Luke, who gives the most detailed account, brings us an unusual insight. In the midst of the crowd crying Hosanna and the in the midst of the joyful and hopeful celebrations, Jesus weeps over the city. He weeps over their fickleness and unfaithfulness, over their shallow commitment and their bondage to darkness. He weeps because they will call for His crucifixion and take Him to the cross. He weeps over their brokenness and warns that even the faithful can harden their hearts...

This is why He goes to the cross...

What do you see as we draw near to Holy Week?

• A Healer - More than a Man - heading to fulfil all the promises and bring us healing?
• A Passionate Saviour - Overturning tables so that we can be with God?
• The Son of God doing what the Father wants?
• A Son of God who loves us and weeps for us?

May we see Jesus in all His compassion, love and glory this Holy Week.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.      (Luke19:41-42)

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EmmDev 2021-03-24 [Lent2021] Triumphal Entry (2)

Triumphal Entry (2)

Mark's Donkey Obsession

While his gospel is known for its brevity and conciseness, Mark goes into a lot of detail on the donkey of the triumphal entry.

So what's the deal with the donkey?
I think there are three key lessons...

1. The donkey symbolised peace. We have a fairly low view of donkeys but the Ancient Near East saw them more positively. The foal of the donkey was the mode of transport for the elderly or children. It would be the mount chosen by a prophet or a wise hermit. It was also the chosen mount of a victorious king. He would ride it into the city he had conquered. The message was clear: "The fight is over - I am victorious!" Riding a donkey was not the declaration of war. It was a statement of the certainty of peace. By riding in on a donkey on the Sunday, Jesus was showing what the outcome of Good Friday would be: Peace with God.
   
   
2. The donkey hadn't been ridden. It was like he'd been set apart for his first job which was to carry the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Priestly items are often consecrated (set apart) and so the donkey reminds us that Jesus is our Great High Priest who offered the perfect sacrifice for our sins... He rides
   this unridden donkey into Jerusalem and into our lives. He is God with us!
   
   
3. Some scholars suggest that the interchange with the donkey was a prearranged meeting with codewords and passwords like we see in spy movies. Others (and I agree with them) suggest that God softened the hearts of the donkey's owners in the heat of the moment. This means that the donkey's owners became participants in Jesus' mission. The donkey reminds me that we also need to be ready to allow God to use our talents, possessions and time

Three great lessons from a donkey:
- Jesus came in Jerusalem confidently promising peace
- Jesus is our High Priest coming into our lives to save us
- We can participate in God's work with our "donkeys".

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, Why are you doing this?' tell him, The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' " 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.      (Mark11:1-5)

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EmmDev 2021-03-23 [Lent2021] Triumphal Entry (1)

This week we're going to look at the Triumphal Entry from a few angles...

Triumphal Entry (1)

As far as the Jews were concerned Jesus was an "unexpected" Messiah. They were longing for a political figure who would chase the Romans into the sea and establish an earthly throne in Jerusalem and set up a kingdom that the likes of David would only have dreamed about.

Then Jesus came and established a heavenly kingdom: a kingdom that Jesus told Pilate was "not of this world" (Jn18:36). Many expectations were disappointed! Some commentators have even suggested that Judas betrayed Jesus to try to force Him to show His power and reveal His majesty.

But the idea of Jesus being a different kind of Messiah is not completely unexpected... There are Old Testament prophecies that portray this aspect of Jesus coming: Isaiah portrays the Messiah as a suffering servant, bruised and broken for our iniquities. The Psalms portray a Messiah who suffers and rises from the dead. And in Zechariah we have another example of an unexpected Messiah...

What animal would one expect a coming Messiah to ride? We'd imagine great white stallion - a symbol of power, strength, and war. So one can imagine the very different message that is conveyed by riding a donkey's foal!!

The foal of the donkey is the mode of transport for the elderly or children. It would be the mount chosen by a soothsaying prophet or a wise hermit. It was also the chosen mount of a victorious king. He would ride it into the city he had conquered. The message was clear: "The fight is over - I am victorious!"

Riding a donkey was not the declaration of war. It was a statement of the certainty of peace. Palm Sunday was a week before Passover, Jerusalem was full of pilgrims, they were remembering the miraculous Exodus from Egypt and nationalistic fervour ran high... But Jesus chose a specific mode of transport on Palm Sunday as He entered Jerusalem. He was sending a crystal clear message on that day: His kingdom was not an earthly kingdom. He was not willing to go to military war to obtain peace. He came not as a Military General but as a Sacrificial Hero and He would obtain salvation by giving Himself. And in His mind the outcome and victory was certain!

This prophecy of Zechariah, made some 500 before Jesus' coming, makes it clear the Jesus was not unexpected but misunderstood. It was always His plan to bring us peace.

Rejoice greatly O Daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, Your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.      (Zechariah9:9)

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EmmDev 2021-03-19 [Lent2021] Understanding Jesus' Temptations (4)

Apologies for the missed EmmDev yesterday... 😅

Understanding Jesus' Temptations (4)

(I'm going to stretch a premise this morning - you may or may not agree with me, but bear with me, I think it is a valid and helpful interpretation...)

I wonder if Satan was talking about "kingdoms of things" or "kingdoms of people"? Did he show Jesus palaces and cities or did he show him faces of people from all over the world?

What if this temptation was not so much about earthly power but about the real stakes of Jesus Mission:
You and me.

The Psalmist affirmed "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it" but Satan is described in Ephesians 2 as "the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."
The earth is not Satan's to give, but people are.

I don't think the wealth of earth would tempt Jesus too much - He created the galaxies! But people created in His image, caught in sin and captives of Satan - that's a different matter entirely!

Could it be that Satan was saying: "Don't go to the cross - if you want these people then just bow down to me..."?

It's a temptation to take a shortcut - avoid the cross - deviate from the Father's plan - and the bait is us - people who Jesus came to seek and save - and all Jesus would have to do is bow His knee to Satan.

The consequences would have been disastrous.

The choice Jesus makes is a costly one - worshipping the Father meant the cross...

CHALLENGE: Take some time to imagine the temptation in this way and consider the clarity of focus and intensity of love that kept Jesus on track. And give thanks....!

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"      (Matthew4:8-10)

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EmmDev 2021-03-17 [Lent2021] Understanding Jesus' Temptations (3)

Understanding Jesus' Temptations (3)

Luke puts this temptation last... (An indication, possibly that Luke felt this was the most dangerous one.)

In general terms, this temptation is about being spectacular and impressive: "Jump off the temple and have the angels catch you - everyone will be amazed!" It's also about being presumptuous - expecting God to save you no matter how reckless or foolish your actions are.

For Jesus, specifically, the temptation is two-fold:
The first part of it is to take the role of the powerful political Messiah. To use power and miracles to win over the Israelites. Jumping off the temple and being caught by angels would impress the Pharisees and teachers of the law because it was the temple He leaped from and the angels would impress the masses and the military minded. This was the kind of Messiah the Israelites were desperately hoping for. It must have been so tempting to be the popular Messiah instead of the prophetic and suffering Messiah. (This temptation comes in other forms when Jesus feeds the five thousand and the crowd want to make Jesus king by force and He has to withdraw from them (John 6:15).)

The second aspect of the temptation is that it is another way to rebel against God. Jesus has been given a mission by the Father. If He were to jump from the temple (thereby, in His human state, ending His life) the Father would be 'forced' to rescue Him by commanding His angels to catch Jesus. Jesus would be thus be "naming and claiming" a promise of God, but He would be presumptuously manipulating God. It is, once again, an act of rebellious independence that would be destructive to Jesus' relationship with the Father and the Spirit.

For us, this second part of the temptation is the most real around the promise of God's forgiveness. We choose to sin - knowing that God will forgive us... This is manipulative behaviour. I'm not saying we succeed in manipulating God, but our behaviour is manipulative. (Jesus sacrifice is big enough for our brokenness)

Jesus, once again, counters the temptation by standing on the firm foundation of Scripture - the one who is "the Word" quoting from the Word - it's really Jesus asserting His true and full identity and refusing to embrace a lower standard...

CHALLENGE: Are there times that you are driven more by the need for public affirmation than the call to be a servant? Have you indulged in manipulative behaviour in your relationship with God?

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' " 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "      (Matthew4:5-7)

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EmmDev 2021-03-16 [Lent2021] Understanding Jesus' Temptations (2)

Understanding Jesus' Temptations (2)

We've known the stories of Jesus temptation since childhood:

1. Turn stones into bread
2. Jump off the temple and let the angels catch you
3. Get the world for bowing down to Satan

Over the years we've heard the explanations for these temptations.

• Stones into bread is about fleshly desires
• Jumping off the temple is about being spectacular
• Getting the world is all about power.

These explanations are not incorrect, but when one digs deeper, there is more to see...

Let's look at the first temptation:
"If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

While this temptation is about instant gratification and being driven by a base desire like hunger (and we're told that Jesus was hungry), it's also about asserting independence. Jesus' answer - in which he quotes from Deuteronomy 8:1-3 (see below) - indicates that the real issue is dependence on God and learning to wait for Him.

Satan, who was formerly one of the angels, rebelled against the Lord and persuaded a third of the angels to join him. Now He is trying to keep Jesus from the cross. He's urging Jesus to assert His independence: "Don't wait for God, don't trust God to provide, don't finish this period of fasting that the Spirit has led you to. You've got the power haven't you? You're the Son of God aren't you? When are you going to take charge of your destiny? Just tell the stones to become bread!" (Note how Satan understands Jesus' power as the Word (logos) and how he wants Jesus to speak independently.)

Satan wants Jesus to put Himself first.
He wants Him to assert His independence.
He wants him to "take charge"!

On the surface of it, independence is a good thing, but when it is the end of the road, it is a disaster - a world full of independent people would be permanent warfare.
Steven Covey correctly points out that we move from dependence to independence to interdependence. Satan himself got caught out in the lie of independence as the "be all and end all". Jesus, being part of the triune God family, understands that interdependence is what true love is and that independence would be an act of rebellion and a step backwards.
He is quite content to hear the Father's voice and rely on Him.

CHALLENGE:
Are there physical desires that you need to bring under control?
Are there "independent actions" that we have taken that are actually more about rebellion than maturity?
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Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "       (Matthew4:1-4)

Deut 8:1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

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EmmDev 2021-03-12 [Lent2021] Understanding Jesus' Temptations (1)

Understanding Jesus' Temptations (1)

Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. By doing this He identified with our sinful state even though He was sinless. His commitment to be the "sinless scapegoat" would be tested to the maximum.

Immediately after the baptism ("at once") Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to a place of solitude. This place of isolation would become a place of testing. Mark doesn't go into the temptation in detail... His quick handling of this is his way of assuring us that there is no way that Jesus' identification with our brokenness meant that He would give in to temptation.

Traditionally this period of 40 days is a time of preparation. The Spirit brought Jesus to the wilderness as preparation for the ministry He had embraced. Now it would be tested...

Remember that God doesn't tempt - Satan did the tempting and sometimes God will allow that to happen to us too. The Father knew that Jesus would resist temptation and with the power of the Spirit working in us, so should we.

When we commit ourselves to serious ministry, we will often be prompted by the Spirit to draw aside for preparation. During that time of preparation, we may be tempted to take shortcuts, grasp for power or try to be "impressive."

It is not the Spirit tempting us - it is our own sinful nature that provides the window of opportunity that the devil tries to wriggle through. The Spirit may take us to a lonely place of preparation and there we may well be tempted. It is through the Spirit's power that we must overcome.

He will send His angels to attend us too...

(Next week we'll dig into the temptations in more detail...)

CHALLENGE: Mark presents temptation as a wild and primal event. Temptations often catch us in the wilderness - when things are wild and we're off balance. Think back on your life when it has been like this... How will you handle the next time?

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.      (Mark1:12-13)

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