Making it God's Way

(Matthew 4: 1-11 below)

Jesus is baptized, God speaks His favor of the event and immediately, Jesus is carried into the wilderness. A little aside here....Have you ever noticed when you are really trying to do your best to follow Christ, the most ridiculous, trying, ungodly temptations, trials and stresses enter your life? Satan knows we often tie our feelings and emotions to our faith, and if the devil beats on us enough, he knows we might give up. Take heart, if the devil isn't trying to bring you down, he's already got you and knows he doesn't have to stress you.

Jesus is in the wilderness and the devil tempts Him in the most basic ways. Feed your flesh. Feed your need for immortality. Feed your thirst for power. Who doesn't want to be fed? Who doesn't want to live forever? Who doesn't want to have power and influence? Let's look closer into what Jesus is rejecting in the devil's temptations.

Satan finds a hungry, 40 day fasted Jesus. Satan tells Him - if you are who they say you are, let me see you "do your stuff." I know you're hungry, there's no food - make some food so you can eat. I know you can. Jesus knows that He can make the food, but He looks deeper into what is going on. Jesus tells the devil - I don't need food, I need the word of God. My body doesn't need food, My Spirit needs nourishment! Later in the New Testament, we hear further from Jesus: Seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be added to you. He gets the priorities right and doesn't abuse the power He has.

When the devil sees the temptation of the flesh won't work, Jesus is tempted to try the word of God. To tempt God, as it would be. How many times have many people we known or heard of been brought low by thinking they can participate in or be involved or entrapped into the ways of the world? Jesus sees the danger in the tempting of fate, the sampling of the devil's ways and doesn't tempt His soul with the suggestions of the evil one. In the Lord's prayer, we see lead us not into temptation - do not put yourself where you do not belong. Christians have no business dealing with the devil's playthings.

Then when the great liar sees he's about to lose, he gives Jesus the ultimate ultimatum - give up who you are, your being, your connection to God; worship the devil and everything will be given to Jesus. No way, not today, not tomorrow. Jesus doesn't trade today's power for eternity's promise.

So let's do as Jesus did. Let's face the evil one and the evil of this world with fasting and prayer. Know the Word of God and the promises of the Word. Feed your soul and your other needs will be fulfilled. Do not play around with evil, don't even be led toward temptation. The body is weak as many writers have said. Lean on the truth of God and follow His ways. And finally, keep your eyes on the eternal prize. Don't give up forever placing all your hopes on today and its futile, temporary promises.

1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"
5Then 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.'[b]"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]"
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'[d]"
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Making God Proud

(Matthew 3: 13 - 17 below)

As I had written in my last posting, people were all coming out to John, showing repentance and being cleansed by baptism. Jesus goes out to His cousin to get the same baptism. Isn't this peculiar when you think of it? God in the flesh who needs no purification, no washing, no cleansing asks for baptism - the outward sign of a cleansed heart that is willing to repent. Why did He do it? I think it was to show that although He was God, at this moment, He was a man, and as any man needed to show His responsibility in the faith - to show the outward sign of cleansing. To show us that rituals and rites do have meaning. To link a physical action with a godly reason. To bring an activity on earth and connect it to a heavenly purpose. You see, I don't think Jesus was saying - I need the baptism to make me pure, He was saying, I need the baptism just as any man would that is to continue in the work of God. John is as humble as always when it comes to Christ - John states that not only is he not fit to baptize Jesus, that Jesus needs to baptize him. Jesus, knowing His calling and also knowing John's purpose, says no, Jesus must be baptized. And what happens when he does? He receives immediate fatherly approval from God. Not only does He receive approval, He gets the affirmation that what He was called to do is what God is pleased with.

We all have callings from God everyday to do things to link earthly action into heavenly purpose. I have not read the book, but it's out there entitled "Every Bush is Burning". From what I understand it's a metaphor of all the places, times and things that God uses to get our attention and call us for His purpose. What bushes have you seen lately that are burning? What things have you seen that God pulls you to so that you can pull the ordinary into the supernatural, the worldly into the godly, the earth into heaven? Let's all look around for those callings, doing those things that tie us to eternal servant hood to God. And we will find, God's spirit settling on us like a beautiful dove and hear His voice stating His love and approval to us. What better way to live can we find than in serving others in a heavenly purpose and hearing God say that He is pleased.


13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
15Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."