The Beginning of the Battle
At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and
At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and
he was in the desert 40 days, being tempted by Satan.
He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
Mark 1:12-13
"At once," Mark says, in his typically fast pace.
Jesus didn't just find Himself in the place of testing.
He was brought there by the Spirit.
It was not a random detour - an alternate path on the way to another destination.
Jesus's arrival in the wilderness was on the arranged route on His journey.
Looking Back to Genesis
Just as in the first verses of the chapter, when Mark points us back to Creation, he does so again here.
In the Creation account in Genesis, the Spirit moves over the waters and God speaks the world into existence and humanity is created.
What happens next?
Satan tempts the first human beings, Adam and Even, in the Garden of Eden.
Now here - the baptism of Jesus, with the water, and the Spirit and the voice, and a new humanity comes into the world.
And Satan arrives on the scene.
This account of the temptation of Jesus is in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Only Mark, however, tells us about the "wild animals."
At the time Mark was writing this Gospel, Christians were being thrown to wild animals as entertainment for the Romans.
They could read Mark's record and see Jesus, like Adam, experiencing an intense personal relationship with God, and then suddenly being thrown in a threatening conflict with Satan.
It must have been encouraging for those early martyrs to read Mark's words. "He was with the wild animals and angels attended him."
Mark treats Satan as a reality, not as a myth.
No comic horns sprouting on his head and no fiendish grin and no tail here - but a personal, calculating, intelligent agent of evil, intent on destroying God's people.
Mark does not give us many details, which fit his quick style. We see more detail in Matthew's account in chapter 4 of his gospel and in Luke's record, also in chapter 4, of his account.
Temptation is Personal and Specific
But it is clear that temptation is not impersonal - it is an intentional act taken by the Enemy, here with Jesus in the wilderness, as he was in the Garden with Adam and Eve, and just as he comes to us as we journey.
And temptation is not general, but specific. Satan arranges his attacks exactly where he sees we are
at risk. Adam and Eve were rebellious. Jesus was hungry.
The Bible tells us there are real forces of evil. They are complex and intelligent. Satan is the leader of these forces.
That's what we see with Adam and Eve in the Garden and also what we see here in the wilderness with Jesus. A personal, intelligent force of evil.
If You love Me.....
God created us to orbit around Him - to be centered in Him. "Don't eat the fruit of that tree," He told Adam and Eve. "Because you love Me, don't eat of that tree -- just because I told you."
"If you love Me, you will obey Me," Jesus said (John 14:23).
It was about a tree in the Garden of Eden. Obey and they would live, God said.
It was about a tree in the Garden of Gethsemane.
But that tree was a cross. Obey and You will die, God said.
It was not a random detour - an alternate path on the way to another destination.
Jesus's arrival in the wilderness was on the arranged route on His journey.
Looking Back to Genesis
Just as in the first verses of the chapter, when Mark points us back to Creation, he does so again here.
In the Creation account in Genesis, the Spirit moves over the waters and God speaks the world into existence and humanity is created.
What happens next?
Satan tempts the first human beings, Adam and Even, in the Garden of Eden.
Now here - the baptism of Jesus, with the water, and the Spirit and the voice, and a new humanity comes into the world.
And Satan arrives on the scene.
This account of the temptation of Jesus is in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Only Mark, however, tells us about the "wild animals."
At the time Mark was writing this Gospel, Christians were being thrown to wild animals as entertainment for the Romans.
They could read Mark's record and see Jesus, like Adam, experiencing an intense personal relationship with God, and then suddenly being thrown in a threatening conflict with Satan.
It must have been encouraging for those early martyrs to read Mark's words. "He was with the wild animals and angels attended him."
Mark treats Satan as a reality, not as a myth.
No comic horns sprouting on his head and no fiendish grin and no tail here - but a personal, calculating, intelligent agent of evil, intent on destroying God's people.
Mark does not give us many details, which fit his quick style. We see more detail in Matthew's account in chapter 4 of his gospel and in Luke's record, also in chapter 4, of his account.
Temptation is Personal and Specific
But it is clear that temptation is not impersonal - it is an intentional act taken by the Enemy, here with Jesus in the wilderness, as he was in the Garden with Adam and Eve, and just as he comes to us as we journey.
And temptation is not general, but specific. Satan arranges his attacks exactly where he sees we are
at risk. Adam and Eve were rebellious. Jesus was hungry.
The Bible tells us there are real forces of evil. They are complex and intelligent. Satan is the leader of these forces.
That's what we see with Adam and Eve in the Garden and also what we see here in the wilderness with Jesus. A personal, intelligent force of evil.
If You love Me.....
God created us to orbit around Him - to be centered in Him. "Don't eat the fruit of that tree," He told Adam and Eve. "Because you love Me, don't eat of that tree -- just because I told you."
"If you love Me, you will obey Me," Jesus said (John 14:23).
It was about a tree in the Garden of Eden. Obey and they would live, God said.
It was about a tree in the Garden of Gethsemane.
But that tree was a cross. Obey and You will die, God said.
C.S. Lewis spoke about our Christian life being "a dance" - but it is also a battleground.
Jesus went into the battle, armed with scripture to defend Himself against the assaults of Satan.
We also are in a battle against the Evil One.
"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour," wrote Peter
(1 Peter 5:8).
Sometimes the battle seems overwhelming. Sometimes we appear to be losing.
But we will not be overwhelmed and we are not losing.
That's when we should listen for the words, "You are my beloved child. I am giving You my strength and My power. With you I am well pleased."
P.S. Another encouraging note, from Hebrews 2:18:
Jesus went into the battle, armed with scripture to defend Himself against the assaults of Satan.
We also are in a battle against the Evil One.
"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour," wrote Peter
(1 Peter 5:8).
Sometimes the battle seems overwhelming. Sometimes we appear to be losing.
But we will not be overwhelmed and we are not losing.
That's when we should listen for the words, "You are my beloved child. I am giving You my strength and My power. With you I am well pleased."
P.S. Another encouraging note, from Hebrews 2:18:
Because He suffered when He was tempted,
He is able to help those who are being tempted...
Because He suffered when tempted, He understands and can help "those who are being tempted" and that means "Me"!
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