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44. Forty Days


Key verse:   At once the Holy Spirit sent Him out into the desert. 
Mark 1:12

After descending upon Him in the form of a dove at His baptism, the Holy Spirit, the third part of the trinity, the third part of Himself, drove Jesus out into the desert.  He was not running from responsibility.  He was not proving to man his super human powers and physical abilities. 

Certainly, this became a time for Jesus to commune with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  It became a time for Him to gain strength from His fellowship with them.  It became a time for Him to learn how it feels to be starving physically.  It became the time when He had His first face off with satan in His ministry.  It also, however, became a time for us to watch and learn and, in the words of Paul in Eph.  5:1, learn how better to become imitators of Christ when we undergo our temptations. 

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  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 stand up under it."  It was right that Jesus be tempted.  In this way He would further identify with our lives here on earth.   And, while you may be tempted to think that, because it was Jesus facing these temptations, then it was probably easy for Him to resist, Hebrews 2:18 says, "Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted."  He suffered through these temptations much as you and I do.  This was not easy for Him either, but He was successful. 

Jesus demonstrates for us the means of escape.  The key is to stay focused on Him, by hiding His Word in our hearts and believing that He will help us to overcome.  Isn't it interesting to note that when Jesus is directly tempted by satan's misquotes of Scripture, the lies of the devil are beat back with Jesus' true use of God's Word? It is well for us to know God's Word and use it wisely in our own struggles.  It is also wise for us to be familiar enough with His Word to recognize when it is being misused and misapplied. 

Satan is a master at abusing Scripture.  We live in a day when God's Word is being twisted and abused and we need to be able to know when this is happening so that we will not be led astray by the deceiver.  The proper use of God's Word is to recognize that "it is living and active.  Sharper than any two edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb.4:12) Witness how Jesus demonstrates this skill in the days to come. 

In Hebrews 4:15, the Author continues, we are told that "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin."  This episode in Jesus' life here on earth was to show him further identifying with what our lives are like with temptation and sin all around us.  Yet, because of these temptations, the book of Hebrews goes on to say that we may, "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

He has met our need.  He is our means of escape.  We are never tempted beyond what we can bear.  Christ was tempted, but not beyond what He could bear.  He is the shield of faith that protects us from the fiery darts of the devil.  He is the path of righteousness that will lead us to safety.  He knows what it is to be tempted.  He has gone before you and He will see you safely through.  Do you trust Him?


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