01/08 - Tempted to Take Shortcuts

Matthew 4:1 – 11

The Holy Spirit, which had just descended on Jesus as a gentle dove, seemed to turn against him, leading him into great trial and danger. This probably was not what Jesus expected when he received the Holy Spirit and heard God’s words of approval.

Jesus had mission to do and instead, here he is in the desert with few if any people to work on, facing temptations directly challenging his identity and his mission.

God had declared his identity, saying, “You are my son.” Satan challenged that identity with, “If you are the son of God…”

Jesus sought to prepare for his mission by fasting, perhaps at the Holy Spirit’s direction. Satan suggested he abandon the preparation simply to take care of his own needs. (Making the bread was not in itself wrong—he would later make enough to feed thousands.)

The mission’s strategy was to be yeast and sacrificial death and its methods to be stories about mustard seeds and lost sons. Satan suggested doing something splashy, like leaping from the Temple to awe the crowds with an angelic rescue.

Jesus knew the mission would lead him through deserts, doubts, misunderstanding, discouragement, and ultimately, terrible death. Satan said Jesus could do the mission—have control of every kingdom—with just a moment of worship, an act Jesus could have justified by pretending or by doing it with mental reserve.

We can barely imagine Jesus’ state after 40 days of loneliness and no food. The events of his baptism were faded memories that seemed like illusions. However, his righteousness proved stronger than Satan’s temptations.

The desert experience was essential for Jesus. Certainly, it gave him 40 days to meditate on God’s words and the mission. More importantly, the temptations showed him how strong and dedicated he was, and he would draw on this knowledge in the coming years.

Although the details are different, Jesus’ temptations match ours. Satan asks each of us, Will you look out for yourself instead of feeding on what truly nourishes the heart and mind? Are you sure about your identity as a son or daughter of God? How about doing something splashy to attract attention to your mission? How about taking a shortcut to save time and trouble?

Pray Jesus gives us his strength to give his answers to all of these.

01/07 - A Good Son and a Proud Father

Matthew 3:13–17

This is our first look at Jesus the adult. His words and actions reveal his principles and his intentions, which we will see him live out consistently for the rest of his life.

John was understandably reluctant to baptize Jesus. He knew Jesus, who would soon be a fellow prophet, already lived a righteous life. However, Jesus knew a bigger purpose for baptism than just a commitment to repentance, its primary role in John’s ministry.

For Jesus, his baptism was important simply because it was a good act, a way to “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus did not come simply to not do bad—he came to do all possible good, including unnecessary acts like rededicating himself to living a righteous life through John’s baptism.

The baptism served another purpose for Jesus. He had spent years thinking, observing, praying, and studying, and he was now ready to change the world. Like any person embarking on a great, new mission, he wanted an event to mark the turning point in his life. Jesus’ baptism launched his public ministry.

It was a spectacular launch. As Jesus arose out of the water, two significant events occurred that would sustain him to the end of his ministry.

First, he received a new, and probably more powerful, presence of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures do not tell us to what extent he had the Holy Spirit earlier in his life, but certainly from this point on, he would have everything the Spirit could provide to help him in his quest.

Second, he heard words of approval from his proud Father. A human father tells his son or daughter how proud he is right before the child starts a new phase of life, like entering the university, starting a new job or getting married. The father hopes his words will sustain the son or daughter in the tough times that are sure to come.

God was no different. He was proud of his son and wanted that pride to sustain Jesus in the tough times. We can only guess at how often Jesus thought back to this day to gain strength to keep going.