Temptations and occasions put nothing into a man, but only draw out what was in him before.
– John Owen
Fulfilling all Righteousness
To the Jordan River, Jesus had purposefully, on His own will, set His steps to be baptized by the Baptist’s cry, ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ The awkwardness of John to just for an instant, lose clarity of his role in this first encounter of cousins, John was overshadowed by Jesus’ presence as the Lamb of God. In perhaps the most intimate discourse and acknowledgment between the two, Jesus encourages John to baptize Him so that it will be fitting for both to fulfill all righteousness.
Within the waters of the Jordan River, John along with others who were upon the shoreline witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit shaped like that of a dove, upon the physical presence of Messiah. As the writers of the Gospel account that suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Saint Peter would say later, 1Peter 3:21 that Jesus’ baptism was an antitype of the times of salvation of humanity from the water of the flood in the Ark of Noah. Baptism now saves us, not of the flesh, but the answer of a clear conscience toward God. Symbolically Jesus’ baptism would be a new flood and He who now emerged is God’s Noah-or rest and comforter.
This baptism of Jesus was the last act of His private life; and emerging from its waters in prayer, the Son of Man learned that HIs business was all about His Father’s business which was the Kingdom of Heaven. We as readers of the New Covenant record of His disciples would have to wait until later to hear perhaps what was His prayer of consecration into His mission in the earth.
Prayer of Consecration
As the voice of God from heaven affirms Jesus as God’s anointed One, these words have a most powerful new meaning within the context of Jesus’ wilderness experience.
Our Father in heaven!
May your Name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us the food we need today.
Forgive us what we have done wrong, as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us.
And do not lead us into hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.
For kingship, power and glory are yours forever. Amen Matthew 6:10 Complete Jewish Bible
His Call and Kingship
Unlike HIs baptism, which was voluntary yet with spiritual preconceived purpose, Jesus was driven of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. In that wilderness, He had to test what He had learned in His private life and to learn what He had tested.
Biblical researchers state that this contest between Jesus and Satan occurred at The Mount of Temptation (Arabic: جبل الأربعين, Hebrew: קרנטל) is said to be the hill in the Judean Desert where Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:8).
Jesus’ call during this temptation would manifest Him as the Second Adam, for Himself and His relationship with humanity. The Holy Spirit driving Jesus in this battle with Satan unifies fallen humanity to the sinlessness of Jesus, not in the Fall in Eden, but the wilderness of God’s enemy, Satan.
Brief note concerning Jesus’ presentation as the Second Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:45 calls Jesus “the last Adam.” As Adam was once the head of humanity, our representative, Jesus is now our representative before God. Another will not be needed, for, in Christ, the work of redemption and reconciliation is complete.
In the wilderness, the history of humanity is taken up renewed at the exact point where first the kingdom of Satan was founded, only under new conditions. It now is not a choice, but a colossal spiritual contest for supremacy, for Satan is the prince of this world.
During the whole forty days of Christ’s stay in the wilderness, His Temptation continued,
In Matthew and Luke “the tempter” or “the devil” tempts Jesus to:
- Create bread out of stones to relieve his own hunger
- Leap from a pinnacle and rely on angels to break his fall.
- Kneel before Satan in return for all the kingdoms of the world.
Satan’s temptations were hedonism, egoism, and materialism. John the Evangelist in his epistle categorized these temptations as “lust of eyes” (materialism), “lust of body” (hedonism), and “pride of life” (egoism). Temptations intend to deceive and corrupt three main human characteristics; to think, wish and feel which are inside the mind, soul, and heart as Jesus alludes in the Greatest Commandment.
Jesus’ experience in the wilderness provides a lesson on how to deal with temptation. Being tempted is not a sin, but giving in to temptation is. Fasting and Prayer and correctly learning and hiding the Holy Scriptures within our hearts combine in the best spiritual weapons against Satan’s craftiest temptations. [Soul-Care Bible: Experiencing and Sharing Hope God’s Way, Tim Clinton]
Jesus having refused each temptation, the Devil then departed and Jesus would return to Galilee to begin his ministry.
Historic Parallels of Jesus’ Temptation
Jesus’ temptation parallels with the forty days fast of Moses on the Mount. Moses was it, giver of the Covenant, Elijah in the wilderness, Elijah is the recoverer of the Covenant, and Jesus is its renewer and perfecter of the Covenant. Each experienced a similar outward consecration for their respective work. The difference however is that Moses nor Elijah was assaulted by the Devil during their fasts.
Moses fasted in the middle of his ministry, Elijah fasted at the end of his ministry, Jesus fasted at the beginning of His ministry.
Moses fasted in the presence of God, Elijah fasted alone, Jesus fasted and was assaulted by the Devil.
Moses was called up by God, Elijah had gone forth in the bitterness of his own, Jesus was driven by the Holy Spirit.
Moses failed after his forty days fast, when in his indignation, he cast the Tables of the Law from Him, Elijah failed before his forty days fast, for he despaired for Israel, Jesus was assailed for forty days and endured the trial, thus He overcame for Israel and humanity.
His overcoming for Israel and all other nations as the Last Adam officially qualified Jesus as God’s anointed representative of the progenitor of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. It would eventually qualify Him also as the High Priest of all humanity as well. Note what Hebrews state about Jesus’ successful conquest over Satan in the wilderness and later on the Cross:
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
Wonderful Practical Takeaways for Followers of Messiah
As Jesus was able to overcome and become victorious over the tempter in the wilderness, He now grants His faithful followers spiritual blessings, abilities, and attitudes toward Christ-likeness in our lives. Whatever Jesus overcame, we overcome. For each victory which Jesus has gained now secures its fruitfulness for His disciples.
Our steps are now in His footprints, whether we must endure the valley of the shadow of death, or experience the wonders of mountaintop moments of rebirth and renewal. His perfections as the Son of Man, in each of His temptations, marks a human assault on all of fallen humanity, so, therefore His overcoming is our collective victory now and evermore.
Second, as the Son of Man and God’s Messiah, Jesus’ assault upon the Evil One won back lordship over humanity and the earth. Thus, reestablishing aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven until Christ returns. “Thou has ascended on high, Thou has led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that Jehovah God, might dwell among them.” Psalms 68:18
Finally, the most effective spiritual weapons against the craftiness of Satan’s temptations are drawn from Jesus’ experience in the wilderness. Being tempted is not a sin, but giving in to temptation is. Fasting and Prayer and correctly learning and hiding the Holy Scriptures within our hearts combine in the best spiritual weapons against Satan’s craftiest temptations. Amen
Grace and Peace
Brother Alonzo
The study material that was used for this blog post were the Holy Scriptures; The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim, Book 2 chapter 12 The Baptism of Jesus; It’s Higher Meaning, Book 3 Chapter 1, The Temptation of Jesus. Soul Care Bible [concerning elements about human temptation], Tim Clinton