Jesus as Model in Temptation

Jesus' mission in the world had two parts. First, he came as the bridge for people to gain access to God. He built the bridge, when he died on the cross.

Second, he came as the model for what life was intended to be like for a person to truly walk with God.

There is a story about Jesus, which began with the Spirit leading him out into the wilderness.

God's children live their lives hearing his voice, and going, or doing, what it says. The Father is always speaking to his children. He will not speak to lead any of his children astray. We can trust him, when he speaks.

So, it seemed a little strange to me, that the Sirit was leading Jesus into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil.

Each child of God will be led by God's voice. And each child of God will be confronted by temptation. And God felt it was important for Jesus to give us all a demonstration of how to deal with temptation.

Jesus had just completed a forty day fast. He was physically, and probably mentally, fatigued.

The devil came to him, and attacked Jesus' physically, mental, and spiritual needs. And Jesus responded each time: "It is written."

So, not only was Jesus familiar with the voice of his Father, but he was also familiar with the written message from his Father. So, in dealing with temptation, he reminded the devil of his Father's standards.

But it is not enough to know the Father's words. One has to obey the Father's words. Knowing is important. Saying, and reviewing, is important. But it is doing that makes what is known, and said, a part of life. It is doing that brings the power of the Spirit into you actions. It is doing that trains your thinking, speaking and acting back into alignment with God's design.

But there is not one correct way of doing what God requires. For Jesus, it was sufficient to review with the devil what God's standards were. So, perhaps to stand against temptation it is sufficient to recite God's word. Recitation may position God's heart to walk rightly. But perhaps one needs to position the whole person. If one is tempted to indulge an addictive behavior, perhaps one should move away from the places of addiction. (Like an alcoholic should not stand in a bar. Maybe he should move several miles away.)

I do not believe that there is a formula for everyone to walk with God. We do need to know his standards. We need to hear his voice, and practice what he says. But as God has given each one a unique place, we also have a unique way to walk in it.

Get What You Deserve?

I woke up several days ago, with an incident on my mind, that happened several years ago, and my response to that incident. To this day, I don't know what I should have done, but I don't think it is what I did do.

As a result, I was feeling kind of guilty, and inadequate. And the thought popped into my head: "You get what you deserve."

And I began to consider how God gives us, just what we deserve. Just like that guy in the Bible, who was responsible for a persecution of the church, and the death and imprisonment of, possibly, thousands of God's children.

God treated him as he deserved:

• God appeared to him, and spoke to him audibly.
• God blinded him, forcing him to slow down, and really who Jesus was.
• God miraculously healed the blindness.
• God forgave, redeemed, and saved him.
• God used him as a catalyst of a huge expansion of his kingdom.
• God used him to write half of the New Testament. 

No, God does not deal with us, as we deserve. First, God deals with us in mercy.

Imagine, you are driving 80 mph in a 25 mph zone. A policemen pulls you over. You deserve a ticket of many hundreds of dollars , and suspension of your driver's license.

Instead, the policeman says: "Good morning, sir. I noticed that you were driving in excess of the posted speed limit. This is a residential area. The posted speed limit was chosen to make sure that pedestrians in this area are safe. So, the next time you drive this area, please, reduce your speed to the posted speed limit. And have a good rest of the day."

That's mercy. Not getting what we deserve. But God does not just give mercy. God gives grace.

Grace is not only mercy, but the policeman also says: "And here's a gift card to one of my favorite restaurants. Please, enjoy a meal on me with a friend. And here's another gift card. Please, give it to another friend, so they can enjoy a meal on me. And have a good rest of the day."

God gives grace. We don't get what we do deserve; we do get what we don't deserve.

Jesus Begins

John is preaching, and baptizing, by the Jordan. Jesus presents himself to John for baptism.

John says Jesus should baptize him. He recognizes Jesus as Messiah. He is humbled by his stance with God, and recognizes Jesus' superiority.

Jesus assures John that everyone needs to complete what God desires.

Jesus did not need to repent from sin, because he had none. Jesus did not need to turn to God, because he never turned away.

When Jesus comes out of the water, a dove settles on him, and a voice proclaims, "This is my beloved Son."

There has been speculation as to what is going on here. The Old Testament prophets woulds anoint the new king. Is John "anointing" Jesus?

Or are Jesus and the Father coming into full agreement about the mission? In baptism, Jesus fully agrees with the mission he is about to begin, and the "baptism" that will end it. And the Spirit, and the Father, reach out to Jesus, and communjicate their love, and commitment to him, and the mission.

Jesus could not complete his part of God's mission without the active support of the Spirit, and the Father.

And we must come into agreement with completing our part of God's mission. We need the active support of the Spirit, and the Father.

To Repent or Not Repent

John the Baptist had a message of repentance. The word in the original language literally means "to know after." The idea is a comparison between what I used to know (or knew before) and what I know now (or knew after.) It is trying to describe a change of mind.

John called for a change of mind about sin, about God, and about a way of life. Most people associate repentance primarily with sin. Repentance comes to mean: don't do that.

John called the Jewish leaders to repent. In the Jews' minds, those needing to repent the least were the leaders, because they kept the law the most. The leaders had developed a religious system. He, who checks the most boxes, wins. The religious leaders felt quite righteous in their system. They felt they were more accepted by God, than the rest of the people.

But what if repentance is not so much what we are turning from, but what we are turning to?

First, if our focus is primarily on stopping certain behaviors, we wind up creating a vacuum. Some other behavior will fill it. Perhaps, one that is worse than the original.

Second, life is not about what we don't do. Life about what we do do. We are designed to live by faith, hope, and love. We are designed for fellowship with the Father. And behavior modification is just another expression of religion.

Please, do not misunderstand. I am not wanting to minimize sin, or God's stand against it. It just seems to me that choosing to give allegiance to Jesus is more important than choosing not to sin.

We do not have the power to stop sinning no matter how much we hate it. It is when we give allegiance to Jesus, that we receive forgiveness, a new identity, and God's presence, which provides the power for transformation.

Identity

"Identity" is a word that is used to describe a person's self-perception. Do I have value, or worth? Am I ugly, stupid, clumsy? Is the world better off with me in it?

I have heard it said that mothers rovide nuture, but fathers define one's identity. The Father made men and women. He defined their identity. He designed them. He created them.

Before creation, he could have spent 2000 years focused on the design of one person. And then, moved on to the next person. Or, because, he is right now, giving each and every person 100%, focused attention, he could have given that same attention to each one … and spent 2000 years designing us all simultaneously!

He designed our identity. He designed the place we would fill. He designed us to grow, to bless the world, to improve the world, to touch it as no one else can.

When sin entered the world, our identities were crushed, and broken. No one matches what God sees in us. But when we give our allegiance to Jesus, the Father still sees the child he designed, and created.

When Jesus rose from the water, at his baptism, a voice called out: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

God saw the one he loved, whose heart was totally entwined with his. The one who had fully accepted God's mission of building a bridge between people and God, of restoring God's family.

Jesus was beginning a new phase of the mission. He, the Father, and the Spirit knew the cost they would be making. And they knew they were accepting the cost out of love for the race of men.

God designed each one of us to fill a place. None of us are doing that. Some are in the place, but not walking in it fully. Some are lost, and have no idea in what direction the place even is. Some of us kinda know where the place is, but aren't too sure how to get there.

God designed each one of us to fill a place. And he hasn't changed his mind, because of sin. He gives 100% focused attention to restoring us to our original design. He gives 100% focused attention to guiding us to our place.

If we give him our allegiance, if we surrender to his purposes for us, if we walk with him in fellowship, we are in a position for his work in us, and through us, to occur.

Whether we find our place or not, whether we walk in it or not, if we return, and cross the bridge, if we give him our allegiance, if we walk in the relationship he has set us in, he views us in the identity he gave us before creation. We are also a beloved son, and he is pleased with us.

Our identity is who God designed us to be. Our identity is who God proclaims that we are.