Anchor My Faith

Led into the Wilderness

Scripture: Luke 4:1

With this lesson we begin a new section about the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. The narrative we will work from is developed from the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Using to this link, you can see the resulting narrative. This was the most difficult narrative to form to this point as ten segments were selected and there was an order problem. On the worksheet, you will find ten circles with numbers in them. Those numbers provide the order of selecting the text for the narrative. Take a look and see the harmonization process.

Of the three opening verses for this section, the verse in Luke was the most complete; “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness” (Luke 4:1). When Jesus was baptized by John, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in the form of a dove, to anoint him for ministry. This act marks the beginning of his public ministry.

Saying that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, is to say he was abundantly furnished for the work of public ministry he was about to begin, but first he must go through a series of temptations. This fullness of the Holy Spirit insured that he was sufficiently prepared to stand against any temptation that was presented. God gives us a promise in this regard: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV).

Jesus was first filled (prepared) by the Holy Spirit, and then he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he would meet the tempter. Jesus was not being led into anything to cause him to commit evil, but to test him; to evaluate his character and to advance God’s plan of redemption. God prepared Jesus and placed him into a very difficult and uncomfortable situation and then allowed the enemy in the person of the devil to come and tempt Jesus to seek deliverance from his trial in ways that would defeat God’s plan for our salvation. As the devil attempted to thwart God’s plan and purpose, the Father used his evil intentions for the good purpose of strengthening Jesus for his work ahead. We must never forget that the trials we encounter may be plans the devil has to destroy us, but our Father can use them for a greater purpose. By faith we must leverage our trials with the Father in the process of being conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

This is a good place for a break in our study. In our next lesson we will see what takes place in the wilderness as we pick up the narrative from Mark.

Prayer

Father, it is clear that you set up Job to experience the trials he went through. We see in today’s lesson that you also set up Jesus to experience trials in the wilderness. Should we not be surprised that you might being doing the same thing for each of your children? It is not that you desire to make life difficult or uncomfortable for us, but to conform us into the image of your Son. Unfortunately, here in the west, it seems that our comfort takes precedence over being conformed to be like Jesus. As a result, we have taken on the characteristics of the world and not those of God. Father, should we not expect your judgment in some form someday?