He Was With the Wild Beasts

Mark is the only gospel writer who mentions that Jesus was with the wild beasts during his wilderness temptation experience (Mark 1:13). This may very well have come from Mark's primary source, Peter. As an outdoorsman, perhaps the big fisherman had made a special mental note of this fascinating detail.

There is no hint of an adversarial relationship. It appears to be a situation of companionship rather than opposition. The word “with” is the same word Jesus uses when He says, “He who is not with me is against me,” and likewise, Matthew explains the meaning of “Immanuel,” as God with us.

He was with the wild beasts, but they were not wild with Him! Why? It is not difficult to imagine after His baptism and the descending of the Spirit that Jesus had the Spirit of God all over Him. I can imagine this made for an atmosphere that was more like Eden than a dangerous, cruel world. I can imagine that the creatures had no problem recognizing the Creator.

Jesus has made provision for the Spirit of God to be all over us! And every day we walk among His creatures, not wild beasts, but men and women and boys and girls who have no relationship with the Master. Do they see any of Jesus in me? In you?

Many years ago Gordon Jensen put it this way in a song:

If not in you, I wonder where
Will they ever see the One who really cares?
If not from you, how will they find
There’s One who heals the broken heart and gives sight to the blind?

And if not you, I wonder who
Will show them love and love alone can make things new?
If not from you, how will they learn
There’s One who’ll trade their hopelessness for joy in return?

‘Cause you’re the only Jesus some will ever see,
And you’re the only words of life some will ever read.
So let them see in you the One in whom is all they’ll ever need,
‘Cause you’re the only Jesus some will ever see.

Checklist

While working in Alaska, one Sunday morning I drove from Anchorage down the breathtaking Seward Highway to visit a friend I had pastored with in Ohio. Before church started, Blair asked me what my plans for the day were, and when I indicated I had the afternoon free he said, “Good. We’ll have lunch.” Then he added, “I’m a pilot and I have plane. We’ll go for a ride; it’s a great day for it!” Was it ever! Seward, Alaska, and Resurrection Bay from the air – I’ll never forget it!

Before we took off, Blair handed me a clipboard with a list. After each item I read, he said, “Check.” It was a checklist. When everything on it had been checked, we knew we were ready to fly!

In the temptation incident (Matthew 4), Jesus gave us a “Checklist” for every day. After all, daily living and dealing with the devil can be just as hazardous as flying. Here it is:

Check your Master – Who do you serve? See Only.

Check your Manna – Where does your strength come from? The Israelites were to gather manna every morning. Like the Israelites took strength from the manna they gathered, we’re to take spiritual strength daily from the Word of God. Jesus indicates to Satan that it is just as important as physical food. See The Word.

Check your Mission – How do you keep score? What’s the purpose for which you are here? Don’t stray from your purpose. See Stay on Mission.

A surface reading of the temptation episode seems to indicate the purpose of it all was for Jesus to be tempted by Satan. I believe it was a little deeper than that. Jesus was showing us what to say to Satan; how to deal with the devil. He was giving us answers for the adversary.

Before you fly today, don’t forget your checklist!

Worth considering . . .

This is an article by my good friend, Dr. Stephen Manley. He has traveled the United States and the world for 41 years as an evangelist. He lives in Lebanon, Tennessee.

THE ANTIDOTE FOR DRIFTING

by Stephen Manley


The first recorded business meeting of the early church (Acts 1:15-26) was called to address the issue of the office left vacant by Judas. The reason given for calling the meeting was the Scripture. Peter said to the group, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas,” (Acts 1:16).

There are several astounding implications from this statement! They believed that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. The Greek word translated had to be is often translated “must” or “ought.” It has the idea of “Divine decree.” The early church believed the sovereign hand of Almighty God was supporting the Scriptures. The document of the Scriptures is as sure and dependable as God is! If the Scripture is not true, then God is not true.

Jesus appeared to His disciples in the upper room. After eating with them, He opened the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:44-49). Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things MUST be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me,” (Luke 24:44). Jesus viewed His life experience through the fulfillment of the Scriptures. He based His purpose for living upon the Scriptures. God’s sovereign hand was active in producing the life of Jesus as God revealed it in what He said, the Scriptures.

A young college student indicated she was taught that only the actual words of Jesus were authentic in the Scriptures. Everything else was questionable because of hearsay, paganism and tradition. If you accept only what Jesus said then you will certainly embrace the entire Old Testament. Jesus speaks of it as the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms. According to Jesus, the sovereign hand of God brings this to pass. Remember the resurrected Lord is speaking these words. He is on the other side of the grave and has a better perspective than you or me. You or I may not agree with the authority and authenticity of the Old Testament, but you must admit the resurrected Christ believed in it.

If you believe the Living Word is actually speaking and directing the Written Word, would you not base your entire life upon it? Would you not search its pages night and day? Would not the Scriptures be at the heart of every sermon, Sunday school class and counseling session? If our children ask us a question, would we not immediately take them to the Scriptures? We would listen to the Scriptures before we would listen to Dr. Phil. If we did this would it not keep us from drifting? The popular whims of doctrine will not affect us as we allow the Author of the Book to continue to reveal Himself to us.

Another strong implication emerges from the statement Peter made at the first recorded business meeting in which the Holy Spirit spoke. Peter proceeds to quote two Scriptures from the Book of Psalms (Acts 1:20). He actually says that the Holy Spirit spoke these words. You and I might question it, but obviously Peter believed the Book of Psalms was spoken by God. In a moment of crisis, the early church (numbering in the thousands) broke into praise. In this praise session they quoted from the Book of Psalms. They cried out, “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:” (Acts 4:24-25). Evidently the entire early church believed God was responsible for speaking the Book of Psalms. Paul was imprisoned in a house in Rome. The Jews came to spend a day with him. During that time he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening (Acts 28:23). The truth of the Word divided the congregation. Before they left Paul had one more word to say, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers…” (Acts 28:25). He then proceeded to quote from the Book of Isaiah. We argue about the authorship of this book. Some think it was a compilation of two or more authors. Paul, who was closer to its original writing than we are, believed it was spoken by God.

What would happen if you and I believed the sovereign hand of God was behind the Scriptures? What would happen if you and I believed it was actually spoken by God? When you read the Scripture, it is as if the lips of Jesus part and He actually speaks to you! Would we not constantly apply His instruction to our lives? Would we not make His Word the pivot point of every decision? Would this not keep us from drifting?

Drifting always takes place when we make the Scriptures only one avenue of revelation among many. The peak of self-centered carnality is to think my academic opinion is equal to what God has spoken. My thinking made superior to His wisdom and revelation is the pinnacle of folly. Folly still abides in believing God is speaking His Word, but I must interpret it for my day. A thorough knowledge of theology and my culture does not give me the ability to adequately apply truth. The indwelt Author must speak His Word to my life and I must listen intently as He applies it to my living. “Jesus is Lord of my life” means that I bend my entire life experience under the authority of what He speaks through His Word. I am not adequate to interpret it; I must surrender to it!

The Author of the Scriptures will not allow us to drift if we listen to His Word. He will not allow us to miss His revelation of truth for our day, if we will come under the authority of His Word. Is this not the solution for our drifting?
(Published on this site with permission of Dr. Stephen Manley)

Stay On Mission

The second temptation of Jesus, as Matthew records it (Luke reverses the order of the second and third temptation), is fascinating. In regard to the first temptation, Jesus has quoted Scripture to Satan to refute his reasoning—Scripture that emphasizes Scripture in fact: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Satan then quotes Psalms 91:11,12 as the basis for his next temptation, urging Jesus to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple, for surely the angels will not let him be harmed.

We would certainly do well to heed the warning here. A temptation may come to us clothed in Scripture and seemingly justified by God’s word.

Jesus replies with “Not so fast” (my paraphrase). “On the other hand, it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” I believe Jesus was saying, “That’s not what I am here for, and I am not going to play your little game. You are not going to move Me off My mission.

How easy it is to play games with God’s word! And with our brothers and sisters—Christian and not so Christian! How easy it is to stray from the purpose for which we are here! How easy it is to move away from the particular mission God has given me!

Lord, help me today to stay on mission, doing what You have called me to do, and being who You have called me to be!

The Word

Matthew indicates that Satan’s first temptation for Jesus came after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness (4:2-3). It was a temptation for immediate gratification, and for self-display—a demonstrative proof of who He was: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Translate: You’re pretty hungry; you need to eat. You can take care of that and prove who you are at the same time.

Jesus responds to this temporal enticement with timeless truth. “It is written . . . .” Satan’s apparent theory is counteracted with God’s absolute truth. “It is not bread, or your words that I live by, Satan, but the Bread of life, the word(s) of God, is my sustenance, and the demonstration of Who I Am.

Today, Lord, whatever my immediate needs may be, and whatever temptations I may face, remind me that You have the words of life, and they will not pass away. Give me the good sense not to exchange the timeless for the temporal, and may the yearning of my heart be not for a sensational demonstration of Your power or even an acknowledgement of my own identity and worth, but for an attentive sensitivity to the still, small Voice that speaks truth in all my circumstances.

ONLY - "You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only" (Matthew 4:10).

The last temptation of Jesus as Matthew records it (4:8-10) is a presentation by Satan to Jesus of all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. They are offered as a gift to Jesus if he will simply fall down and worship Satan. What we discover is that Satan cannot command Christ’s worship, but Jesus can command the devil’s dismissal. Jesus tells him to go, with the explanation that worship and service are for God only, and he leaves (4:11).

Who do you serve? It is a great question! Jesus is advising us to be absolutely clear about whom we serve. Speaking to those in business, Brad Anderson writes: “Focus on one master, become expert at serving this master, and through the power of the ripple effect, you will wind up serving them all.”

That is great advice for every Christian. If we focus on Jesus, and become and expert at serving Him, He will show us how we are to serve our family, our friends, our community, and our world. And we’ll serve Jesus by serving others.

Lord, is ANYTHING getting in front of my worship and service to You? Help me to realize Your “first-ness” in all things, and that, through the power of Your Spirit in me, I can command the devil’s dismissal.