Scripture: John 16:33
Author: John, ~61-64 A.D.
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Sprit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.”
Jesus is Baptized by John and felt the pull to go to the desert. Something the Holy Spirit prompted. Up until now, Jesus must have felt a pull on his heart to do more and having studied the Torah thoroughly he had a foundation to draw upon.
His ministry had not started yet, but there was a stirring in his Soul. He is led to the wilderness not knowing that instead of comfort, he would be led into conflict!
Identity is formed in the wilderness…
In the desert, Jesus was tested. He suffered hunger, temptation, pain. You know you are in the wilderness when prayers feel dry, doors close, you are hidden, along, and forgotten. You lack comfort, you suffer…
The wilderness forms an identity. There are myriad stories of people going though extraordinary experiences only to come out of them with extraordinary new Wisdom and Purpose. From a soldier surviving battle in war, to a young woman found after being lost in the woods. From a person suffering a debilitating illness only to be healed, to a person waking from death itself in the hospital. All lead to Faith and Purpose!
Jesus is tempted— quoted scripture is from Luke 4…
Wilderness is where God forms identity, and temptation is where that identity is proven. While suffering and in extreme hunger and thirst, three times the devil tempts Jesus.
#1 The devil asks Jesus to prove his identity and feed himself by turning stone into bread.
The Devil: “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus responds, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
Jesus refuses to do a miracle for self-benefit or to relieve his suffering. He chooses God.
#2 The devil temps Jesus with the Kingdom
The Devil shows Jesus from a high vantage point all the kingdoms of the world and he sa;ys to Jesus, “I will gie you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus responds, “It is written, ‘worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
#3 The devil temps Jesus to leap from the temple in Jerusalem.
The Devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God, he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
“He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’”
The devil, now finished with his tempting, left Jesus until a later date.
Sorry Devil, no deal. My path is for God and Man alone. This seals Jesus’ fate on the Cross.
In each of these cases, Jesus returns to the Word of God. It is noteworty that each response given are directly from Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is the “wilderness” chapter of the Torah; written by Moses it is a guidebook for surviving the wilderness Exodus out of Egypt.
The wilderness summarized
The wilderness strips from your comfort, distractions, ego, and self-reliance. If you stick to the Word, pray, and contemplate those things are replaced with Identity rooted in God, Scripture as a guide, Humility and obedience, Vision, and finally authority forged in fire.
…Your ministry then begins!
For Jesus, he immediately returned and began his ministry, full frontal attack, in Galilee. He is no longer simply anointed; he is now proven. His message spreads throughout the Promised Land like wildfire!
I too had my forty days in the spring of 2025 and experienced similar hardships that finally led to an amazing experience. An experience that healed me in so many ways and “proved” my ability to stand with God. I may not have been quite as perfect as Jesus during the process, but the results were amazing. I’m a completely new person today because of my suffering in 2025.
That’s why I’m here today.
