Transcription of the Video: Into the Desert to be Tested

Listen to the audio with transcription: https://otter.ai/s/2_4jU_QmTGCGxRGLbwHaMg

And Moses went up again to God. Just Moses and God on that mountain. He was there this time 40 days - 40 days without eating and drinking. Forty, in the Bible, is a number that represents testing and preparing. Forty days without eating and drinking, the Jewish tradition holds, is the absolute limit. Moses was willing to go right to the limit to experience the time with God, to be taught and trained. 

There's another person in the Bible who spent 40 days in the desert, being tested. Come with me. Let's walk a bit in his sandal prints as he too experiences complete obedience to his Creator.

What do you think? Isn't that stunning? Right where we are, by the way, this is very much like the Jericho Road. So picture the priest passing on the other side. 

Well, that was a hike. We've been hiking for quite some time this morning. In the first desert wilderness in our story that we can say Jesus also hiked in. He crossed the desert on the way to Egypt as a baby and then back again. But I don't know that he was old enough to hike in that desert. 

But here, we're in the wilderness of Judea. And we've made our way up along a canyon and out into the desert. I'm not saying this is exactly where he went, but he was in this same wilderness. 

Now I'd like to think a bit about Jesus as desert for a few minutes. Jesus' relationship with desert. We've built a huge story of God that involved desert. You could think of Jesus as our desert. Think about it this way. In the Old Testament, God said, "Out of Egypt I called my son," referring to Israel. Jesus, God's only begotten Son was called out of Egypt. Or think about it this way. He was the Passover Lamb. He died on Passover, the feast of the Exodus into the desert.

Or how about this one? He is the prophet, like Moses, who was to come. Moses came out of the desert - Exodus. He is the light like the cloud at night for the Israelites. He calls himself Manna from Heaven. That's an Exodus desert image. He is the high priest and the sacrifice, a system that was set up at Sinai in the desert. He is the snake on a pole, he says, which of course was desert. He calls himself the bridegroom, his people, the bride. We celebrated that on a mountain that could have been Sinai. He calls himself the Word and we've learned that word and desert went closely together, because of shepherd's lead by word. And he calls himself the Living Water, which is clearly a desert image.

So you could say Jesus thought of himself, or the Bible presents Jesus, as our desert or desert for us. He does all those things that the desert did for Israel, he does for us. And I think that's a beautiful picture. 

There's another one. You could say Jesus in the desert. And that's the one I want to think a bit about this morning. He was tested as I prefer the translation (most say tempted) in the wilderness of Judea. So as your eyes sweep around you, it's pretty typical here. So this is what he would have seen for that period of time. 

But let's unpackage the beginning of that story a little bit and ask ourselves what was the story of Jesus' temptation? It starts down below at the Jordan River. He's baptized. Now go with me a moment in your minds. We've been unpacking a God story. We noted, it started at creation with chaos (water), a hovering spirit, and order out of chaos. Then we noted, it went back into chaos because of sin. Then came the flood. We again had chaos. We have a dove mentioned, though no spirit. And out of the ark, after the flood, came a new family to start over again. 

It didn't do real well. It went back into chaos almost immediately. Chaos now became a kingdom. The Hebrews became part of the chaos, so we discovered God came back and there was chaos. His ruah, his spirit hovered over the Red Sea, divided it. Out of the Red Sea came a new creation. Israel, their mission, get out there and address the chaos and bring shalom. They did well sometimes and failed miserably others. 

Now I think God is at it again. Because we again have chaos. The Jordan River, I think, symbolizing that. We have the hovering ruah (dove and spirit this time). Out of the water came Jesus. And what happened? Demons were cast out, diseases were healed, chaos defeated, and shalom came. And so, it is as if God said, "Let's do it one more time. This time not with my son, the Hebrews, but with my Son, Jesus."

Now if you notice in each case, maybe even including the flood, the very first thing that happens after the order comes out of chaos is temptation or testing. Adam and Eve had it. I think Noah had it too, though it isn't called that. And he failed of course, became drunk, and you know the story. Israel faced it three times immediately after their Red Sea. So I think when Jesus came up out of the Jordan River and that voice declared, "This is my son. I love him," knowing what his mission was going to be, I think Jesus expected, "Given how God's story works, I'm going to be tested or tempted." And that's exactly how the story unfolds.

And he comes to this desert. Come. Let's go just a bit further and sit together and look at the story of his wilderness testing. Come.

Picture Jesus for 40 days in this desert. Imagine a lonely figure making his way along the path. Maybe he's got a stick like Moses. Maybe he doesn't. I don't know. It doesn't refer to that in the Bible, but it's very possible when you hike here. And imagine him wandering alone in the desert for 40 days and nights. 

Now if what we said is true, and that is that God's great story of creation, chaos, and now restoring order to chaos is true, then we can say two things. One, the Kingdom of God must be happening or the Kingdom of Heaven as they would have called it in Jesus' day. Remember, that starts with God's finger, God's hand - great power in Egypt. At least, that's how they understood it. 

Then people who saw that power, like at the Red Sea, fell on their knees and called him Lord and King and accepted his kingship. And then God said, "That's great. Now come to Sinai and I will show you how I want to be your king on an active basis in your life." 

So if Jesus came to continue that Kingdom, and I'm sure he did, because that was John the Baptist's message. And it was also the message Jesus will preach, then we should expect to see those things, the powerful hand of God. Maybe that was the voice at baptism.

The people who said, "Wow! That's amazing. He must be the Messiah." 

And now God's saying, "Yes. And I need you as the New Israel, as the one who brings the Kingdom. I need you to learn like Israel did to obey me."

And that troubles some to think about Jesus learning to obey. Fortunately, from my point of view, there's a Bible passage, Hebrews 5, which says Jesus learned obedience by suffering. And this, certainly, for him was a time of suffering. 

The second thing we can say is if this is God now unfolding the great climax chapter of his Kingdom, then when Jesus came up out of the water, he had to know the cross was on the path ahead of him. And it seems to me that's the devil's point, the evil one here in the desert. In a sense, the evil one is saying, "Okay. You're the son of God." In fact, it can be translated that way in the story. In our English, we sometimes say, "If you are the son of God, then turn stones to bread." [Luke 4] You could translate it, "Since you are the son of God, turn stones to bread." 

I like that latter better because I think the evil one heard the voice. He heard God say, "This is my son." He knew who spoke that and of whom he was speaking. 

And it seems to me the evil one said, "Oh, so you're here to continue the Kingdom. Do you know what's ahead of you, Jesus of Nazareth? A Roman cross. I've got a better way. Come with me. Let's talk about an alternative plan." And so he meets him here in the desert.

Now a couple of things to note. First of all, in the book of Exodus, when Israel came out of the Red Sea, it says, "Moses caused them to go out into the desert."[Exodus 15] 

In Mark, it says, "And the Spirit sent him," - drove him - "into the desert." [Mark 1]

And so you begin to get the idea that Jesus' testing experience, I like to call it, is patterned after the story of the Exodus. They're both pushed into the desert - one by Moses, one by the Spirit. So there is a similarity there. 

The second thing to note is that Matthew and Luke both tell the story. But they have one difference. They don't disagree with each other. But Matthew has a different order than Luke. I think that Luke put his order the way he did because he wants to end in Jerusalem. So he has stones to bread, high mountain, Temple in Jerusalem. [Luke 4] Luke likes to begin and end in Jerusalem with his stories. 

Matthew, it seems to me, has a different reason for his order. And when you read Matthew's version, if I'm a first-century Jew, I'm instantly back in the story of the Exodus. Let's look at Jesus' desert testing as Matthew describes it, as framed by the book of Deuteronomy. Because I think his readers would have immediately made that link. 

Now Deuteronomy, remember, is Moses' last will and testament, his last great speech to Israel. In it, he's addressing the community who are the children of the people who came out of Egypt. The people who came out of Egypt had gone into the desert, they failed many times, God blessed them many times. But because of the story of the spies and their lack of faith, God told them, "You're not going to be the generation that gets there."

But they had raised up a generation of children who were prepared. So apparently, they taught them well, and therefore, I'm not going to call them a failure. In Deuteronomy, Moses is teaching that generation - the one now that was raised up, ready to go - the lessons from their parents' experience. Imagine Moses, the teacher, and he's got assembled in front of him, the generation that has been raised up in the desert to be prepared to go into the Promised Land. And he now wants to teach them on last time, the lessons your parents learned when they were in the desert.

And in Deuteronomy 6-8, we have the key piece of that. In that section, Moses describes the three testings that God gave to that previous generation or that he said they would face. 

First, remember the wilderness of Sin. Do you remember it? We stood there under an acacia tree. It was hot that day. And we remembered how the Israelites, a month out of Egypt, got there and said, "We want a banquet. Give us the food we crave." God tested them. And what was the lesson, Israel? Do you remember it? Here it is. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, including the word when there will be bread. Have you learned this, Israelites? Then you're ready to go into the land."

There was second testing. Come with me to Rephidim. Do you remember it? We're on the edge of a cliff overlooking the plain, and we saw Moses leave and go to Mount Horeb because there was no water. "But this time, your parents tested God much more severely. They said, 'Is he with us or not?'" And if the first testing showed that they weren't fully committed to God with all their heart, the second one said, "God, we're not willing to trust you with our lives until you prove yourself. Give us water." God was angry with them. What's the lesson? Do you remember? "You shall not test the Lord your God. Put your life in his hands."

"And then Israelites, your parent were told of one more testing to come. When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers - land with large and flourishing cities you did not build, houses with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, vineyards and olive groves you did not plant, then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful you do not forget the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and worship him only," was the lesson that they were to learn when they arrived at the land. [Deuteronomy 6] You must learn this lesson. Love God with all your strength. 

Jesus went to this desert. The evil one came and at least as Matthew frames it, the same three tests show up. The evil one gets him here 40 days and nights. Forty days and nights are impossible without eating or drinking, which is what Jewish fasting was. Therefore, one would be miraculously sustained. But Jesus was hungry like Israel. And the evil one came and said, "Hey. You can make bread. This would make quite a loaf of bread. Go ahead since you are the son of God. If you are the son of God, do it." 

And I imagine Jesus saying, "No. I learned the lesson of Moses' teaching. Mary, my mother, Joseph, my father taught me." Now I realize Jesus could have quoted that passage in his divine nature. Maybe he did. But I like to think of him as a man like me too. And I see Jesus thinking, "Do you know what? I know what to tell him. My ancestors learned, evil one, you shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, including the word when there will be bread." [Deuteronomy 8] "I'm going to love him with all my heart, even though my ancestors had a divided heart."

The evil one said, "Then come with me." Now in the case of the children of Israel, God brought them on eagle's wings to Mount Sinai. So the devil took Jesus to the wing, it says in Greek, of the Temple. We say pinnacle. I think wing would be a very good translation. As if to say, "Do you remember those wings? Come with me. Let's stand on the wing of the Temple." The writer wants you to think wing even though no one knows what the wing actually was.

When he got him there, he said, "Let me quote you from Scripture." And he chooses Psalm 91, earlier verses before the devil's quote say, "He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings, you will take refuge." The devil knew what he was doing. "You're on the wings of the Temple. I'm quoting from a passage that talks about wings. Make God show you his wings."

And the passage says-- and the devil misquotes it as he always does. The passage says, "He will give a command to his angels to keep you in all your ways." [Psalm 91] But the devil left that phrase out. "He will give his angels a command concerning you," the devil quoted. "He will lift you up with his hands and keep you from striking your foot against a stone." 

And what he left out was God's promise is if you're on your ways. In other words, if you're walking the ways of God, God says, "I will protect you. But not if you do something crazy like jumping off the Temple." But the devil left that verse out. 

And Jesus thought, "I see him as a man." He's God, yes. But in his human nature, thinking, "I know that lesson. The devil wants me to make God prove himself before I go to the cross to show that he will protect me. He wants me to stand up there and gain attention and prove that God is with me."

No. He goes to the same lesson in Deuteronomy. "You shall not test the Lord your God, evil one. I learned that from my ancestors." [Deuteronomy 6]

Then the devil took him to a high mountain, probably the same high mountain Moses was taken to. He said, "Do you see it? You can have it all." Now it wasn't the devil's to give according to the book of Daniel. So the devil's asking him to sell out on God. But what he's saying is, "Use your power. I'll give it to you. Do it yourself. That cross is going to hurt."

And Jesus said, "I remember the third lesson in Deuteronomy." He quotes Moses' conclusion. "Worship the Lord your God when you get to the land and have all this stuff, and serve him alone. Devil, I will not serve you no matter what you offer." [Deuteronomy 6]

So what is the binder that binds the three tests together in Matthew? I think you're recognizing it. Because in that same Deuteronomy 6-8 section that talks about all those tests is the shmah. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, with all your might." [Deuteronomy 6] And the three tests showing how the first generation didn't.

In other words, Jesus came to do what Israel - at least the first generation - had failed to do. And he loved God with all his heart, all his soul, all his might. He kept the shmah. 

I don't think that was the end of Jesus' temptations. I think he was tempted all three tests again and again. His family came. They wanted to take him home. Jesus, your mother, and brothers are outside. And Jesus said, "Who is my father, my mother, my sister, my brother? Those who do my will." [Matthew 12] And he put God even ahead of his family. He loved God with all his heart. 

Somebody said, "Herod wants to kill you. They want to kill you in Jerusalem." 

And Jesus said, "God wants me to go to Jerusalem. If I go and I'm to die, my soul is in his hands." [Luke 13]

People want to make him king. He can have it all. And he says, "Let's go away." [John 6]

I think that test repeated itself in his life again and again. And do you know what else? I think he tested his disciples. In the Gospel, it says there was a crowd of 5,000. Jesus said, to test them, "Feed them." 

I think he expected them to say, "Jesus, all we've got is one lunch. We're going to need you on this one. But you can do it. You're the Messiah." 

But they said, "Eight months' wages wouldn't give each person a mouthful. What are we to do?" [John 6] They failed the test. 

Jesus said, "I'm going to go to Jerusalem, and I'm going to suffer and die and on the third day be raised." [Matthew 16]

Peter pulled him aside and said, "Don't say this!"

Jesus said, "Peter, no, no. I will put my life in God's hands. You must too." He would deny him and fail the test. 

Over and over again, they said, "Lord, is it now you give the Kingdom to Israel? Are we going to have it all now?" They didn't love him with all their might. 

But Jesus did. How about you? Do you see? Jesus was tempted and tested, in my opinion first, as the second Adam. The first Adam failed. I fail too. How about you?

So Jesus came to say, "I'll do it for you." Jesus was tested and passed because he is the eternal son of God, the sinless human. I believe this. But there's a verse that says, "If you claim to be in him, walk as Jesus walked." [1 John 2] Meaning you will be tested too. 

So do you love him with all your heart? Or is there some part of your life you shut him out of? Is there a relationship he's not part of? Is he in your business, in your classroom, with your friends on Friday night? Or have you loved him with all your heart and included him in everything? 

How about your life? Have you put his life in his hands? Do you want to love him no matter what the cost? It's easy in America because we don't pay what some pay around the world to follow Jesus. But will you pay the price? Loss of friends, reputation, business? Do you love him with all your soul? 

How about your might? You're in a mad pursuit after stuff to drive you to buy and sell and accumulate and have. Do you want to do it all or do you love him with every ounce you've got - depending on his provision? 

I think Jesus' testing is not simply this spectacular demonstration that he is the Messiah. He came to do what Israel failed to do. I think it's also a ringing challenge to say, "Live shmah as the Jew calls it. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might." 

Our rabbi who came to bring the Kingdom heard the cry of the oppressed and added as an equal command, "Love your neighbor as yourself." And that's, I think, the call that Jesus' testing brings to us. Be careful how you criticize Israel. Yes, they failed; though, I would argue they raised up a generation that was prepared. But out of their failure came teaching that Jesus claimed and beat the devil with it. And then he said to his disciples, "Be like me. Learn to claim the same teaching with all your heart, all your soul, all your might and your neighbor as yourself."

And then little by little, by the grace of God and his power, the Kingdom comes. Say it with me in English. Hear O Israel. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might, and love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.