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Jesus in the wilderness

-Job Anbalagan

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Immediately after His baptism, the Spirit could have led Jesus to a powerful ministry because He was filled with the Spirit Who descended like a dove and alighted upon Him (Matt.4: 1-11). What else Jesus needed, except the power of God given to Him through the baptism of the Holy Ghost? Why did the Spirit lead Him to the wilderness, and not to the ministry? Why did the Son of God who had been given all the authority by the Father in heaven and on earth need to go to the wilderness? Just to fast for 40 days and 40 nights and to become hungry! These days in many churches, over-emphasis is being laid on the doctrine of power-filled ministry or “dunamis”. No doubt, we need the power of God for a deliverance ministry. But we have to pay a price for it by remaining in the wilderness. By “wilderness”, I am not exhorting you to go to a desert in your town or village. “Wilderness” is a place where you are shut up with God, away from the distractions of this world.

You should fast for a day, two days or more than that as led by the Spirit. Prayer and fasting are required for a power-filled ministry.

Jesus faced three kinds of temptations. Firstly, when the Devil wanted Him to turn the stones into bread, as He was hungry. Since the 40 days’ fast ended, Jesus could have performed this miracle, even before the Devil made his debut in the wilderness. Since He was hungry, He was quite justified in taking food through a miracle. But Jesus chose the glory of His Cross, which was before His eyes. Jesus said to the Devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God”.

Ever word from the mouth of God is important for us. We need not only His words of promises concerning material prosperity, miracles and divine healing but also His words of counsel concerning suffering and endurance.

The Devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and asked Him to throw Himself down so that the angels could protect Him. The second temptation by the Devil concerned His popularity by performing a feat in front of the unbelieving Jews.

Many servants of God have fallen down from the pinnacle of their ministries because they wanted to be popular. After performance of signs and wonders through the gifts of the Spirit, followed by publication of testimonies concerning such signs and wonders, the Devil would whisper into their ears, “The Lord has used you in a mighty manner”. He would also suggest to them they do such kinds of miracles in the next meeting. The devil would boost their pride and would induce them to be popular through self-advertisements. Let us not listen to the voice of the Devil.

Again, the Devil took Him upon an exceeding high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. But Jesus chose the glory of His Cross.

The Devil wanted Jesus to “fall down and worship” him because he pretended to be the owner of all the kingdoms of the world. The Devil wants us to love the world, and to worship him. He sets idols of worldly pleasure in our heart and we are tempted to worship such idols planted by him in our heart. He wants us to settle down in comforts and luxuries of this world so that we may relegate to the background the call of God and our vision. We would be induced to fall down and worship our worldly possessions in place of God.

To sum up, the Devil tempts our weak flesh. He tempts our ego to be popular. He also tempts us to possess all things of the world for our self-gratification. We have to go to the wilderness and commune with Jesus Christ by fasting and prayer.