David Bahn - Reflections

Whether it’s appetite, applause, or ambition, the devil’s plays those to us in myriads of ways. A shortcut to success. A one-time fling to satisfy a deep yearning. Willingness to go along against our better judgment just so we can fit in. And Jesus withstood each one of these after 40 days of fasting.

Nothing is wrong with bread. God had promised to guard him with angels. And the temple was truly his abode. The problem with each was that Satan was setting the agenda. Satan was seeking to lead Jesus in this hour of temptation. And his intent is only to steal, kill, and destroy.

I’m not certain every temptation can be traced back to appetite, ambition, or applause. But I am certain I have fallen prey to all three one way or another. Satan will throw out some tasty-looking bait. But the bait always hides a sharp barb. Now, truly, we are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). And Jesus gives us a means by which we can overcome his temptations…faith in God and a deep knowledge of his word.

Let's be clear: Jesus is God in the flesh. And that means we will have do deal with him. Not only as he speaks to the lost, telling them that they are forgiven and saved, but also in his harder sayings. Calling us to take up our cross and follow him. Commanding that we forgive someone 70 times 7 (most scholars believe this not to be a literal number, but a command that reaches as far as needed - 5000 times if need be). Confronting self-righteousness. Condemning self-serving religion. Pointing us to lose life in order to find it. Commanding us to give, not letting the right hand know what the left has given.

But let's also be blessed: Jesus, Son of God, also died for the sins of the world. He laid in the grave and on the third day rose again, ascended to heaven and now sits at the right hand of God. We have no weak Savior. We have no supposed savior. We have a Savior who loved us so much that he took on human flesh, lived among us for a time, suffered and died for us. And now when we pray, he who is God also knows our human frame. He has compassion and mercy on us. He loves us. This is not supposedly true. This is most certainly true.

When Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat of the forbidden fruit, she was offered something that was pleasing to the eye, desirable for wisdom, and good for food. Glory. Fame. Bread. He has no new tricks. Jesus will not fall for any of these. None of them fill the soul - even though we need all of them to live and move and have our being.

But Jesus realizes that it is better to lose one's life than one's soul. He will not trade his true destiny for the best bread, the greatest fame or the most opulent glitz. For he knows who he is. And to let Satan direct his ways - even toward legitimate needs (bread certainly has to be on that lis!) - will take him down a path of which there is no return.

Perhaps we can learn something from Jesus' encounter with Satan. The most important thing is that Jesus withstood the temptation, and began his vanquish of the Old Evil Foe. This is the first round. It will not be the last. But Jesus will prevail. Thanks be to God!

Jesus was real. No fake. No illusion. No cardboard cut-out. A real air-breathing, heart-beating, flesh-laden, living being. This guy really happened. He really lived. He really taught. He really suffered and died.

Jesus was also true. True to God his Father in heaven. True to the Law of God. True to all God intended man to be. True to his friends. True to his enemies. True to all with whom he came into contact. Nothing false about him. No sham. No deceit. The truth, the whole truth, but truth coupled inexorably to grace and love.

No one else can claim that. Not to mention that he was also true God. And we'll look at that tomorrow. For how let the humanity of Jesus, his true/real manhood bolster your faith. Learn from him what it means to be a true man or woman.

Jesus has a checkered lineage. But that lineage will not define him in its failures. He is fully human, yet without sin. But he is also fully God. The mystery of the incarnation is therefore twofold. How could God become a man? I don't know, but he did. And Why did God become a man? This I know: to save and redeem us, to seek us and bring us with him into present purposefulness (apart from any human lineage), and eternal joy and bliss.

Thanks be to God!

Our sin has severed our relationship with God. All of us have done it. We've all sinned. We've failed to meet God's standards of perfection. So "the soul that sins will die," is not just a theological concept, it's a profound truth with which we must all deal. And because of that we fall short of God's glory.

But the word in Romans 3 is actually properly translated, "praise." All have sinned and fallen short of [earning, receiving] the praise of God.

But hear what God says to Jesus at his baptism: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Sounds like praise to me. And want to hear the best part of all? Through faith in Jesus we are credited with Jesus' righteousness! We who are baptized into Christ are clothed with Christ.

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. To do so required that he fully participate in the human experience. So he did - including being baptized along with a bunch of sinners. Now that he has begun that mission in public, the Father praises him. Jesus will not fall short. Nor will any who put their faith in him.

Herod is using Satan's playbook. He will not give up. Not content with having Herodias as his wife, he will lock up John in prison, and ultimately have John beheaded in a foolish satan-inspired promise to Herodias' daughter (cf, Matthew 14:1-12). Not only is Herod using Satan's playbook, he's serving as Satan's shill. Satan is using Herod, and he will be the worse for it.

Josephus says that Herod, "feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it in his power and inclination to raise a rebellion; for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise." Whatever the reason - coopted by Satan, serving as his pawn, captured by fear - Herod will not give up. Even more so Satan. We must stand up to him. May God give us his Spirit of courage, strength, wisdom, and discernment.

Winnowing forks and unquenchable fire imagery conjures thoughts of judgment. But what of wheat barns? Judgment isn't just for the evil ones. It's not all about God giving us justice against those who wrong us. It's also about being saved, and finding an eternal home in God's storehouse of life and love. Jesus' first appearance would challenge the religious self-righteous (judgmental) ones. His second appearing will bring his own into that place of eternal safekeeping - free from every threat to body, heart, and soul. That's why Luke calls John's preaching good news. Jesus is coming to save. To judge and separate the chaff to be sure. But most of all to save.

I know of no other judge than Jesus who I would wish to judge me and all people. He knows our frame. He has walked among us. He knows God's heart. He has come from the Father. I trust his winnowing fork. I yearn for his wheat barn.

When Jesus makes his appearance he does little to trumpet is greatness. He requires no special treatment. He has no logo sown onto his tunic. He requests no special treatment, not even excusing himself from being baptized. This is the continuation of a remarkable journey. Jesus has come from the highest glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He has laid aside that glory, abandoned his heavenly throne, abandoned the worship of angels, and taken on human flesh. He became a baby. Unfathomable! Now he will step into the muddy waters of the Jordan River along with all the other members of the Brood of Vipers gang as though he needed to repent! This just isn't right. Not very "GOATish."

But this reveals a side of greatness that is seldom seen and often overlooked entirely. Jesus greatness is rooted in his love for his people. It is expressed in his searching for and seeking the lost. It is seen in his willingness to be baptized - identifying with those he came to save. And now it is witnessed to by John.

John's witness is nothing to sneeze at. Jesus speaks of John this way: “I can guarantee this truth: Of all the people ever born, no one is greater than John the Baptizer" (Matthew 11:11, GNT). He will die because of his unwavering commitment to God's ways. But he is not the greatest of all time. There is only One who fits that category. And it is our great privilege to believe in him and to witness to his greatness whenever we can.

Some people will tout one political candidate over another as the savior of America, freedom, Democracy, or peace in our time. Others may yearn for the superstar doctor to attend to them when they're ill. Still others long for a financial partner who will bail them out or solve all their retirement woes. Those may or may not be false hopes.

But we must be clear: Jesus, the Son of Mary, the Son of God is the True Messiah. He alone saves. Whoever points us to him is a great blessing and one to be appreciated. I hope I do this for you. But I'm not your Savior. Most all of you know that. All of you should.