If we've learned nothing on this pilgrimage, let us learn this: the way of life is through death, the way of power is through serving. The way of Jesus is not like the ways of the World - and so we strive to stay in His way, through the grace of God's Holy Spirit. Not only that, we do it together, in this community of faith.

Jesus makes it clear, "God loves the world...and He will save it." This is the heart of God. Yet, like Moses of old, on this pilgrimage you'll have to look up to see the heart of God.

Very few people are ready for Jesus with whips. And yet, this is exactly what we get when Jesus comes into the house of the LORD to find people behaving outside of the ways of the LORD. Jesus cleans house - not only of the temple, but of the hearts of those who follow Him.

The way has been clear...from the very beginning: Jesus was born to die. For Jesus, the Messiah, all roads lead to the cross of Calvary.  And, for those of us who, by God's grace, choose to follow Him - the road leads to the same place. 

This text sounds shockingly similar to the beginning of Epiphany, when God revealed Himself in Jesus. That is true. Yet, in the text today, Jesus is led into the wilderness where He will be tested. Can we agree nobody likes a test? And yet, this testing is a part of the pilgrimage; it is a time of shaping and molding. When we follow Jesus, we are certain to go through our own seasons of testing and shaping.