Witness in the Wilderness

Pastor Joe Fuiten, April 2, 2006

Luke 4:1-4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 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. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'"

The forty days of Jesus in the wilderness is our model for us in our temptations and difficulties. This period is over with Palm Sunday, on April 9^th. During that time Jesus was led by the Spirit but tempted by the devil who seized upon his personal weakness to try to destroy him. Each of us has our personal weakness and the devil is merciless in trying to exploit it.

Our lives can be a struggle. But the wilderness is made holy by the success of Jesus in that place. Through his voluntary humility in prayer and fasting, Jesus gave us an example. He humbled himself by coming to this earth.

Heb 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

He was the king of glory but he walked in the wilderness. He is the creator of the earth but spent weeks in one of the most desolate parts of the earth. Consider who Jesus is. John saw something of the majesty of Jesus in Revelation 1:12-18 “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

The contrast between Jesus the king of glory, and the desolation of the wilderness could not be more striking. We are similarly in a wilderness that is seperated from its maker. Jesus in the wilderness is our model for living in Puget Sound. The world we live in seems far removed from Jesus. Life is a mad dash, a violent clash, a horrific crash. There seems to be an increasing anti-Christ spirit and the world celebrates sin as though it were something noble.

Our world today, and the world that Jesus came into share many parallels. Jesus was showing his concern for souls by his trials on earth generally, and his testing in the wilderness specifically. This whole season tells us something about Jesus and shows us the right example. His coming into that world, as ours, should show us the heart of God. If Jesus came, what does he want us to do?

It is clear that he wants us to follow his example because the Great Commission says to go into all the world which is a reflection of what Jesus himself did. (Mark 16:15-18) “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

The wilderness proves that it wasn’t easy for Jesus. It won’t be easy for us. Jesus learned obedience through the things that he suffered. We might have some painful experiences ourselves.

Not only do we have the example of Jesus but also of his followers in times past. Paul went to the Gentiles at great risk and great loss to himself. Why should we expect less? (2 Cor 5:17-21) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Being in the wilderness is about mission. The effort is for something. It is to fulfill the call to a lost world. It was the start of ministry for Jesus. The humble place where he began. If we are to take our cues from Jesus, we will use this time to bring the Gospel to people. With the Victor, we have a great opportunity. The Gospel is presented in a very acceptable way. It is a story that is told. Here is a line you should use: “Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week, why don’t you go to church with me?”

It is not necessarily fun out there. The aftermath of the recent Rave in Seattle demonstrates that. There is a lot of brokeness and pain. At the same time, people can be resistive even while they struggle.

There are a predictable set of objections to a witness.

· They will say religion, and Christianity in particular, is the cause of a lot of wars. Never mind that this has been the accusation since the so-called “Enlightenment” but has not been updated since with any new facts. The 20^th century was the century of atheism not Christianity causing the problem. The 21^st century is shaping up to the be century of attack for Islam, not Christianity.

· Christianity is an intolerant and superstitious religion as evidenced by the Salem Witch Trials. What do you have in the last couple of centuries?

Yet even with the resistance, there is also a hunger for God. When the Lord looks down from heaven, I want him to see a faithful person and a faithful witness. We need to call on his grace to make it possible.