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The Spirit immediately drove [Jesus] out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted by Satan. And He was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to Him. (Mark 1:12-13)
Let’s follow Jesus out into the wilderness. What do you see, as you look around?
Well, the Holy Spirit Himself has sent Jesus out there. So there’s God. Satan’s there, too, trying to tempt Jesus. There are good angels as well, although it’s not super clear what exactly they’re doing. And then there are the wild animals. This is who Jesus has for company.
That’s a pretty good list of living beings, from God all the way down to the animals. But one thing’s missing. Where are the human beings?
Jesus is the human being here. He is our representative, doing on our behalf what we could never manage. He spends 40 days being tested—“Do miracles to meet Your own needs! Force God to prove His power and faithfulness to You, instead of trusting Him! Turn away from God and grab for earthly power!” And unlike us, Jesus stays faithful!
The lovely thing here is that Jesus, the Son of God, is also the Son of Man. He has become one of us, subject to the same needs and trouble—hungry, alone, tempted. And why? Because He loves us, and wants to rescue us from evil and bring us home to God. Because He loves the Father, who sent Him to save us by dying on a cross and rising from the dead, sharing that life with us.
WE PRAY: Dear Jesus, thank You for becoming like me. Help me to call on You when I’m in trouble and need You so much. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- Would it have been good enough if God had sent an angel to rescue us?
- Why or why not? Give your reasons.
- Jesus is human forever. What feelings do you have about that?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
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