Lord, Throughout These Forty Days...19

The Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness comes immediately after His baptism by John in the Jordan. That blessed moment gives rise to one of the most significant statements in all of Holy Writ. As Jesus, the Son, comes up from the baptismal waters, God, the Spirit, settles on Him in the form of a dove and God, the Father pronounces Jesus identity. God -- three in person and one in substance -- manifests in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Here modalism and monism as a view of God fall apart. For God in His three persons works in unison in a specific point in space/time.

The declaration of Jesus identity interests me as I meditate on the wilderness today. Mark and Luke record the Father saying, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." It is significant that two-thirds of the Synoptics tell us that Father-God speaks to Son-God about who He is. This brings us into the wilderness.

Satan attacks Jesus about His identity. "If you are..." forms the condition for all three temptaitons. The Father just reaffirmed three aspects of Jesus true self: acceptance, affection, affirmation. Now the devil tries to undermine each.

Let's look at acceptance.

In the Jordan, Father-God unashamedly said, "You are MY Son..." The sense of belonging flavors that expression of acceptance. Father-God claims this person as HIS.  From the bleachers of heaven, the Divine Dad yells for all to hear, "That's MY boy!"

But in the wilderness the tempter challenges that piece of identity. In s-s-suggesting that Jesus could demonstrate his Son-ship by activating Father-God's written promise of protection, the tempter tries to give Jesus doubt about whether or not God truly claims Him. Does Father-God really accept you? How can you be sure without activating a clear promise?

To deflect this Jesus quotes, "Do not put the Lord, YOUR God to the test." In asserting that Father-God was HIS God, Jesus echos the mutual acceptance of Son and Father. Just as Father-God had just declared Jesus as HIS Son, now the Son claims the Lord as HIS God. He rests in the the knowledge that He and the Father are One and of one mind about this acceptance. Even in the wilderness of separation, Jesus belongs to the Father who claims Him as His own at the Jordan.

For us, we need to listen again to the voice of Father-God claiming us as His own in the regeneration accomplished by the power of Spirit-God as the result of Son-God's death/resurrection. Though we are not all we will be, we are indeed now children of God.

We also need to echo back this word of acceptance and claim this God -- Father, Son, Spirit -- as our God. He is our life, our source, our hope, our righteousness, our King and coming Lord. Without Him and His acceptance, we are nothing and can accomplish nothing. We are HIS!