The Life of Jesus - Week 1

Need to know -

Jesus saw himself as the capstone and continuation of the work of God in the Old Testament

Everything God was doing before was leading to this point.

Garden of eden, the curse on the serpent - God says, someone is coming to crush your head.

Blessing of Abraham, God says, and all the world will be blessed through your family line.

Kingdom of David, God says, and one day, I’ll put someone on that throne, who will reign forever in perfection.

Jesus isn’t a new direction on the scene - this is the way it was from the beginning

So in the life and teachings of Jesus, we’ll see many parallels back to the grand story in the old testament.

But at the same time, we can only fully understand Jesus and his work in light of the whole story that came before

Tested in the wilderness

Matthew 4:1–11 NIV

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

There is SO MUCH going on here, that I want to help you unpack it.

This is the Israel Story 2.0

This parallels Israel in the Desert.

God miraculously rescues Egypt - miracles and the parting of the red sea. Then leads them out to give them their own land. And he takes them through the desert.

Exodus 15:25–26 (NIV)

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.

He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

God said the wilderness was to test them, to see if they were willing to listen carefully to God and do whatever God said.

A month and change into the journey - Israel is already grumbling. ‘If only we died by the Lord’s hand in egypt! we had what we needed there.’ So God provides for them.

Jesus showed faithfulness where Israel failed

Not only is he hungry, he has the power to do something about it.

Jesus stated that we don’t live on bread alone, but we live by the words of God

God told him to fast in the desert. His body told him - I could really use a sandwich right now.

But Jesus showed us - we NEED to obey God. Sandwiches are secondary.

How often do we pass up on God’s plan because we’re too busy looking for bread?

If you think about it, what is it that motivates us to look elsewhere? Doubt and fear.

We doubt that God can actually take care of us.

We’re afraid of what happens if he doesn’t.

Let God dictate what you think about life

Don’t let your life dictate what you think about God.

Jesus took God’s word - you are my son whom i love, and with you i’m well pleased - and used that to dictate his responses in the desert. He could have used his hunger in the desert to say, ‘God is no longer faithful to me’ or ‘I am no longer God’s son’. God’s promise was bigger than the world’s problems.

here’s a practical example.

Matthew 6:31–33 NIV

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Now, Jesus here, he’s not saying, ‘Don’t work’. He’s saying, ‘Don’t worry’ about food, or drink, or clothes - worry about God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness’.

And what does he promise after that? If we do that - he’ll provide the food and drink and clothes.

So stand on that promise. Work hard on seeking out God’s kingdom, God’s righteousness. Learning and understanding his word. And whenever you face a desert, or you’re craving that bread - tell yourself. God asked me to seek him. He’ll worry about the bread.

This is the Garden of Eden Story 2.0

Satan tempts Jesus on two different points:

First - misuse God’s word. He says, here’s this random scripture that means you can chuck yourself off the temple.

And the worst part is - he sort of makes sense. If this is true, you could totally do that.

STORY - My kids had that conversation about new bodies in heaven.

Back in the garden. The misuse of God’s word by the Snake - Did God REALLY say that? You aren’t actually going to die - your eyes will be opened and you’ll have all this knowledge!

Often time, we expect the enemy to try and stop us in big, flashy ways. But usually it’s just a little off-center. It honors ONE scripture and ignores another one.

You didn’t do this thing you should have. You’re no good. God’s upset with you.

It’s sort of like saying, the bible says we need to work hard. It also says not to worry about where our food or clothes are coming from. So imagine if we were just like, hey, i don’t have to work at all, because God said not to worry about food or clothes!

This is a real danger as Christ followers. That the enemy or our flesh takes something that’s partially true - and uses it to drive us away from Jesus

Jesus’ complaint to the pharisees was that they were GREAT at honoring the little bits of the law - tithing spices, measurements, etc - and horrible at attending to the bigger parts of the law - justice and mercy. Because they misused part and ignored the rest, they just completely missed the boat.

Second - replace God. Satan says to Jesus, all you have to do is worship me, and i’ll make you king. Take God off that throne and put me there.

In the garden, that was the big temptation from the Snake - if you take this - you’ll be like God!

Heard it said the other day, that many of the ways we introduce stresses in our lives are when we try to replace God.

We try to know the future, or control our environment, or be perfect to someone - or anyone. But only God knows the future, can dictate the path, and be perfect.

This is the enemy’s big goal. Because Christianity 101 -

Romans 10:9 NIV

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The enemy is going after that truth - Jesus as Lord. And any way that He can make you take Jesus off the throne and put literally anything else up there - power, status, wealth, lust, security, whatever - then we’re off balance spiritually. And we run the real risk of just missing it completely.

Jesus responds to both by deferring back to God

He says, i’m not gonna chuck myself off the temple. Not because he doesn’t trust God’s word. But precisely because he DOES trust God’s word.

Jesus doesn’t say, you’re misunderstanding, that’s not actually what that means. He says - the word also says not to put God to the test. So I’m not going to test him.

God said both things - and I need both things to follow him.

STORY - ever had that conversation with your kids - Can I have ice cream? Yes But you need to cl- BYE DAD. Kids only want the part, so that they can do whatever they want. And secretly - they know they’re wrong.

Understanding the truth of God involves looking at the WHOLE truth of God. We draw false conclusions by only taking a small part of it.

Let’s say, one day, God tells you, I have this big job for you, and you’re gonna be famous. It can be tempting to make our own way there. Claw your way up the ladder, take advantage of people, wheel and deal and steal to make your way into the spotlight.

It’s not enough that God gave you this word. God doesn’t want it to be that he just gives us marching orders and sends us away. He wants to walk with us every single step.

But at the same time - God is still God. He’s still on top, and we’re on the bottom.

We exist FOR him. God’s not our vending machine to get our stuff done. We’re his, and real and true life is found in understanding ourselves in that relational dynamic.

What’s wonderful is - that’s the best possible place to be.

How do we combat these two temptations? To either misuse or replace God?

Let God be God, and make sure you’re not trying to take His place

The truth - you are not enough to get by in your own life. And that’s OK.

STORY - the other day, I yelled at ‘elizabeth’ for not listening to me. But it was actually Sadie. I could have defended myself. But I just admitted - ya, I was wrong, you guys look alike. I’m sorry.

I’m not good enough to be the best Dad God has created me to be. Or the best pastor. Or the best husband. And neither are you.

We are made to be in relationship with God. That’s what the Garden of Eden was, right?

Recognizing that we’re weak by ourselves (even if we’re strong compared to other people) and that we NEED God is the first step to really, truly following God.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 NIV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

We need to tell ourselves - in my weakness, God is strong. And I can trust him to do what’s right at all times. Even if i don’t understand it, even if i don’t agree with it.

But we’re so tempted to BE God in the circumstance. I know what’s right. I know what to do. I can do it!

Stop trying to climb up on that throne. Be patient, listen to God. Learn to get yourself out of the way.

Ever notice how the fruit of the spirit seem pretty time consuming and not terribly productive by our sense of priorities? There’s a wrong going on in your life, and God wants you to practice… peace, patience, and kindness.

The problem is - we’re not God. We don’t know what real power is. He does. And he’s trying to show us.

STORY - Brian begrudgingly doing dishes for his roomate . Roomate was going through something pretty bad, and Brian’s quiet servitude really afforded him the space to be able to overcome it.

Trust God. He’s got a plan, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s got the power to pull it off.

If we learn what it means to follow God, even through the wilderness, we can see God do amazing things through us. Because here’s the truth:

God doesn’t strip away stuff because he hates us.

God clears up space in us for him to fill because he loves us

God didn’t give Adam and Eve knowledge of evil because it would destroy them.

The israelites were taken through the desert to learn what it means to trust God and obey him completely.

And in your life, it may result in times that feel like a wilderness. Maybe it’s one God brought you too, and maybe it’s a dense thicket you managed to get yourself lost in.

But in all those times, it may feel like you have lost so much - but you haven’t lost God. You can never lose Him.

Romans 8:38–39 NIV

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Wherever you’re art, whatever’s happened, whoever you were - God loves you so much. And he’ll always love you. And he’ll always be there, even in the darkest of times.

And when we know that - we can be truly free. Look at Jesus - he stared the devil in the face and told him to take a hike.