The Call of the Wilderness/Luke 4:1-13

The Call of the Wilderness

1. Wilderness Refuge

a. John the Baptist lives in the wilderness

i. The wilderness is not something to be avoided, but entered into

Luke 4:1–13 NASB95

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ” And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ” And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

ii. The wilderness is not a place of barrenness; it is a place of promise

b. The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness

Luke 4:1

i. Jesus does not enter wilderness alone, but in the company of the Trinity

ii. Jesus fasts for 40 days in preparation of God’s direction

The fasting in the Old Testament

The fasting of Moses and Jesus parallel each other indicating that this was a preparation for divine revelation

Scripture:

INTRODUCTION:

There seem to be two types of people in the world: those who love the wilderness, who camp, hike, hunt, and fish; and those who don’t, who prefer a Hilton with an indoor pool over a tent by a mountain stream. Some view the untamed wild as an opportunity for adventure, challenge, and exploration. Others view it as a beautiful sight to be viewed from the window of a chalet, where you don’t need to wear bug spray or worry about bears. When we approach this text about wilderness, we tend to bring along our preconceived notions and preferences about wilderness too: either it’s a vast and beautiful wonder, or it’s a challenging and desolate landscape to be viewed from afar.

Wilderness for the Jews, however, would conjure up a very different image. The image wouldn’t be of camping, as much as one of journeying. It wouldn’t be of picture windows in mountain lodges, but of years looking out of tent flaps. For them, the idea of wilderness would bring up images of Moses and the exodus.

Moses was led into the wilderness after killing the Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave. The wilderness for Moses became a place of refuge, until the day he saw a burning bush. Suddenly the wilderness became a place of calling, a place where God spoke, and he had the choice to answer. Out of the place of calling, the wilderness became once again a place of refuge, not just for Moses this time but also for the Hebrew people, who fled the oppression of the Egyptians.

In that same wilderness that God spoke again, through the Ten Commandments, calling his people to be a people of covenant relationship with him and with one another. The wilderness also became a place of provision, where the children of Israel were fed manna and quail, where water poured from rocks. This wild and untamed wilderness, however, was not just a place of refuge, of calling, and of provision. It was also a place of great temptation.

wild and untamed wilderness, however, was not just a place of refuge, of calling, and of provision. It was also a place of great temptation.

Around every corner the children of Israel were tempted to forsake the God who was performing miracles before them. They erected statues to worship, they grumbled about the food, they complained about the water. Ultimately, when they were told to take the promised land, they fell into the temptation of not trusting God, and they were forced to wander the wilderness for forty years.

These forty years of temptation and trial, of hope and promise, are what we see reflected in these forty days of Jesus’s wilderness journey. It is a time when he too finds refuge, calling, temptation, and provision in the midst of the wild.

To begin, let us look at the ...

1. Wilderness Refuge

It is interesting that most would feel the wilderness a place to be avoided and yet it is the wilderness where we find Jesus predecessor John the Baptist.

a. John the Baptist, a wild man who lives in the wilderness prepares the way

Chapter 3 talks of John the Baptist, who is described as a wild man who lives in the wilderness and talks about being the one coming to prepare the way. He quotes Isaiah giving us the image of crooked paths being made straight.

Luke 3:3–4 NASB95

And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.

Luke 3:

We talked of this at Christmas. Our lives can be crazy winding this way and that way, making it difficult to know the right path to navigate. However, in Jesus we see the straight path to salvation. He makes our paths straight if only we will listen. So we find that...

i. Wilderness, then, is not something to be avoided but, rather, is something that Christ enters into.

He demonstrates the way for us the path we all need to take. We all make our beginning in the wilderness. I cannot remember a single person who has followed Christ who does not share their beginning in a wilderness experience. The wilderness is not a place to fear because the...

ii. Wilderness is not just a place of barrenness; it is also a place of promise.

If we look back at all the various adventures through the wilderness; Abraham, Moses, the Children of Israel, King David and Jesus, we find that it is always in the wilderness where God’s promises are shared. That is why it is the Holy Spirit who leads Jesus into the wilderness. (Do not read b.)

b. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads Jesus into the wilderness.

God always has a plan and God has something He wishes to accomplish in Jesus life before He sends Him into ministry. Yet Jesus does not enter the wilderness alone.

i. Jesus enters into the wilderness in the company of the Trinity.

God sent his Spirit upon Jesus when Jesus was baptized and the Spirit leads Jesus in the ways God would have Him to travel. The first place He takes Jesus is into the wilderness. Jesus is following in the path of those who have gone before him. Abraham who was called to leave Ur and travel to Canaan. Moses who fled Egypt and later returned for the Israelites who then journeyed through the wilderness. King David as he alluded Saul’s murderous rampage and even John the Baptist who seemed to dwell there. The wilderness is a place of beginning. Once in the wilderness we see...

ii. Jesus fasts for forty days while in the wilderness.

Moses fasted for forty days and nights () as he prepared for the revelation of God on the stone tablets.

1. Fasting in the Old Testament was often preparation for divine revelation. Forty appears to have some importance as it is used 146 times in the scriptures. While others fasted for 40 days...

1. Fasting in the Old Testament was often preparation for divine revelation.

Forty is literally used 146 times in scripture. We are in a time if Lent which consists of 40 days

2. The fasting of Moses and Jesus parallel each other in such a way that it is clear that this is a time of preparation for a divine revelation.

Like Moses, Jesus is specifically seeking to hear from God. Of course, this was not the only time Jesus pulled away from people to hear from God, but this one is particularly significant since it was at the beginning and for a full 40-days. Like Moses and Jesus...

c. We too can find refuge in the wilderness.

i. We are led into wild places of our lives. While we often resist these places, they can be times of refuge and formation.

Such times consist of job losses, illness, family difficulties, any time that something happens to upset the equilibrium of our lives can be considered wilderness experiences. My first real experience with the wilderness of this sort was a tough job assignment. I worked in a corporate office that was demanding both of time and interpersonal relationships. The overtime required was atrocious and the conflict within the office untenable. Yet as I prayed to be released from this assignment I felt God calling me to stay. I did not understand and it was not uncommon for me to go home in tears. Little did I know then that it was a place of training for me to enter the ministry. It was the place where I learned to live daily in God’s presence to survive. God became my refuge in that place.

ii. As we lean into Lent, these forty days are days of refuge and reformation for us. A time to remove ourselves from the chaos of the world and prepare ourselves for divine revelation in our lives.

The world takes a toll on us and it can slowly draw our attention from God. So it is important to take time periodically to re-evaluate and focus on God. To re-adjust our lives from the things that have pulled us away and to pull back into line with God’s purpose. Lent is a great time to do just that. One reason Lent is such a great time for this is that we do not do it alone, but we all do it together as a united whole. God does not call us to be individuals. God calls us to be family. At times, God calls an individual out, but it is to lead family. Abraham was called out, to build a unique family. Moses was called to lead Israel. David was called to lead Israel. John the Baptist was called to recollect the family in preparation for Jesus coming. We each have a call as a leader of family or to be the family; the family of God. Which leads us nicely from Wilderness refuge to...

2. Wilderness Calling

You see, it is within the wilderness refuge that we find our calling. It is difficult to hear God within the context of every day life, but when wilderness times come, we out of desire or necessity incline our attention and our hearing to God.

a. Within the context of the entire chapter, it is apparent that Jesus is being led into public ministry through this time in the wilderness.

He has come to hear from God in preparation of this time of ministry. He has availed Himself, by pulling away alone to better hear what God would wish to instruct. We know this is what is occurring since...

i. After he comes out of the wilderness, he declares that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him to preach.

God has given Jesus His instruction and His purpose. We also see the enemy at work during this time, however the temptations of Satan do not deter Jesus, they only affirm Him. We see...

b. In the midst of the temptations, who Jesus is, is being reconfirmed.

If you have ever had a strong call from God to do something, you will know that there are times in the beginning when we doubt that call. It is an odd feeling. On one hand we believe it, yet on the other it seems so unbelievable, and we think, “is this really possible? Am I just imagining this?” I wonder if Jesus did not have the same doubts from time to time in the beginning. Remember when He was 12 years old? In the temple He seemed so confident of who He was and where He belonged. As children, we usually are strongly confident, yet as adults that confidence has been tried by life and we flounder some. When Jesus was baptized, we see God affirming the truth when He said,

Luke 3:22a NASB95

and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

Now Jesus is in the wilderness and Satan is saying, “if you are the Son of God.” I believe Satan knew the truth, but he was putting Jesus to the test. He has been raised by human beings. He has lived as a human child. He literally is a human child! And Satan insinuates that perhaps Jesus has misunderstood. However,

i. Jesus never denies that he is the Son of God; rather, he reiterates that he is a humble servant devoted to the worship and service of God.

In so doing, He grows stronger and more confident of who He is.

c. We can find our call in the wilderness.

I worked in that corporate office for 6 years, but it was in the last couple that I heard the call and began to understand the purpose of this wilderness journey. You see, in that corporate office I learned to be strong. I was trained for leadership. I learned how to organize my work time to make the most of it under overwhelming demands. I learned how to work with and supervise people in projects. I especially learned how to work with difficult people! Yes, this can be an important part of ministry! :-)

In Jesus experience...

i. We are brought back to images of Moses being called to free the children of Israel as we see Jesus called into the desert by the Holy Spirit.

Whereas Moses was to free the Children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, Jesus is called to free all God’s children from the bondage of sin. And aren’t we glad He did that!

ii. In this season of Lent, we also prepare ourselves to hear the call of God in our lives.

Sometimes the call is major, such as my call to leave all I knew and go forth into full-time ministry. But at other times, God might be calling you to speak freedom to others or to trust the Holy Spirit in a certain situation in your life. Though it might not be through a burning bush, or days of temptation, be open to where the calling might happen in the midst of these days.

But also remember, that where there is a calling, there is temptation. Look at our third wilderness experience. It is literally...

3. Wilderness Temptation

You can bet that where God is calling us, the enemy is waiting to distract us. Jesus is the Son of God yet...

a. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness.

i. This might be the most obvious role of the wilderness: Jesus is there to be tempted. You see even temptation serves a purpose as I shared earlier. We know from the scriptures that Jesus was tempted that entire 40 days, though it became more obvious and intense near the end. During most of that time, most of the temptation was most likely nagging thoughts, desires, frustrations. Things like feeling his mind was wandering when He wanted to be more focused on God. perhaps feeling tired. It says, He did not feel hungry until after the fast ended. This is interesting as many feel that way. I do. When I feel a fast is called by God, I usually do not feel hungry until afterwards. However, there are times I wish to fast for my own purposes I tend to feel more hungry during those times.

It is interesting that Satan became more obvious when Jesus was at His weakest. He was finally feeling hungry. It had been 40 days and He was probably beginning to feel distracted by a longing to see family and friends. He was ready to move on and then there he is. Satan himself, confronting Him. First...

b. He is tempted to meet immediate felt needs on his own and in his own way, by turning stones to bread.

Satan literally taunts Jesus that the Father has not provided for Him, so what is wrong with providing for Himself? He can step out of those people shoes long enough to do the God thing and provide for Himself. However...

i. Jesus understands that there is more to life than just food.

There is a lot of difficult struggles coming and if Jesus does not resist Satan here and now and accomplish this, how will He ever learn to do the same later as things get harder? How many times have we compromised things in our life thinking, “this is a little thing that doesn’t matter?” “Oh, it won’t hurt if I end my fast a day earlier than I told God I would. He will understand.” “It won’t hurt if I drink with my co-workers this once. Who is it going to hurt?” “I was going to use this money to buy a gift for my spouse, but I can do that another time as I really want this item now.” How many times do we let our self talk persuade us that something is an innocent little side trek? Only, that self talk is not usually us but a demon leading us down the path of self provision.

We also see that...

c. Jesus is tempted to succumb to celebrity and authority.

Do something amazing! Jump and watch the angels flock to rescue you! It is interesting that in this instance, Satan misquotes . God does not promise to rescue us when we do something stupid. God is not a dog and pony show. Many times people urged Jesus to prove Himself by doing something spectacular. That is what happened in Nazareth. They said, “show us all the amazing things we have heard you perform in other places!” However, Jesus is not a performer. When He acts it is from leading of the Holy Spirit and in acts of compassion. It was never for show!

i. He understands that God alone is the one owed all glory and honor.

And finally,

d. Jesus is tempted to succumb to power.

In a moments time, Satan shows Jesus all the powers of the world and the glory that goes with it and offers it to Jesus. Do not think Satan doesn’t have supernatural powers. He does and we are told, that he showed it all to Jesus in a flicker of time. We do not know if this was a vision of the mind or literally a movie in front of Jesus. It always makes me think of Star Trek when they faced an open rock that showed history moving by in front of them. However it happened. Satan was offering Jesus that He did not need to do what God had sent Him to do. Satan would give Him all He was after in saving us from death if only Jesus would worship him instead of God the Father. I am glad Jesus did not buy into it. Remember, Satan is the great deceiver. There is nothing to make him keep his word. If Jesus had done so, he would have been in bondage to Satan also. As it were...

i. Jesus understands that we should not test God but instead should trust in the power of God, instead of depending on our power.

Just like Jesus...

e. We too will face temptation in the wilderness.

i. Lent is a season of facing things that tempt us.

This has been done through fasting from things we enjoy in order to draw closer to God. Things like sweets, coffee or television help us understand our propensity to fall to temptation instead of trusting God. The first time we fast for Lent, we should start little, but each year as we do so, we should adjust and try something a little more demanding. In doing so, we strengthen ourselves in our faith and build a greater wall against Satan.

ii. We can learn to stand firm against temptation through the power of Christ.

Christ knows and understands what it takes to stand firm in times of temptation. Look at .

Hebrews 4:15 NASB95

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Having experienced it Himself, Jesus is the best person to help us. He set an example for us and His Spirit lives within us giving us the help we need.

1. One of the ways we do that is through knowledge of Scripture, just like Jesus knew the scriptures to stand against temptation.

1. One of the ways we do that is through knowledge of Scripture, just like Jesus knew the scriptures to stand against temptation.

Reading the scriptures and meditating on them are a great source of strength for us, as Jesus exemplified for us.

And now we come to...

4. Wilderness Provision

a. In the parallel Gospel of Matthew, it says that the angels attended him after the devil left.

i. In the midst of the wilderness, Jesus’s needs were met.

Remember, Satan had insinuated to Jesus that His needs were not being met. That is why he encouraged Jesus to make bread for Himself out of the rock. God had not overlooked Jesus need. God was waiting for the right time. When that time came, God provided bountifully through His angels.

ii. This compares to the needs of the children of Israel in the wilderness; they did not need to leave the wilderness to be cared for. God cared for them even in the midst of the wilderness. They were provided manna, water, quail. God took care of their needs.

b. Jesus was given strength and words in the midst of his temptations.

i. The Holy Spirit continued to be present with Jesus, providing for him even in the midst of the hardest temptations.

We have heard many such stories these past few weeks as we listened to various stories of Christians persecuted for their faith. There was one that I did not share as it was too long. However, a woman was put on trial. She served as her own attorney. Like Jesus, the court brought forward false witnesses, but God directed this young woman time after time to make foolish their accusations. She continually demonstrated the error with their stories and accusations.

c. We too can find provision in the wilderness.

i. We often think of the wilderness as a wasteland, but we are reminded through this text that God does not abandon us even in the midst of the wilderness.

When I gave my notice to that corporate office to leave and go to the Bible college, the president of the company offered me a huge raise. I think it was $65,000/yr. I thanked them and turned it down. They placed in my hand an incredible written recommendation that has lead to me being hired several times over the years. When I was astonished by what it said, the secretary told me that they attributed to me a huge work increase over the years. She said, due to my honesty, the men that worked in the field stopped fighting with their supervisors over their pay and the work performance increased a huge amount. God had not abandoned me during those years, but worked through me in an incredible way that got the attention of all. I had no idea! That experience is not for me alone...

ii. When we are faithful to seek after God, we might discover during this season of Lent that God provides for us in ways we don’t always recognize in our day to day.

He can use each and everyone. My story is not a tribute to me, but a tribute to what God did through me in a particularly difficult time in my life. He can do something similar in your life if you just put Him first. So let me ask you...

iii. What ways is God providing for you in the midst of your wilderness?

First, look and identify what your wilderness is. Is it your finances? Is it your job? Is it your health? Once you identify the wilderness, look and listen to what God is doing in and through that situation. If you do not see Him, perhaps it is because you are focused on the wrong things. Take time this Lent to look at that wilderness through Christ’s eyes and see what God wishes to do through that wilderness journey. Find your refuge in God in the situation. Seek God’s calling in the midst of it. Be prepared for the temptation and then stand strong in it. Then you will find God’s provision.

Conclusion:

The wilderness cannot be avoided, as much as we might try. We will find ourselves in the midst of the wild and untamed expanses of life at one time or another. The temptation is to avoid them, or to view them as places where nothing good can happen, but the wilderness can be a place of growth. It can be a place where we are restored, challenged, and called, and it can even be a time to see the provisions of God in the midst of scarcity. As a people, let’s walk into this time of Lenten wilderness with the expectation that God is going to walk with us through it all.