Jesus – Tried and Tested

  Short Episode

 Why no detail?

 Significant points

 Jesus' divine mission

 At once the Spirit sent him out … (Mark 1:12, NIV - Anglicised)

 Tough conditions

 … into the desert

 Threat to survival

 Between Devil and Danger

 Mark's purpose

 … begins his gospel in the wilderness

 Good news begins in a dry, desolated place inhabited by wild beasts and demons.The promise of salvation starts in a place that is lonely, disorderly, and dangerous.

 Christ’s wilderness experience was designed – not to see if he would sin, but to prove that He could not sin.

 Jesus was tested to be our example

 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18, NIV - Anglicised)

 Coping in Adversity

 Satan

 Satan=Adversary

 Spiritual adversity

 Wild Animals

 Chaos

 Dangerous world

 In all God is with Him

 … and angels attended him. (Mark 1:13, NIV - Anglicised)  

 … and us.

 We can tell our story of our own private wilderness. We have had that desolate place in our lives where we dealt with temptations and snares. We have been in hard places and valleys so low that we thought we’d never get out. Desparation and despair have become our travelling companions. We know all about the wilderness.

 And the good news is that God will not leave us in the wilderness alone. We have a promise that God will come to us. He may not come when we want him, but he’ll come at the right time.

 Jesus – Trustworthy

 … when the going gets tough …

 Ray Mears

 His knowledge of the wild and his ability to teach others how to find food from seeds, berries, roots and other growing things, and to survive by constructing temporary shelters, fires and even making canoes (all from natural materials)

 Good man to be with in the wildreness

 Track record

 Jesus has faced …

 Adversity

 Temptation

 Danger

 Jesus promises to be with us

 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4, NIV - Anglicised)

 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20, NIV - Anglicised)

 Good man to be with in the wildreness