THE ‘WHO’, ‘WHY’ AND ‘HOW’
OF THE CHRISTIAN’S WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
Introduction
The cries on our lips, when we go through certain experiences are: ‘why is this happening to me?’ (with our hands on our head), ‘who is responsible for this?’ and ‘how I can go through it?’ We ask these questions when go through difficult times.
In this part of the world (i.e. UK) where we play the blame game very well, we find somebody in the society and bring him or her out to answer the question- ‘who is responsible?’
In the part of the world where I am coming from (i.e. the global south), difficult circumstances or experiences are often associated with Satan and his demons. Even Christians tend to give much praise to Satan for every difficult experience. People have therefore coined the expression in my country- ‘Satan hasn’t got a lawyer’, since he is blamed every now and then for every situation.
This morning I want to be the Devil’s advocate, as we look at the theme:
The ‘Who’, the ‘Why’ and the ‘How’ of the Christian’s Wilderness Experience
The Text
The Gospel of Matthew chapter 4 verses 1 to 11 (i.e. today’s Gospel reading) will help us, as we identify the ‘who’; the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of Christian experiences I will like to call ‘wilderness’ situations. In trying to answer these three questions- ‘who’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the Christian’s wilderness experiences; I will want you to learn 3 Greek words, which will help us to understand the text.
Prayer
Let us pray:
Holy Spirit, you who led Jesus into the wilderness for a season of testing, we pray that you will lead us this morning as we study your inspired word. We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour- AMEN.
Understanding our Text
Many bible versions have this adverb ‘then’ to open the narrative on Jesus’ temptation. The Greek meanings of this adverb ‘then’ (tote, pronunciation: tau-eh in Greek) are: ‘at that time, next, immediately afterwards’ and so on. So, if we could replace the word ‘then’ with ‘immediately afterwards’ we can get the idea that something had happened before this account on Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The Gospel writer Mark makes us understand the lapse of time from Jesus’ baptism to his trip into the wilderness. According to the New King James Version and many other versions, Mark chapter 1 verse 12 reads: ‘Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness’.
Therefore let us remind ourselves of what happened before Jesus’ trip to the wilderness. He had just been baptised by his cousin John. This baptism was different from the ones John had been getting. This particular candidate had just come out of the water and John (the Baptist) experienced what he had never seen in any other candidate. Verses 16 and 17 of Matthew chapter 3 reads:
‘At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
One will say Jesus (as always), had an effective line of communication with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The voice of the Father was He loved Jesus and was pleased with Him.
Just after that, (or immediately after this experience) he (Jesus) was taken into the wilderness.
Now, who took Jesus there? Was it the Devil? No! He was led there by the Holy Spirit. When you look at this verb ‘to lead’ in the original language in which the New Testament was written (i.e. Greek), you get a lot from it. The verb ‘anagó’ (pronounced- an-ag'-o), which in English means to ‘lead up’, to ‘bring up’ also connotes ‘to guide’ and ‘to carry’. In other words, the Holy Spirit guided Jesus to no other place but a wilderness.
What is a wilderness? It is a desert and in the days of Jesus, it was a deserted, desolate wasteland. It was also a solitary place- away from the bustling and hustling of life.
It was this kind of place that the Holy Spirit carried Jesus to. Why? To be tempted by the Devil. I don’t want us to limit the word ‘tempt’ to the negative connotations we may have understood it. ‘Tempt’, ‘peirazó’ in Greek (pronounced as pi-rad'-zo) also means to test, to try.
So far we have established that Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. Why? To be tried, to be tested by the Devil. He did that, even though he was fully God and at the same time fully human, to set for us an example. Did he pass the test? Indeed he came out with flying colours.
How did he do it? His survival in the wilderness was as a result of three survival kits he had, namely- prayer, fasting and appropriately applying the word of God.
This brings us to the application of the passage to our lives:
Application
Do you believe that the Holy Spirit will bring Christians to wilderness experiences? I mean situations of desertion, desolation, difficult times; a season of trial and testing of our faith. I definitely believe that the Holy Spirit will carry us to seasons of trying moments or circumstances; that sometimes it is difficult to explain and sometimes people may not even understand why this is happening to you and you too may not even comprehend why that is happening to a Christian- whom God loves and is pleased with.
My Christian brothers and sisters, the Gospel reading this morning is telling us (among other things) that the Holy Spirit allows the season of trying moments for a reason.
God loves us, he is pleased with us. Not because of our works of our good works but as a result of Jesus’ righteousness. Therefore, He (God) bluffs to the ‘Accuser-of-the-Brethren’ that is Satan about our faith in Him. Satan, will as usual, challenge God about our faith and so He will allow the Devil to try us. Do you remember the story of Job?
You may be asking- how can I survive what I am going through- this wilderness experience, difficult and trying times? Remember- He (the Holy Spirit) who brought you to it will see you through it.
Don’t use your strength and intellect to survive in the wilderness. Use Jesus’ survival kit- prayer, fasting and appropriately applying God’s word; which will come about by effective personal and group bible studies.
God will never leave you alone in that wilderness, you may be experiencing now. Through it all, as contemporary Gospel artist Andrae Crouch puts it- just learn trust in Jesus and His word. He will send angels to attend to you. Sometimes he himself will come down in that fire and join you, as it was in the case with those three Hebrew boys in Nebuchadnezzar’s burning, fiery furnace in Daniel chapter three. You may not see His footsteps on the sand during the sand storm in the desert, because He is carrying you in His hands.
Conclusion
I will therefore encourage you that during this period of Lent spend more time in studying the Bible, so that it becomes habitual in you even after Lent and therefore be in a position to appropriately apply it in trying times.
Don’t see Lent as a period of just giving up certain things- say chocolate, sweets, less time at social network sites, etc. It is more than that. It should be a time we should study the word of God, pray and fast (if your health can permit you) in place of those things you are giving up.
My Christian brothers and sisters, God has allowed these wilderness experiences you are going through for a season and a reason. Let us rather stop complaining about who did this to me and why is this happening to me? Let us rather concentrate on how one can survive through these difficult experiences? This is possible through fasting, praying and appropriately applying God’s word to every situation and Satan is bound to flee with his tail between his legs.
I wish you all a happy season of Lent!
