"identity"

“Identity”

Luke 4:1-13

A four-year old asked his mother: “Hey mom, what do you know about the devil?”

Quite startled by this question she replied: “What YOU know about the devil?”

“Well,” he began, “the devil talked to Jesus and the devil was mean.”

Then, leaning closer to her and dropping his voice to a loud whisper he said, “For instance, if we were at a store, and you and Dad were in one aisle, and I was in another aisle, and”—at this point his hushed tones became downright conspiratorial—“there was candy…”

…he paused for effect, “The devil would say, ‘You should take some.’”

At this point her son stopped.

Curious as to what her son would do, she asked, “Honey, if we were at a store, and Dad and I were in one aisle, and you were in another aisle, and there was candy, and the devil said, ‘You should take some!’ What would you say back to the devil?”

A genuinely sweet grin lit up the boy’s entire face and without hesitation he replied, “Oh! I would say thank you!”

It’s not all that surprising that a four-year-old kind of missed the point, but I think lots of us often miss the same point as well.

I know I do.

It’s much easier for us to say, “Thank you,” when temptation comes calling than to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and the identity we are given as children of God and say:

“No.

I know in Whom I have believed.

I know Whose I am and therefore who I am.

I will trust in God and God alone.”

(pause)

Today’s Gospel Lesson is about what it means to be the Son of God…to do the Father’s will…

…and for us…

…what it means to be His followers.

This is the first Sunday in Lent.

And in this season of Lent we are invited to embrace an intentional way of living.

For the forty days of Lent, we follow the example of Jesus Who was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”

And notice from our Scripture passage that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just drop Jesus off in the wilderness to fend for Himself saying something like, “Good luck! I’ll see You in forty days.”

Instead, the Spirit stays with Jesus, abides with Jesus, enabling Him to grow stronger through this time of testing and overcome it!!!

Back in Luke Chapter 3 we are witnesses to Jesus’ baptism and at Jesus’ baptism “the Holy Spirit descended on [Jesus]…” and God identified Jesus for Who He was: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

After this, we are given the genealogy of Jesus which traces Jesus’ lineage back to Adam…

…the first human being.

So, it is set.

Jesus is both Son of God and Son of Man.

Both Son of God and Son of Adam.

And now, going into the wilderness, Jesus shows us what it means to be both the Son of God and the Son of Adam.

Now, this is interesting.

This is really important.

Because as human beings—all of us are born as children of Adam, so to speak—like the human side of Christ.

Of course, Jesus was born of both God and humanity.

And when we become believers in Christ, we are born of the Spirit—and become Children of God as well as children born of flesh and blood.

As Paul writes in Romans Chapter 8: “[we] received the Spirit….and by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’

The Spirit himself testifies to our spirit that we are God’s children…”

So, how are we to live out our calling as God’s children?

Jesus shows us.

He shows us in our Gospel Lesson for this morning, and He also shows us through His entire ministry, teaching and healing.

He shows us by His humility, His self-less and unconditional love and He shows us by His death for the lives of all Who will believe.

He also shows us by His Resurrection, which He shares with those who are the children of God.

But, we will talk more about that part forty days from now, on Easter.

In any event, God has given Jesus His identity.

He is the Son of God.

And Jesus travels into the wilderness of temptation and testing in order to show what that identity looks like—what this Son of God stuff is all about.

He also shows us what that identity what this Son of God is NOT about.

Now, biblically speaking, what does the wilderness represent?

It represents the journey, does it not?

It represents wandering.

It can represent hardships, difficulties, doubts, fears, feelings of isolation, loneliness and yes—times of temptation.

It also represents a people who were led by God.