Sunday, February 6, 2011 Mark Dispensationally Considered Mark 1:12-13: The Temptation of Jesus

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1 1 Sunday, February 6, 2011 Mark Dispensatinally Cnsidered Mark 1:12-13: The Temptatin f Jesus Intrductin The mrning we are ging t be lking at the temptatin f Christ recrded in the gspels. Mark in his custmary style is very brief and t the pint nly mentining it in tw verses. When ne cnsiders the accunts recrded in Matthew and Luke a much fuller picture f what ccurred emerges. There is much mre ging n here with the temptatin f Christ than yu may initially realize. Mark 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him int the wilderness. We said in ur intrductin t the bk f Mark a few weeks ag that the wrds straightway and immediately are key wrds in Mark s gspel. They distinguish the bk as a bk f actin recding the actins f Jehvah s servant. Mark 1:10 in this verse we see the first ccurrence f the wrd straightway. Accrding t Strng s Cncrdance the Greek wrd translated straightway means immediately r frthwith. Immediately 35 times Straightway 32 times Frthwith 7times S immediately after Jesus came up ut the water the heavens pened and the spirit like a dve descended upn him. Mark 1:12 immediately after his baptism the spirit drve Jesus ut int the wilderness. Matthew 4:1 Luke 4:1 Mark 1:4 in rder fr Jesus t have baptized by Jhn he was already in the wilderness arund Jrdan. Where specifically the Hly Spirit drve Jesus in the wilderness t be tempted is unclear. Mark 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness frty days, tempted f Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unt him. This verse tells us that Jesus was frty days tempted f Satan in the wilderness. Pastr Bryan Rss

2 2 In the Bible 40 is plainly the number f prbatin r testing. Genesis 7:4, 17 in rained 40 days and nights Numbers 14:33-34 Israel wndered in the wilderness fr 40 years Deuternmy 10:10 Mses fasted 40 days and nights A cmmns sense reading Mark 1:13 seems t indicate that Jesus was tempted f Satan thrughut this 40 day perid. At sme pint angles came and minister t Christ during this perid f testing. We will lk at this mre in a few minutes. Cmparing Matthew 4 and Luke 4 As we have seen Mark des nt recrd and f the details f Christ s temptatin. The specifics f this event can be fund in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. As we will see shrtly, Matthew and Luke d nt recrd the Satan s tempting f Christ in the same rder. Once again this has caused many t suggest that the Bible cntradicts itself and cannt be trusted. Cmmentatrs and Harmnizers assume that ne is right and the ther is wrng; and prceed t change the rder f ne in rder t make it agree with the ther. (Cmpanin Bible, Appendix 116) Luke recrds three temptatins f Christ in the fllwing rder: Luke 4:3-4 turn stnes t bread Luke 4:5-8 kingdms f the wrld ffered t Christ in exchange fr wrshiping Satan Luke 4:9-12 thrw himself ff the pinnacle f the temple and the angles will save him Luke 4:13 ntice hw Luke s accunt ends. The devil leaves n his wn accrd fr a seasn. Accrding t Strng s Cncrdance the Greek wrd translated seasn carries the fllwing meanings: 1) due measure 2) a measure f time, a larger r smaller prtin f time, hence: a) fixed and definite time, the time when things are brught t crisis, the decisive epch waited fr b) pprtune r seasnable time c) the right time d) a limited perid f time e) t what time brings, the state f the times, the things and events f time Pastr Bryan Rss

3 3 Webster s 1828 Dictinary ffers the fllw definitins fr the English wrd seasn: literally signifies that which cmes r arrives; and in this general sense, is synnymus with time. Hence, 1) A fit r suitable time; the cnvenient time; the usual r appinted time; as, the messenger arrived in seasn; in gd seasn. This fruit is ut f seasn. 2) Any time, as distinguished frm thers. 3) A time f sme cntinuance, but nt lng. The Greek wrd is translated time 64 times, seasn 13 times, and due time 2 times Galatians 6:9 in due seasn II Timthy 4:3, 6 time Titus 1:3 due times All the things cnsidered accrding t Luke s accunt the devil tempted Jesus and then departed f his wn accrd fr a seasn r perid f time nly t return and tempt him again. Matthew recrds the temptatins f Christ in the fllwing rder: Matthew 4:3-4 turn stnes t bread Matthew 4:5-7 thrw himself ff the pinnacle f the temple and the angles will save him Matthew 4:8-10 kingdms f the wrld ffered t Christ in exchange fr wrshiping Satan Matthew 4:8 ntice the first wrd in the verse again. This was nt the first time the devil had taken him int an exceeding high muntain. Matthew 4:10 Jesus rders Satan t leave when he is finished. Matthew 4:11 Matthew s accunt des nt cnclude in the same way Luke s des. What we have here is nt cntradictin but cmpletin. Satan tempted Jesus n 2 different ccasins ver a frty day perid. After being unsuccessful the first time Satan returned using the same three temptatins but in a different rder. Thelgical Significance When ne cnsiders the divine purpse presented in the gspels it is nt difficult t see why this makes sense. The gal f Matthew s gspel is t present Christ as king. The gal f Luke s gspel is t present Christ as the sn f Man The lrd had cme bth as the Sn f man in fulfillment f Genesis 3:15, and as Israel s Messiah king t cntent with the ne wh held them as his lawful captive. It is lgical therefre that Satan wuld deal with him n bth cunts and that the Lrd wuld qualify Himself as able t fully functin in bth areas. Pastr Bryan Rss

4 4 I Jhn 2:16 Satan s curse fr this wrld being built upn that which s successfully prduced the fall in the Garden f Eden and als catering t man s sinful nature is cmpsed f cntrariness t Gd in three main areas. The lust f the flesh The lust f the eyes The pride f life Genesis 3:6 cntains all three cmpnents gd fr fd = the lust f the flesh was pleasant t the eyes = the lust f the eyes a tree desired t make ne wise = the pride f life Therefre when Satan tempted Christ as the Sn f Man in Luke 4 his temptatins fllwed the same rder they had when he tempted Eve. The hunger that wuld prduce the desire fr bread matches up with the lusts f the flesh. The presentatin t the Lrd s eyes f all the kingdms f the wrd with their pwer and glry matches up with the lusts f the eyes. The temptatin t have the angles rush t His aid because f wh He is and bear Him up, matches up with the pride f life. Preventing the fulfillment f Genesis 3:15 was nt smething Satan culd achieve by gaining the mastery ver the Sn f man as he had gained it ver the first man. Therefre the devil departed fr a seasn nly t return and make anther attempt. Hwever, this time Satan wuld attempt t succeed at assailing Christ as Israel s Redeemer. The Messiah, in rder t functin as His peple s kinsman-redeemer, need t qualify Himself as Gd s perfect servant the servant Israel herself never was. If the Messiah culd be enticed int any similar actin f imperfectin as Gd s chsen servant, then His capacity t functin as Israel s Redeemer wuld be thwarted, and Gd s ability t deliver His natin frm Satan s lawful captivity ruined. Therefre when Satan tempted Christ as the Messiah/King f Israel in Matthew 4 his temptatin fllwed a different rder. Exdus 16:1-3 had the Lrd given in t the temptatin t make the stnes int bread in view f his hunger, He wuld have dne similar t what Israel did under even lesser circumstances, when they murmured and cmplained against Gd and demanded that he stratify their hunger. Exdus 17:7 In like manner, the temptatin t cast himself dwn frm the temple held within the pprtunity fr Christ t be dubting, mistrusting, and tempting servant like Israel had been. Matthew 4:8-9 the ffer t pssess all the kingdm f the earth was presented t Christ thrugh a means different frm that which He knew was the Father s will. In this the Lrd was tempted t be a dislyal, cmprmising, and defiant servant wh pursued his Pastr Bryan Rss

5 5 wn will, his wn curse, and his wn way f ding things rather than fllwing the express will f his master. Christ std where Israel and Adam had bth fallen. Christ prved himself t be a qualified redeemer. Cncluding Thughts Thelgians debate the purpse f Christ temptatin. Was the purpse f Christ s temptatins t see if Jesus wuld sin, r t prve that He culd nt sin? Sme say that Jesus was capable f sinning but chse nt t. Thse wh hld this view claim that the temptatin wuld have been a farce if Jesus was incapable f sinning. The purpse f these temptatins was t prve that Jesus Christ was sinless and therefre able t becme the savir f sinners. Every temptatin we ever face falls int ne f three categries: the lusts f the eyes, the lust f the flesh, r the pride f life. Hw did Jesus respnd t each temptatin? By quting Scripture. Psalm 119:11 this is the reasn we need t hide Gd s wrd in ur hearts. Pastr Bryan Rss