THE GOSPEL: Jesus Bapized, then Tempted!

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” (John 1:29-31)

Before Jesus started His ministry, He came to John to be baptised. Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. (Matthew 3:13-15) Let this be a lesson to all of us.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, ...you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit... (Acts 1:5) Why do we need to be baptised with the Holy Spirit? ...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me [Christ]... (Acts 1:9, Matthew 28:16-20)  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. (I John 5:4-8) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17) And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:32:34)  We should also be baptised with water, as an outward showing of the spiritual change that has taken place in us: Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; (Acts 2:37-39, 41)

Right after Jesus was baptised, He went into the wilderness and was tempted by Satan: Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And . And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ [Deuteronomy 8:3]” Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me [Ephesians 2:2, 6:12], and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ [Deuteronomy 6:13]”Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him 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 shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’[Psalm 91:11-12]"

And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’[Deuteronomy 6:16] " Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:1-13; Matthew 4:1-11)

There are three key things we learn from Christ's experience in the wilderness: 1. the Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome fleshly desires - in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’; 2. the Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome temptation - ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’; and 3. the Holy Spirit empowers us to see things for what they really are - ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’.  As long as we're unsaved, Satan doesn't really bother us because He already has us.  But once we become a Christian, then he goes on the attack, ...because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8) We learn this from Job: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:6-12)

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” And the Lord restored Job’s losses... Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; (Job 42:1-6, 10, 12) Just as Christ did, Job did and we can also, we can overcome anything the devil thows at us, through our faith in God and His Son, and through the power of the Holy Spirit in us.  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you! (James 4:7)