Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
A wise writer once made this statement: "True Christians will have an experience like that of Christ in the wilderness of temptation, especially those who engage in rescuing souls from the snares of Satan."
What "experience" did Christ have in His Matthew 4 temptation? A terrible ordeal calculated to shake His confidence in God's leading in His life. "IF You are the Son of God ..." was the repeated, insistent doubt flung at Him by the clever, subtle tempter. Several significant factors made up the picture:
(1) The Father had just acknowledged Him openly to be "My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The principle: whenever one is on a pinnacle of faith one is almost immediately plunged into an abyss of temptation to doubt one's identity "in Christ."
(2) All human appearances supported the contentions of the tempter. Christ was apparently forsaken of God alone in a wilderness with no companions except wild beasts (Mark 1:13). His 40 days of fasting had reduced Him physically so that Isaiah 52:14 was fulfilled: "His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men." Satan had a point: How can you think you are the beloved Son of God when You have been abandoned and You look wretched like You do? God would surely take better care of You IF You were His beloved Son! Be sensible! Confess that Your idea that You are His Son is foolish fanaticism! The ultimate issue was more than mere physical appetite (although that was involved); the ultimate issue at stake was His identity. If Satan could shake Him on that, His ministry and His coming sacrifice would be a failure.
(3) The tempter disguised his identity, too. Satan appeared to be an angel of light fresh from the throne of God with a message of mercy for poor, suffering Jesus: "I have come to help You relieve Your hunger. IF You are the Son of God, be sensible: act like it! Command that these stones become bread. You can do it! Why perish here right at the beginning of Your wonderful ministry?"
Jesus had to decide who He was. So must you and I decide: who are we, "in Christ," by His adoption?
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: July 24, 2000.Copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
A wise writer once made this statement: "True Christians will have an experience like that of Christ in the wilderness of temptation, especially those who engage in rescuing souls from the snares of Satan."
What "experience" did Christ have in His Matthew 4 temptation? A terrible ordeal calculated to shake His confidence in God's leading in His life. "IF You are the Son of God ..." was the repeated, insistent doubt flung at Him by the clever, subtle tempter. Several significant factors made up the picture:
(1) The Father had just acknowledged Him openly to be "My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The principle: whenever one is on a pinnacle of faith one is almost immediately plunged into an abyss of temptation to doubt one's identity "in Christ."
(2) All human appearances supported the contentions of the tempter. Christ was apparently forsaken of God alone in a wilderness with no companions except wild beasts (Mark 1:13). His 40 days of fasting had reduced Him physically so that Isaiah 52:14 was fulfilled: "His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men." Satan had a point: How can you think you are the beloved Son of God when You have been abandoned and You look wretched like You do? God would surely take better care of You IF You were His beloved Son! Be sensible! Confess that Your idea that You are His Son is foolish fanaticism! The ultimate issue was more than mere physical appetite (although that was involved); the ultimate issue at stake was His identity. If Satan could shake Him on that, His ministry and His coming sacrifice would be a failure.
(3) The tempter disguised his identity, too. Satan appeared to be an angel of light fresh from the throne of God with a message of mercy for poor, suffering Jesus: "I have come to help You relieve Your hunger. IF You are the Son of God, be sensible: act like it! Command that these stones become bread. You can do it! Why perish here right at the beginning of Your wonderful ministry?"
Jesus had to decide who He was. So must you and I decide: who are we, "in Christ," by His adoption?
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: July 24, 2000.Copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
