This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

After passing through the waters of his
baptism, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit

into the wilderness to
be tempted by the devil.

Jesus fasts for forty days and
forty nights, which connects

this story with another familiar
story in the Old Testament.

Israel also passed through the
waters when God parted the Red Sea.

And from there, God led Moses
and the people into the wilderness.

They were on their way to the
land of Canaan, the Promised Land,

where God would
establish his Kingdom.

And like Jesus, Moses also fasted
for forty days and forty nights

in the wilderness
while on Mt. Sinai.

But in the wilderness, Israel
fell into temptation and sin,

and they failed to set up
the forever-Kingdom of God.

But Jesus succeeds where Israel failed.

He resists the temptation in the wilderness.

You see, Israel failed to banish their enemies in Cannan,
but Jesus drives out the real enemy with only a word.

God called Israel to possess a promised piece of
land, but Jesus shows his authority over all creation.

Jesus is the new and better Moses
and Israel, who brings God’s rule
and reign to the world.

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus’ first
message is about God’s Kingdom coming near.

He calls the first four citizens into that
Kingdom and says they will fish for men.

You see, God promised in Jeremiah 16:16
that fishermen and hunters would come

who would bring people from
all nations into his Kingdom.

And in Jesus, this
promise becomes reality.

Jesus was tempted like us in
every way, and yet he did not sin.

Israel had failed to overcome sin
and the devil by their own power,

but Jesus declares that
he has overcome the world.

Jesus overcame the devil in the
wilderness, but ultimately he overcame
him at the cross.

Satan literally means “accuser.”

His greatest weapon is
accusations against us.

These accusations about our sins and our
shortcomings leave us feeling condemned.

But when Jesus took our condemnation
on the cross, he left Satan with nothing
but lies and empty threats.

Now there is no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus.

That is how he puts the
powers of Satan to open shame.

And now, we can actually resist sin because
the same Spirit in us is the same Spirit that led

and empowered Jesus to
resist by the Word of God.

Jesus has freed us from the power of sin,
death, and the devil, and has declared us

citizens in the Kingdom
like his first followers.

So, I pray that the Holy Spirit would
open your eyes to see the God

who refuses to leave us in
our sin and condemnation.

And may you see Jesus as the
one who succeeded where we failed

so he might give us victory
where we only deserved defeat.