Jesus In The Wilderness
Jesus In The Wilderness
Episode: 411
Season: 4
When Chris is tempted to play a violent video game that his parents have prohibited, Superbook takes him, Joy and Gizmo back in time to meet Jesus at age twelve, in the Jerusalem Temple, and then as an adult, as Satan tempted Him in the wilderness. Chris watches as Jesus fights Satan's temptations with God's Word and Chris takes a deeper interest in reading the Bible upon returning home. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Watch The Full EpisodeLesson:
When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.
Extras
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Character Profiles
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Jesus (Young)
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As a 12 year old boy, Jesus attends the Passover with His family. When the festival ends, Jesus slips away to the Temple in Jerusalem. After a frantic three day search, Mary and Joseph discover Jesus among the Pharisees and other religious leaders listening and asking questions in the Temple. Jesus tells His parents that He must be in His Father's house. Jesus, the Son of God, and the Son of Man, is humbly baptized in the Jordan River by John.He is led by the Spirit to the wilderness where He fasts for forty days and nights and is tempted by the devil. Jesus overcomes each temptation by speaking and standing on God's Word. When the defeated devil leaves, Michael and a host of angels then descend to care for Jesus.
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Bible References
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Young Mary (Wilderness)
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On the way home from the Passover, Mary and Joseph discovered that Jesus was not with them! Mary, like any loving mother, looked frantically for Jesus with Joseph her husband. Three days later they found the young boy in Jerusalem, sitting in the Temple talking with the religious leaders. Mary asked Jesus why He had done this to them. Jesus replied that she must know He needed to be in His Father's house. Mary didn't fully understand but stored all these things in her heart.
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Bible References
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Jesus
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Jesus is revealed in the Bible as the Son of God. He was first given this title by Gabriel when he spoke to Mary: “So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). After Jesus was baptized by John, God said, “This is my dearly beloved Son, who brings me great joy”. As the Son of God, Jesus was all powerful on earth. He healed the sick, cast out demons, walked on water, calmed the sea and had the authority to forgive sins.
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Bible References
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Satan (Wilderness)
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Satan opposed God's will and His people in the Bible and he has not changed even today. He came to Jesus after He had fasted for 40 days and nights in the wilderness. His plan was to tempt Jesus in His weak physical condition. However, Jesus' Spirit was still strong! He used God's Word to defeat Satan and to fend off his three temptations. Satan left Jesus when his evil scheme failed and decided to wait for another opportunity in the future.
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Bible References
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Michael
Discover MoreMichael
Michael is one mighty angel! Meeting him was pretty "heavenly" ; ) You can learn more about Michael from the Bible here.
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Bible References
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Joseph
Discover MoreJoseph
Of the people in my database, he is one of my favorites. He didn’t HAVE to be Jesus’ earthly father, but he CHOSE to obey what God said. He was a descendant of David and the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. He was a man of integrity who held strong beliefs and always tried to do what is right. Learn more about Joseph and The First Christmas story here.
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Bible References
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Adventure Guide
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Videos
Jesus Left Behind
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Jesus Left Behind
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Jesus Is Found
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Turn Stones Into Bread
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Giving All Kingdoms
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Jump From The Temple
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Angels Revive Jesus
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Jesus in the Wilderness - The Salvation Poem
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Q & A
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Can I win against temptation?
Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights in the wilderness. He was physically weak and hungry from having no food. Of course, that is the area that Satan tempted Jesus with first. He challenged Jesus to turn stones into loaves of bread if He were really the Son of God. Jesus did not give in to the temptation. (Matthew 4:1-3). “But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). Satan tempted Jesus two more times in different ways. Each time, Jesus fought back with God’s Word and was able to endure or bear the temptation put before Him.
Hebrews 4:15 says, This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. Jesus is our High Priest who experienced the same testing and temptations we will face. Because He did this, He understands what we are up against and He can help us to endure and overcome as He did. God knows what we can handle and will not let Satan exceed that limit. The Bible says it this way in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure."
Isn't that awesome? There won't ever be a new temptation that Jesus hasn't heard of and can’t help us with! We will always have a choice and He will show us a way out! Then it is up to us to take action. In some cases, it may even be to flee or run away! That is exactly what Joseph did in the Old Testament. When he faced a very difficult temptation, he literally ran from it rather than sinning against his master or God! (Genesis 39:12). It is important to be proactive when dealing with temptation. In Matthew 6:13, Jesus told us to ask for God’s help. He told us to pray, “And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”
As Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He warned His disciples to stay awake and pray with Him. Matthew 26:41 says, "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Jesus knew from experience what it meant to be tempted while His body was weak; remember Satan in the wilderness? Yes, we must be proactive against temptation. Pray and ask for God’s help and use God’s Word against the attacks of the devil. And, take heart, Jesus knows our weaknesses and will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can stand! He never sinned and will strengthen us to overcome the devil too!
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Does temptation mean I have sinned?
Have you been tempted and wondered if you already have sinned by experiencing it? The good news is that temptation is not a sin. If it were true, we would all be doomed because Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil (Luke 4:1-2). If temptation is sin, Jesus sinned too! Yes, Jesus was tempted, yet He was without sin. Hebrews 4:15 says, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. Jesus had to be spotless to be the acceptable sacrifice to God for our sin.
This is what separated Him from the other High Priests in the Old Testament. Hebrews 7:27 says, “Unlike those other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when He offered Himself as the sacrifice for the people's sins.” Yes, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins because He was without sin even though He was tempted! Jesus overcame temptation because He was full of the Spirit (Luke 4:1) and He desired the things of God more than the things of His flesh. He fought Satan with God’s Word and overcame the temptations He faced. This is important for us to apply today. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden Your word in My heart, that I might not sin against You.” We must know right from wrong; what is pleasing to God and what is not. By having God’s Word in our heart, we can identify and reject a temptation before it leads us to sin!
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What do we need to live besides physical food?
Because Jesus had fasted, He was hungry. Satan tempted Jesus while He was physically weak. Jesus had nothing to prove to Himself or Satan. He knew who He was and what He was sent to do on earth. Yes, He could easily have turned stones into bread or simply created food from nothing! More than Jesus wanted to satisfy His physical needs as a man; He wanted to be spiritually strong and live in obedience to His Father, as the Son of God. “But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” That means that God’s Words contain life for us. John 4:1-4 says, In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.” These verses describe Jesus, who is actually called the Word! He existed with God from the beginning and He gave life to everything that was created. The Bible tells us that God spoke life into existence. Psalm 33:6 says, “The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.” God merely spoke and life began. His Word creates and sustains life! We need more than physical food to live for our bodies. We need God’s Word daily to nourish our Spirits and to grow stronger to be like Christ. Proverbs 24:22 says this about God’s Words: “For they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.” Every child of God needs to consume God’s Word daily. His Words bring life, healing and joy to our lives. Jeremiah 15:16 says. “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven's Armies.”
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Do angels watch over us?
As the devil tempted Jesus to jump from the top of the Temple, he described the work of God’s angels by referring to Psalm 91:11-12: “For He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.” When the devil was finished tempting Jesus, God’s angels came to minister to Jesus. Matthew 4:11 says, “Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.” The angels are sent to do God’s work in the spiritual realm which we can’t see. In the Old Testament, when Daniel prayed, God sent a messenger with His answer. However in the spirit realm, an evil spirit prince delayed the messenger for twenty one days.
One of the mightiest angels of God, Michael, came to free the messenger so God’s answer could be delivered to His servant Daniel. (Daniel 10:12-13; Jude 1:9). Angels are not equal with God. They are created beings under the authority of Jesus. 1 Peter 3:22 says, “Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept His authority.” How many angels are there? John said in Revelation 5:11-12: “Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders.” God’s angels praise and worship God in heaven; they fight for us, and also care for us. Hebrews 1:14 says, “Therefore, angels are only servants--spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” Isn't that exciting? Angels are God’s servants sent to care for us on this earth as we live our lives on earth awaiting heaven!
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What is the purpose of fasting?
The Bible tells us that Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights in the desert and became very hungry. Why did He fast and as a follower of Jesus, should we fast too? (Matthew 4:2) Jesus told the devil that we need more to live than just physical food for our bodies. We also live by every Word that comes from God’s mouth! We learn through Jesus’ example that fasting can be a powerful tool to strengthen and prepare us for facing and resisting temptation. (Matthew 4:1-4) In another Bible story, Jesus was tired from His journey. He sat down beside the well and spoke with the Samaritan woman. His disciples had gone into town to buy food. When they returned, they were shocked that Jesus was talking to a Samaritan, who was an enemy of the Jews. They urged Him to eat some of the food they had brought. “But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”
The disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ reply. They were only thinking of physical nourishment for His body. “Did someone bring Him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other. Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent Me, and from finishing His work.” (John 4:32-34). Jesus told His disciples what He told Satan in the wilderness. There is more to life than physical food; we need spiritual nourishment from God’s Word and doing His will! Even though the Bible doesn’t say Jesus was actually fasting here; Jesus chose the spiritual over His physical desires and focused on the things of God. Because of this, the woman came to know the Jesus as the Savior of the World and also many in her village because of her testimony! (John 4:39-42).
Fasting is a spiritual discipline. It puts our desire to draw closer to God over our physical desires. Fasting helps us to focus on Him and removes us from the busyness and distractions of our world. Fasting makes us more sensitive to God’s leading and purpose in our lives. In Luke 2:37, Anna, a precious woman and prophet, fasted and prayed in the Temple every day. “Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.” Fasting was an act of worship to Anna and gave her an intimacy with God. Fasting is valuable when seeking God’s will and wisdom for making an important decision or choice.
The leaders of the church in the Book of Acts prayed and fasted before they chose new leaders and sent them forth on their missions. (Acts 13:2-4, Acts 14:23). In the Old Testament, Nehemiah sought God in prayer and fasting when he heard the news about the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. During his time before the Lord in prayer, Nehemiah was called to approach the Persian king for permission to travel to Jerusalem. God gave him favor with the king who Nehemiah served as a slave. Nehemiah then traveled to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and its walls! So, we see that fasting is an effective and powerful way to discern God’s will for our lives. (Nehemiah 1:1-10; 2:1-9) Fasting isn't done to manipulate God to do our will, but rather to understand and align with His will. Jesus gave specific instructions to His followers about fasting in a way that pleased God. “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting.
I tell you the truth; that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18). Should we fast? Did you notice that Jesus said, “When you fast” rather than “If you fast”? Jesus tells us that a humble fast unto God is pleasing to Him and He will reward us! The question is, are we hungry enough for God to fast?
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