The natural world has a way of teaching us lessons for life. Jesus often pointed to the birds of the air, the grass of the fields or the fruit on the vine. Artists have also used this rich imagery to illustrate Jesus’ life. Stanley Spencer pictures Jesus as a kind of butterfly emerging from the broken shell of the cocoon in the last of his studies on the ‘Temptations of Christ’.

Jesus emerges from the struggle with wings spread out ready to fly. Just as the butterfly must struggle to free itself from the restrictions of the cocoon, so the wrestling in the wilderness prepares Jesus for his ministry. The wings of the butterfly would have no strength without the struggle to emerge from the chrysalis and the ministry of Jesus would have been powerless without the trials of the desert.

The Wilderness Years of Israel

The wilderness years of wandering in the desert are often thought of as wasted years in the history of God’s people, yet Israel is told to remember them when they emerge into the ‘Promised land’. It was here they learned important lessons about themselves and their God.

Identity: It was there that they learned of their true identity as the ‘People of God’. They had been a bunch of ‘Wandering Aramaeans’ but God called them to be a great nation.

Vocation: It was here that God called them out of the slavery of Egypt to be a holy people serving Him alone.

Covenant: It was here they received the Law, not as a burden to bear but the promise of a faithful God who would be at their side in all their struggles.

They discovered all this in the heat and dust of the desert. When they were tempted to turn back because they had no food, they found God mindful of their needs.

When they were tempted to revert to the worship of Egypt’s gods, they saw God’s power displayed in mighty signs and miracles.

As they faced empty stretches of desert and marauding enemies, God proved faithful to His promise to be with them. So now as they enter the Promised Land they were called to bring the first fruits of all they produced so that they should remember:

Who they were – God’s people, dependent on Him.

What they were called to be – A Holy people dedicated to God.

How they had arrived – Through God’s goodness and faithfulness.

The wilderness experience of Jesus

Luke sees Jesus as the new Israel, as he prepares for his ministry of deliverance. Instead of the forty years in the desert, Jesus is in the wilderness for forty days, but he is tested in the same way.

By hunger:

‘Where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during these days, and he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. Jesus answered, “It is written; Man does not live on bread alone.’ Luke 4: 2-4

Significantly, the devil begins by saying: “If you are the Son of God” As Israel learned about their identity as God’s people, so Jesus is tested as to his identity as the Son of God.

By false gods

Just as Israel had been tempted to return to the false gods of Egypt, so Jesus is tempted to turn to a false god as his source of power and authority.

“I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours”

Jesus answered, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” Luke 4: 6-8

It was not to be through the power and authority of evil that Jesus was to bring deliverance but by obedience to the will of his Father God.

By testing God’s faithfulness

Israel had tested God’s faithfulness at the Waters of Meribah as Psalm 95 tells us:

‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.’

Now the devil challenges Jesus to put his Father God to the test by throwing himself off the Temple:

“If you are the Son of God,” he said, throw yourself down from here.”…

Jesus answered, “It says: do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Luke 4: 9-12

At every stage, Jesus is tried and tested to take a route to the work that his Father God had called him to, that is not that of his Father, but of the devil. As they say: ‘The route to hell is filled with good intentions’!

Our path in life is often testing, but the trials and testing can be a blessing. For if even Jesus had to go through this wilderness to equip him for his ministry, we should expect that our trials and temptations can be used by God to equip us for the journey.

Like the butterfly we have no power to fly without the struggle. Without the struggle we will not remember from whom we have received everything. Without the struggle we will not remember that we are held by a loving God. Without the struggle we will not remember to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Rev. Simon Brignall

A Prayer for Ukraine

God of peace and justice

We pray for the people of Ukraine today,

and the laying down of weapons.

we pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,

that your spirit of comfort would draw near to them.

We pray for those with power over war and peace,

for wisdom, discernment, and compassion to guide their decisions

Above all, we pray for all your precious children at risk and in fear,

That you would hold and protect them.

We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Amen