Who is Jesus? Chapter 8 "Jesus and John the Baptist"

 

Who is Jesus? Chapter 8 "Jesus and John the Baptist"

Elizabeth was in her 6th month of pregnancy when her cousin, the virgin Mary, who was then pregnant with Jesus, came for a visit. Upon hearing the greeting of Mary, the babe (John the Baptist) leaped in the womb of Elizabeth and she and the babe were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Families were close knit and Mary stayed three months and returned home just before Elizabeth gave birth to John. The child grew and at an early age, John would spend time in the desert seeking God as he knew there was a calling on his life. By revelation he knew his cousin Jesus was a special young man, and that he John, was to announce the soon to be ministry of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Time passed and now both young men were about 30 years of age.  We find John preaching repentance and baptizing believers in the river Jordan to show they have buried their old life and have risen to a new life to serve God.

The people asked John if he was the Messiah, but he denied saying; "I am sent to prepare the way for Him." John said this about Jesus in Luke chapter 3:16 -
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 

As it happened one day, we read in Mark chapter 1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets:

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to hear him and many were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

One day, Jesus arrives where John was preaching and Jesus requests for John to baptize him.  At first John refused saying, I need to be baptized by you, but Jesus insists so they both enter the river Jordan and Jesus is baptized by John.  

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Notice Jesus is physically in the water; the Father's voice from heaven declares this is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus likened as to a dove.

We realize that here at Jesus Baptism; God is revealed in three personalities: Jesus the Son, in the water, The Voice of God the Father from heaven, and evidence of the Holy Spirit, coming from heaven in the form of a dove.)

Jesus left John and the people as He departed into a desert place to fast and pray for 40 days. At the end of the time, Satan came to tempt him, but Jesus quoted scripture and would not yield to Satan.

Reading from Matthew 4: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 

 Now when, Satan, the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But Jesus answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

Let us stop there for a minute. Consider what Jesus had just said, “You should not tempt the Lord your God,” - - - so actually Jesus was telling Satan that this temptation was against Jesus as God, and Jesus is Lord even over Satan. The situation was that Satan did not repent and bow down to Jesus when Jesus declared that He is God, and that left the devil condemned. 

We are in the place even today that we must recognize that Jesus is God's son and Jesus is also declared to be Lord God; we shall continue reading from Matthew 4.

Again, the devil took Jesus up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

It makes you wonder just how stupid the devil was to even try to tempt Jesus - - but Jesus finally simply had enough and said to the devil - -

“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve. ”

Then the devil left Jesus, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him giving him bread and drink.

That is what we should do when the devil tempts us to do something that we know is not a good thing to do - - - we should say - - Away with you Satan - - leave now. 

The sad thing is the old devil will keep trying to get us to slip up, but we need to be aware that Satan is our enemy and certainly not our friend. So be on the lookout. Sometimes he uses people to tempt you, because he knows you are too smart if he came in person to entice you.

We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.

If you have been tempted - - you are not alone. The wise thing is - - NOT to yield to the temptation.  Allow Jesus to help you to overcome the temptation and not give in. You will then become a victorious conqueror and not a victim.