Sermon: The Temptations of Christ: Behold, the Lamb of God

#1672
Mark Schindler
Given 24-Sep-22; 77 minutes

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Four weeks ago in the sermonette we began with Revelation 12:9 and to start this sermon we will begin there again. However, as we begin the sermon on this last weekly Sabbath before the start of God’s annual fall holy days, and because it is only a little more than 24 hours until we begin God’s holy day on the first day of the seventh month, we will be picking it up, as meat in due season in chapter 11.

Revelation 11:15-19 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

"We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth."

Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

Regarding these verses and within his article “Caught Up in the Rapture,” Richard Ritenbaugh wrote:

This last—seventh—trumpet announces the coming of Christ, the establishment of God's Kingdom, the judgment upon the nations, and the rewarding of the saints. They occur simultaneously!

The last trumpet sounds when Christ returns, not 3½ years before! If we compare verses 11-13 (the resurrection of the Two Witnesses) with verse 19, the "great earthquake" ties the resurrection of the saints with the beginning of the Kingdom. In addition, an angel tells John in Revelation 10:7 that when "the seventh angel. . . is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished." There will be no more mystery about man becoming God when the saints are resurrected or changed to eternal spirit beings!

Matthew 24:30-31 also verifies this scenario, showing that the trumpet sounds to send the angels to gather the elect from all over the earth to meet Him upon His return. To clinch the argument, verse 29 very plainly says, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days. . .”! Isaiah 27, Joel 2, and Zechariah 14 also confirm these events.

Brethren, this is what is directly in front of us and this is the absolute reality that is the work of God down to the very second in every detail, and this is what we will be examining more thoroughly in the days ahead of us during this most precious time of year.

However, this sermon is not necessarily going to be about the meat in due season we will be receiving over the next few weeks, but hopefully it will be a bit of preparation for those things that must be the focus of our attention in the days and weeks ahead of intense training regarding the incredible soon-coming next step in God’s Plan, and the privileged part God has now given us.

But of course, there is another reality we need to deal with as we go about the business of our Father and our Elder Brother Jesus Christ, while in this flesh that is warring against the Spirit God has given each of those members of the Body of Christ.

So we will pick it up again in Revelation.

Revelation 12:9-14 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

Revelation 12:15-17 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

As was mentioned in the sermonette four weeks ago, all seven verses establish a picture that can be broadly applied, not only to the world, but more importantly to the elect and the dangers faced, action required, and sanctuary promised, to those who stay firmly committed to the truth of God’s Word and His righteous way of life. This will bring perfect peace regardless of what we must endure to the end, while most probably under significant persecution in a world peppered with Satan's lying spirits, where we must live the truth!

We need to keep this thought at the forefront of our minds as we head into these holy days, especially during these days we need to be constantly reminding ourselves that unless we have our focus where it belongs, we are just as prone to getting caught up in Satan’s lies as the rest of the world.

If you remember, in reference to Revelation 12:11, I gave you 3 alternate translations:

The Good News translation:

Revelation 12:11 (GNT) They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.

Weymouth’s New Testament in Modern Speech:

Revelation 12:11 (WNT) But they have gained the victory over him (Satan) because of the blood of The Lamb and the testimony, which they have borne, and because the held their lives cheap and did not shrink even from death.

Finally, the J.B. Phillips Translation, which reads:

Revelation 12:11 (JBP) Now they have conquered him [Satan] through the blood of the Lamb, and through the word, to which they bore witness. They did not cherish life even in the face of death.

Here we can see that it was not that they merely proclaimed the Word of Christ, albeit boldly, but they bore it. They lived the way He lived, even as the Lamb of God lived with severe persecution and death!

We have looked at this again because living the way Christ lives means doing the absolute best we can not to be trapped in the subtle lies and temptations of Satan, but to handle them as the Lamb of God did (which we will consider more fully in a few minutes).

Within the overabundance of gifts God desires to give us both physically and spiritually, He has created these annual holy days to be some of the most physically satisfying and enjoyable days of the whole year.

However, we cannot allow the days themselves to become so much the focus of our attention that we forget how important it is that we see them as God sees them in His Plan and purpose, along with our own duties and responsibilities we have within them.

Without Jesus Christ as the concentrated focal point of our attention throughout we are going to merely be taking time off! We may very well end up slipping right into another trap of Satan, as he works to destroy God’s perfect creation.

I hope in this sermon we are going to see that the Father and Son never just take time off, and neither can we. God’s planning and execution of His plans to bring us into an eternal relationship with Him is being worked out down to the second and in every detail. We should never lose sight of this! However, at times it may become more difficult than necessary if we are not careful with the responsibilities and duties God expects from His elect.

Within this plan He has given us the privilege to be exactly where He wants us to be; to do what He wants us to do, when we need to do it—in cooperation with Him—if we do not let our own self-satisfying carnal nature get in the way.

Just consider how subtly Satan works. Tomorrow evening at sunset is the beginning of God’s holy day that He identifies in the Bible as Zikhron Teruah, “a memorial of blowing.”

Although the Jews have renamed it Rosh Hashanah—the head of the year—that title is not found in the Scriptures. As we have begun to note recently this is more than just a little twist of God’s Word. It has been one of those things that could end up getting us blown off course if we hit one of Satan’s underwater mines!

Although there was a very recent article by David Grabbe in the Forerunner that addresses what we are about to see, I would like to put an exclamation point on this at the beginning of this sermon. I would suggest it may be helpful to reread his August 22, 2022, article entitled, “The Shout of a King” between today and tomorrow night.

The following word study of Zikhron Teruah (transliterated Zik-ron ter-oo-ah) may be of help as we head into the holy days with our eyes focused on God, and this precious gift He has given of hearts and minds to navigate through this battlefield, and sidestep the landmines that Satan has laid!

Zikkārôn: A masculine noun meaning memorial; remembrance; record; reminder. This word conveys the essential quality of remembering something in the past that has a particular significance. It signifies stone monuments; the shoulder ornamentation of the ephod; a sacrifice calling for explicit retrospection; the securing of a progeny; a written record; a memorable adage or quote; some proof of an historic claim; a festival memorializing a pivotal event.

Please keep this last one in the forefront of your minds.

Teruah literally means “blowing.” But it is a feminine noun that indicates a shout of joy; a shout of alarm; a battle cry. It refers to a loud, sharp shout, or cry in general, but it often indicates a shout of joy, or victory; a great shout anticipating a coming event.

It can refer to the noise or signal put out by an instrument, as this word study claims, applying to both Leviticus 23:24, referring to the Day of Trumpets, and Leviticus 25:9 where a silver trumpet clearly does signal the Jubilee year following the seven land cycles.

Trumpets are clearly mentioned to begin the Jubilee and the holy days, among other things, as we will see in a few minutes, and they are certainly an important part of this holy day. But perhaps in Leviticus 23:24 inserting the word trumpets takes us a bit off track from another perhaps more vital focus of the day. I do not know. I am just putting this out there because God is continually opening new avenues of study for us to follow, while making absolutely certain that it is clearly in line with His Word.

The memorial of shouting seems to occupy a very unique place within God’s holy days. As we now seem to understand, not only is this particular holy day the pivot point of God’s holy days, standing right in the middle, it also seems within the sabbatical year, to be a significant memorial both looking back from the end of the year and forward to what lays ahead when the next series begins on Atonement—all focused on the powerful work of the Word of God, who became Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God!

At this point we are going to take what you may find to be of a puzzling turn in the sermon. But, hopefully by the end of the sermon you will see the tie-in to the perfection of God’s work that will give us a greater appreciation for the privilege each of us has been given in faithfully observing God’s holy days, with God-given duties, while trembling at His Word.

Please turn with me back to I Samuel. We will be going through a number of scriptures that are vital examples of the power of God and the careful reverential service He expects in properly worshipping our holy God in truth, and not in any self-serving manner.

We are going to begin in I Samuel 4. This event is following after the Israelites suffered a 30,000-man loss in a battle with the Philistines. They had come up with an idea to bring the ark of the covenant into the camp of Israel to go with them into battle.

I Samuel 4:5-11 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp!"

And they said, "Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!"

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Here we see the precious gift of God, the symbol of His very presence among the Israelites being relegated by those to whom it was given to the status of a good luck piece. Their shout at the arrival of the ark that shook the whole earth was absolutely of joy, but as we will see, the joy was only short lived because it came from using God’s gift irreverently, and not in accord with His word and intent.

By their actions, the Great God became in the eyes of the Philistines merely gods like their gods!

As we saw by their irreverent and ignorant action of misplaced faith, their shouts of joy soon turned to the bitter shouts of pain, agony, and death. Over 30,000 dead including, by the end of this chapter, Eli, who had judged Israel for over 40 years, his two sons, and his daughter-in-law, along with the somber note that the glory of the Lord has departed from Israel.

The ark of the covenant—the gift from God representing His power and His authority—had preceded Israel in the wilderness. The ark was instrumental under the command of God in crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land, something that will become more significant later in this sermon.

The ark had been at the head of the procession around Jericho led by priests with ram’s horns as the walls came down with the great shout. The ark had been representative of the power of God in several subsequent victories, but all only at God’s command!

However, in the time of Judges, when every man was doing what was right in his own eyes (very similar to the days in which we find ourselves), the Israelites lost sight of God, irreverently treating God’s gift as a self-serving good luck charm.

The results were a sure-fire disaster, not only for them, but everybody who came in contact with it, not recognizing the power, authority, and reverential awe for the One to whom it actually belonged.

Turn to I Samuel 5 and we can see a glimpse of what God’s Word tells us happens when there is no contrite spirit, and no trembling at His Word, which must be within and without a people who are going to please our Great God, as we are told in Isaiah 66.

I Samuel 5:1-6 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again.

And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon's torso was left of it. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

So, the people at Ashdod shipped it off to Gath.

I Samuel 5:9-10 So it was, after they had carried it away, that the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!"

We see shouts filled the air that Gath had sent it to them, and it must be sent away because, as you can read in I Samuel 5:11, “there was deadly destruction throughout the city.”

For seven months the ark remained in the land of the Philistines bringing death and destruction because the Israelites had carelessly, thoughtlessly, faithlessly treated God’s precious gift to them with the hearts of foolish men.

Chapter 6 continues the shouts of pain and suffering. The Philistines plan and execute the return of the covenantal throne of God to Israel at Beth Shemesh. There the Levites removed it and set it down on a great stone. But their pain and agony of death continued with shouting lament as 50,070 men were killed after treating the ark as common in opening it.

It was only after the ark was moved with the formal reverence and the consecrated effort that God demands of His people, seeking His direction with prayer and fasting, that the death and destruction through their dereliction of duty finally ended!

Let us pick it up again in I Samuel 7.

I Samuel 7:1-7 Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you."

So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

All of Israel loudly cried out in mourning, shouting, if you will, as they followed the instructions from Deuteronomy 30:2-10 under Samuel’s leadership, as he cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered, as you can read in verse 9.

I Samuel 7:9 And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.

As you all know the next significant movement of the ark was when David attempted to bring it to Jerusalem. But because it was done without absolute reverence for the Word of God, it again bought cries of pain and death.

Please turn with me to I Chronicles 13.

I Chronicles 13:1-14 Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is of the LORD our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us; and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul."

Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor in Egypt to as far as the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim. And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to Kirjath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who dwells between the cherubim, where His name is proclaimed. So they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets. And when they came to Chidon's threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. And David became angry because of the LORD's outbreak against Uzza; therefore that place is called Perez Uzza to this day. David was afraid of God that day, saying, "How can I bring the ark of God to me?"

So David would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.

We read that entire chapter because again you saw great shouts of joy. But without seeking God’s direction, even with the best intentions, those who should have known better turned shouts of joy again to shouts of mourning and fear!

Of course, David being David, and a man after God’s own heart, following his own fury, possibly at himself for his irresponsible act, was able to look to God and determine after a considerable period of time what he did wrong, and how God expected them to make it right.

I Chronicles 15:1-14 David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, "No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever." And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it.

Then David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites: of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of his brethren; of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren; of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren; of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his brethren; of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his brethren; of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren. And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

He said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order." So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

After David appointed all in ranks and in accord with God’s Word they brought the ark into Jerusalem.

I Chronicles 15:28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments and harps.

With shouting and jubilation, the gift of God’s presence was declared and properly brought in among the people, with reverence for Him and not just for the throne that represented His eternal power and dwelling among His elect.

Brethren, we too have been given minds to see, so we can truly see God and worship Him in spirit and in truth, in accord with our duties within God’s awesome plan! But we must be careful we are not falling into Satan’s traps that deceptively lead us down a self-serving road that pull God’s holy days up short of using them properly to behold the perfect Lamb of God in our midst! We must not let even a slight twist of truth pull us off course.

Tomorrow night at sunset is not the beginning of Rosh Hashana, the head of the year, as the Jews have added to God’s Word. It is God’s Memorial of Blowing.

I know these scriptures will certainly be addressed at length during services on Monday, but I think it may be good right now to look at the only places where specific instructions are given by God concerning this pivotal holy day, and memorial—looking backward and forward.

Leviticus 23:23-24 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.'”

Brethren, this literally says, “A memorial of shouting.” Trumpets is not necessarily there, but assumed, and perhaps rightly so. But could there be more to the retrospective memorial of shouting, as we have seen?

Now please turn to Numbers 29.

Numbers 29:1-6 'And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish. Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.’

Notice in verse 1 it is not called a memorial, although when adding Leviticus 23 we know that it is. But it is a holy day of no customary work; a day of Teruah—shouting.

I am not saying that trumpets is a wrong idea, but perhaps there is something there that may mislead a bit. Trumpets are definitely involved. Please turn a few chapters back with me to Numbers 10.

Numbers 10:1-10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you. When you sound the advance, the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey. When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys.

And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but not sound the advance. The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations. "When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.

Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God."

Obviously, God commands blowing trumpets as a vital part of His plans and most certainly for every new moon and feast day, and we will probably be hearing quite a bit more about their significance in the messages to come.

But I hope we do not ignore the importance of the shouting aspect of this feast day, as I hope we are going to see. It is vital that we learn and live by every word of God, as we head into these days ahead of us, using this wonderful blessing God has given to focus on our one sure hope of victory—Jesus Christ—the perfect Lamb of God!

Again, we are going to take a turn in this sermon that may at first be puzzling but I hope it is going to tie it all together.

We are now going to take a survey of the scriptures describing Jesus Christ’s baptism.

Matthew 3:1-6 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'" Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Matthew 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Now we will pick up a few more points from Mark 1.

Mark 1:4-5 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 him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Mark 1:9-12 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." Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.

And now to Luke 3, where we will be reading quite a bit more of this account.

Luke 3:2-9 While Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

Luke 3:15-18 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

Luke 3:21-22 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

At this point, let me remind you that in verse 8, John, as he was baptizing them, reminded the Jews gathered there that their genealogy back to Abraham was not a guarantee of salvation. This is going to be a very important observation in a few minutes.

Then Luke inserts Christ's lineage and clearly establishes the Word of God as the Man Jesus Christ was directly descended not only from Abraham, but all the way back through Noah to Adam, and ultimately to God. We then see His baptism and the shout from heaven, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased,” as recorded in all three gospels. He immediately, as it says in Mark, was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days by the Devil.

I think we all understand that Satan did not merely tempt Jesus three times. He was led up into the wilderness being tempted for 40 days and nights. But, if we would take the time to read the various accounts recorded in the gospels, as in Luke 4:1-13, we would find a summary of Satan’s temptations within this world, are all going to be within his big three as the apostle John puts it in I John 2.

I John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Jesus Christ did and continued to do, as a man, what no man from Adam and Eve on down had done. He perfectly overcame the lying temptations of the ruler of this world using the truth to do it. As God narrowed the temptations down to the big three, He pointed directly to the book of the law—Deuteronomy—to do it. Each of Jesus’ responses to straighten out Satan’s lies were from Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 8:3 “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.”

Deuteronomy 6:13 “You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.”

Deuteronomy 6:16 “You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah.”

We can then pick it up in Luke 4.

Luke 4:13-19 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

Brethren, what happened between verses 13 and 14? “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee. . .” It is at this point that I would like to do a bit of speculation that I hope may help us more fully appreciate our Great God, the precise work the Father and Son are doing, and why it is so vital that we do not underestimate the importance of humbly trembling at His Word, with reverential awe for Him, and the incredible opportunity He has given the weakest of the world to know Him, and know that we know Him through properly serving Him in the place that He has mercifully given us to serve, in truth amid the deceits of Satan.

Please turn with me to the book of John.

John 1:6-15 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"

John 1:19-20 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

John 1:26-28 John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Joshua 3:1-8 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before."

And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.'"

Joshua 3:11 “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.”

Joshua 3:14-17 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

Turn with me to Genesis 22 and Abraham and Isaac’s most important moment of faith so we can see the most vital question of the day as asked in Genesis 22.

Genesis 22:7-8 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.

Now turn back to John 1. As you turn there, I would like to quote an interesting paragraph from Halley’s Bible Handbook under the sub-heading, “The Place of Jesus’ Baptism.”

Halley writes:

The place chosen of God for the introduction of the Messiah to the nation was the lower Jordan, at or near the very spot where the water was divided for Joshua on Israel’s entrance into Canaan. John the Baptist established himself, and began his work of arousing the nation to expectancy. Soon all eyes were focused on him wondering if he were himself the Messiah. Then, supported by a demonstration from heaven, he pronounced Jesus to be the Messiah. Directly to the east at the edge of the Jordan valley were the towering heights of Nebo, where Moses was given a glimpse of the Promised Land, and where God buried him. Five miles to the west, was Jericho whose walls had fallen at the sound of Joshua’s trumpets.

Also as we are turning back to the book of John, I would like you to keep in mind this citation from The Bible Dictionary in regard to this same area near Jericho.

In the time of Christ, Jericho was an important place yielding a large revenue to the royal family. Since the road from the fords of the Jordan to Jerusalem passed through it, it became a stopping place for the Galilean pilgrims to Jerusalem, who came south through Perea to avoid defilement by contact with the Samaritans. Thus, Jesus passed through it on a number of occasions. Nearby are the supposed sites of his baptism in the Jordan and His temptation—the hill, Quarantania, an area southeast of the city.

With these things in mind, considering the place of Jesus’ confrontation with Satan was south of where John was baptizing, and the probable site where the Levites stood in the waters of the Jordan with the ark of the covenant, with the power of God held high for all Israel to see at God’s command.

John 1:29-34 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

Behold the Lamb of God; this is the Son of God!

Brethren, this is after the temptations, when the Son of God, the Lamb of God, did what no man, not even Abraham, could do.

John 1:35-36 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"

Here is the perfect answer to Isaac’s question that John shouted for all to hear. Most likely in the exact spot where the ark of the covenant of God was held for all of physical Israel to see, at God’s command while they crossed through the dry bed of the Jordan.

The Lamb of God on the way back from overcoming the lies of Satan, the only one who could guarantee the circumcision of the heart, representative of the perfect power of God, John shouted, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

I have one more question for you, as we consider what was read by Jesus Christ in Luke 4, when He did return to Galilee at the beginning of His ministry, quite likely on Atonement. Could this shout pointing out the Son of God, the perfectly qualified Lamb of God been done on the Memorial of Shouting? My personal opinion is that it was! It was the pivot point looking both back and ahead.

Brethren, how much do we really appreciate the tools God has given us in His holy days, as His gift to us to more fully appreciate His incredible planning and execution down to the smallest detail? How much do we really appreciate the days ahead and the incredible responsibilities God has given to us to carry out our duties before Him in service to the Body of Christ with diligent care and thanksgiving?

We, just like Christ, have a duty and responsibility to overcome the Devil, and uphold the Word of God.

Please turn with me to Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2:13-22 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Brethren, we have a duty to fight this battle that Jesus Christ has already made absolutely possible if we do all it says here. The holy days are a huge part of this process. The one thing I hope you will note here is Paul’s caveat in verse 16, “Above all things”! We stand behind the shield of faith in Jesus Christ, as we learn to live as He lives.

How grateful are we for this? Are we anywhere as grateful as David was when God gave Him the privilege to bring the ark of the covenant back into the midst of His people?

Please turn with me back again to I Chronicles and this time in chapter 16 and I ask you, “Is this your attitude as you consider the incredible work of God and our places within the Body of Christ?"

I Chronicles 16:8-36 Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Israel His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. Remember His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance," when you were few in number, indeed very few, and strangers in it. When they went from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people, He permitted no man to do them wrong; yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm."

Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place. Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.

The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. And say, "Save us, O God of our salvation; gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise." Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD.

Now for a final scripture, as we prepare for this incredible holy day season that begins tomorrow evening at sunset, please turn with me back to where we began.

Revelation 11:15-19 Then the seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth." Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

Brethren, I hope we really have a wonderful Memorial of Shouting beginning tomorrow evening at sunset!

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