I enjoyed preaching about the wilderness experience that Jesus encountered when He was confronted by Satan. Usually, I could identify the temptations of the world trying to entice Jesus to sin and accept but instead fought back. I enjoyed Green’s insights regarding Israel’s struggles according to Deuteronomy, “According to Deuteronomy, (1) Israel was allowed to hunger in order to learn that one does not live by bread alone (8:3); (2) Israel was instructed to worship the one and only God, and not to follow after any other god (6:4-15); and (3) Israel was commanded not to put the Lord God to the test (6:16).”[1] These were the same three temptations that Jesus was presented with and was able to overcome. He didn’t allow hunger and learned that He must live on bread alone. He didn’t allow to worship Satan but instead knows that worship only belongs to God. Lastly, he didn’t put God to the test which included Satan leaving the scene. Now understanding this gives me a better understanding of humanity’s failure to obey God and how Jesus was able to be obedient in the same situation.
I enjoyed the relationship between Jesus and the Spirit in the Gospel of Luke. The author gives out three statements regarding this specific topic.[2] Through intervention, Jesus to some degree did have the Spirit since the beginning and it wasn’t a momentary thing. Jesus’s ministry grows out of the Spirit. It’s confirmed through the Jordan River experience. And lastly, it’s a developing narrative throughout the Gospel of Luke. These are reminders that since we now live in the New Covenant these experiences are so available today. The Holy Spirit now dwelling inside of us so we do not have a momentary experience of waiting for the Spirit. We now allow the Holy Spirit to do His Will by empowering us, guiding us, through relationships. We are now always living with the Spirit and it’s by our awareness through our faith we can see the Spirit move in our lives. This isn’t a turn-on and turn-off function, since the Holy Spirit is a person, He is available to us at any time.
[1] PG 27
[2] PG 43-45
My Faith Journey 