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And this is what God's word says to us there. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions and under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. "'cause you have made the Lord your dwelling place, "'the Most High, who is my refuge, "'no evil shall be allowed to befall you, "'no plague come near your tent, "'for he will command his angels concerning you "'to guard you in all your ways. "'On their hands they will bear you up, "'lest you strike your foot against a stone. "'You will tread on the lion and the adder, "'the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot, Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him. With long life, I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." And then over to Mark chapter 1, and we're looking at verses 12 and 13 there. And of course, our focal point there, considering this is our theory, our series out of Mark, verse 12 and 13 of Mark chapter one, the spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness 40 days being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals and the angels were ministering to him. And that's as far as we're going to be reading from the Lord's Word. We're grateful for it and pray it may be a blessing to us today as indeed we have prayed already. Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we all find ourselves looking forward with anticipation for different things. And I suppose at this time of the year that happens, especially for our children. perhaps our students, perhaps teachers, but others as well, parents, grandparents. It's a time of the year where we can be very mindful of things ahead of us. Students look forward to finishing their classwork. Teachers do the same. Parents and grandparents look forward to seeing their children or their grandchildren. I'm one of those. I'm looking forward to that. in days to come. When we see Jesus heading to the desert, it reminds us too of things anticipated. And, and other things as well. It reminds us of a, it reminds us of a better Adam that was to come. It reminds us of a long promised Savior. And it points us As did the last portion that we read, it points us to the humanity of Jesus Christ, who came to restore his people and restore creation, a restoration that people were hoping for, were looking forward to for generations. We celebrate, or at least we're called in our own particular lives to be celebrating that coming. Because it was a coming that was ultimately important. It was so important for all generations. And it was anticipated for so long. that that celebration continues on today because we can say that that which was people were waiting for finally arrived like nothing else that we were waiting for finally arrived and it arrived in Christ's coming. And that celebration of that long expected event that caused such an ultimate importance and impact upon the world upon people encourages believers who are also longing for another coming. of Jesus Christ and his second arrival. And we long for it, well, for different reasons, but one of the reasons is because these are trying times for the people of God. And this morning we want to focus on that coming of Christ that is still celebrated today and anticipates a second. We want to focus on that coming of Christ as the better Adam, who was tempted in the desert, was among wild animals, and was attended by angels. We want to start by looking at the fact that he was tempted in the desert. This is his trial, and in trying times, it's good to know that Jesus Christ was tried. that it isn't just we who are tried, but it was our Savior who was tried. Now, God, we read in our passage here, the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness, and he is tempted by Satan there. Now, God doesn't tempt, and the text tells us that, but that doesn't mean he doesn't put people under trial. And particularly, we know that as Christians. In fact, nobody really knows that like Christians do because, you know, we could talk about trying times for people, but it's when you're a Christian that you recognize that trial is from God for our spiritual future, for ultimately our spiritual benefit. It doesn't mean it's always pleasant, no trial is, but we know that as Christians, that as we're under trial, we can be consoled in this passage that Jesus Christ was too. That he knew trial. And we don't want to know that just because we can say, well, then misery loves company. But it's because he underwent trial for the sake of those he came to save, tried though they are. Part of the trial for Jesus is that for 40 days and nights he doesn't eat or drink. He was in the wilderness 40 days being tempted by Satan. These are trying times, they're tempting times. And whether we see them as tempting times or trying times, they remain under the dominion of God and we can be consoled by that too. and see how he who was tempted can be an inspiration in our temptations as well and our trying times. These trying and tempting times remind us of times from the biblical past that should be surprising to us, especially in the things we've already looked at. We've seen things that we've looked at Mark, and back when we were looking at Exodus 2, we were seeing things that harken back to other things that happened in the Bible, and this does that too. So did the passage we looked at before. Allusions to the flood, allusions to Exodus. We've got that here too. We can go all the way back. We can see a stark contrast, a great contrast between the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness and the temptations of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. That's a contrast. Adam's temptation takes place where there was no human sin or misery before the curse that comes because of man's sin. Adam's temptation takes place in a lush environment. It takes place in the Garden of God, in the Garden of Eden. And Jesus is the exact opposite, isn't it? And those differences speak to us about how deeply different Jesus is from Adam. And we need that difference. And how grateful we can be that such a stark difference finds itself here as Jesus appears on the scene, such a contrast to Adam. Because he's come to restore what Adam ruined. He's come to be what Adam wasn't. And so that where Adam failed and we in him, Jesus Christ and he alone could prevail. He comes to restore a fallen humanity and a world that needs his restoration, needs his blessing, and he will be the champion that Adam was not. And then what's nice about that, especially when we're running through troubled times, is that when we realize that he was the champion that Adam was not, we can confess also that he makes us his champion when we're in him. He makes everyone in him a champion as well. Because we're not losers when we're in Christ Jesus. We might be tried and we might be troubled, but we are not losers. And that's to console us. And that's good news. Now his temptation in the wilderness is not the end of all that needs to be done, that we recognize in this gospel, and it certainly won't be the final trial, and it won't be the final temptation that Jesus has to undergo. We see humiliation for Jesus here, no doubt, but it's not the final humiliation. We see confrontation with evil, but it's not the final confrontation. What happens here for Jesus is just the foretaste of what he has come to accomplish as that spirit anointed one of God in whom God is well pleased. Put to the test, but passing. He truly is. the well-pleased of God. He comes to be the fulfillment of man that Adam was not, and he comes that way as God incarnate, God who has become man. And he fulfills what Adam did not, and so also then what we are not in Adam, and we can't be apart from Christ. And that's why you and I are called to put our faith not in ourselves and our ability to make it, we're to be putting our faith in him to save and him alone and not in ourselves. Because we don't want to be found merely in Adam, because everybody in the world's in that category. Where we want to be found, even if we're going through troubled times and trying times, where we want to be found is in Christ, the better Adam. Now that sense of fulfillment, what Christ is able to accomplish that Adam can't, or that we can't, is something that is played out for us and is taught to us through the number 40. All right, we see here, it says, he was in the wilderness 40 days. And if, and if you read your Bibles, and our boys and girls know about this too, is they read through their Sunday school lessons, and they hear about how long that Israel's in the desert. They say he was in there, it was, he was there, they were there 40 years, right? Or you hear about how long that the flood took place, and it took 40 days and 40 nights. Well, Here, there's a reason why Jesus is in the wilderness 40 days as he is, because it does remind us of Israel in the wilderness. Again, he's identifying with his people. It also reminds us of those days of the flood. And in those days of the flood, 40 days occurred so that creation could be restored to an extent. in Noah's day. But on top of that, what's interesting is that if you think, if you look back, if you're reading your, your Bibles, both Moses and Elijah had 40 day fasts while they were in the wilderness. Exodus 24, 34, Deuteronomy 9. You can find all those for Moses. Exodus 24, Deuteronomy 9, Exodus 34. But then also Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Moses and Elijah both went through 40-day fasts in the wilderness. Moses went through a couple of them when he received the law. But it happens both to Moses and Elijah. And you remember, don't you, that Moses and Elijah play a significant role, don't they, in Mark, in the life, in the times of Jesus while he was on earth. Because you remember in Mark chapter 9, you remember the transfiguration, right? And who shows up there? Well, who shows up there is Moses and Elijah. And that's a glorious moment, isn't it? This really shows forth the might, it's anticipating the glory that Jesus Christ is going to know. It also is a reminder of just who this person is who has come. It's God incarnate, who deserves all the glory, who is the glorious God incarnate. But they don't just play the role in that glorious moment. They also play a role in this humbled moment, here in Mark chapter 1. Jesus is related, and he is tied, especially you see that in Mark, to both Moses and Elijah. And why is that? The reason why that is, is because Moses represents the law, and Elijah represents the prophets. And together, they represent the word of the Lord. And so when you're seeing this trial going on by Jesus and this temptation going on with Jesus, what you see in this person who is going through this trying time is this person who is fulfilling both the law of God unto Moses and the gospel promise of God unto Elijah prophetically. He's fulfilling the word of God. He's going to be the obedient one according to the law, and that's exactly what he shows here in this wilderness event. And he is the one promised to be that obedient one according to the prophetic word of the Lord in order that he could restore, deliver a fallen humanity and fix the world. To fix what no one else in Adam could fix. And in so doing, he also shows that God's gospel promises are kept. And therefore, God's gospel promises can be trusted, you first people who read Mark, who are going through trials yourself, because that's what's happening when Mark writes this, that the people of God are going through trials. Christians are going through trials during the Roman times. And they need to know that they can trust the gospel promises, they can trust the word of the Lord in their trial. And so in this trial, in this trying time of Jesus then, we can see that God's promised word of God can be trusted. And isn't that exactly what we need to know in trying times of our own? That you can trust the word of the Lord. Not just to save you, but to keep you. That when he says to you, I'm not going to leave you, and I'm not going to forsake you, you can count on that. We need to know that God's word, his promised word, can be trusted. But we can be assured that his word can be because of the, in the midst of the trying times that we face, because of the trying times that Jesus undertook for his people. When he came to earth, and he endured those trials in obedience for us as God so promised. And that's to be our confession, right? that he endured these trials in obedience for us as God had promised and and if that is our confession then we can know that God will keep us in our trying times because they're not trials to destroy you but to mold you and make you after his will and to prepare you for glory. We have every reason, you see, to trust the word of the Lord that way for our lives. They're truly words of good news and trying times for us. That's why the gospel begins that way. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is good news for tried souls. A while back, a number of years ago, I remember somebody making a comment about the political times in which we were living then. And there was some poor decisions that were being made, regrettable decisions. And I remember the commentator saying, people in this nation have nothing to look forward to. And he based that on these decisions that were being made by the politically powerful. People in this nation have nothing to look forward to. You know that's never true for Christian people? That's never true for Christian people. Because we always have the hope of Christ's return, just as certain as his first coming made true long ago, when he came as the better man for us. And we can always trust the gospel promises of God for our lives. There's always gospel. And there's always a future for the people of God in trying times or triumphant ones. And that's thanks to the trials and temptations that Jesus was willing to undertake on our behalf. And that's the Christian confession that we're all to make. Not to look ahead and say we've got nothing to look forward to. That just isn't so for a follower of Christ. What adds to this idea that a better Adam has come is that we find that he's dwelling among the wild beasts. And as we continue to read in Mark, we'll find that Jesus Christ will be accomplishing all kinds of things that would indicate a new order, that the kingdom of God is transforming kingship is occurring. The lame are going to walk, the deaf are going to hear. And those are things that were promised in Isaiah 35. Also that the wilderness would become a garden. All of what Jesus would do that way would be anticipating a greater day when there wouldn't be any more death or pain or sin or suffering. But it would take his humiliation to make that happen as he comes. God incarnate into a sin-cursed world. And we read in our passage a little bit of a fascination here, because it says he was with the wild animals. He was with the wild animals. And the wild animals remind us that a sin-cursed world is the kind of world that Jesus entered. And yet while he was among them, they don't destroy him. In fact, as we read from the psalm that we read, Jesus is going to in fact triumph over the serpent and the great lion and over evil and all the effects of sin in order to give to his people and to his creation his peace for time and for eternity. You know, just going back into a couple of Old Testament passages that speak to this, one of them that we find, I was mentioning Isaiah 35, verse 9, it says there, when all this is occurring, it says in verse 9 of Isaiah 35, it speaks so much about Christ's coming, no lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come upon it. They shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk and the ransom of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing." But especially if you read from Ezekiel chapter 34, beautiful words there, encouraging words to God's people, both in those times of Ezekiel, but also for God's people today. In verse 22, it says this, I will rescue my flock. They shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep, and I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them. He shall feed them and be their shepherd, and I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord, I have spoken, and I will make with them a covenant of peace, and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness. and sleep in the woods. And I'll make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season, and they shall be showers of blessing, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in the land. And they shall know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke and deliver them from the hand of those who have enslaved them. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely and none shall make them afraid." That's what Jesus came to do, to bring peace where there was turmoil and order where there's chaos. And one day we will see that peace in full. But even now, in the midst of your trials, we can know the comfort of that peace. Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and the peace that passes understanding. The peace of God and the God of peace guarding our hearts and minds. As those who can truly say like nobody else can, everything will turn out well in the end. I've got something to look forward to. Sometimes for all kinds of reasons, we wonder if it will. We encounter death and hardship and heartache and frustration. Of course, scripture says we face death all day long. But when we see Christ with the wild animals, We see that he's come to deliver us from the lion's mouth and the deadly pestilence, triumphing over the one who would seek to devour us and enabling us to resist him in the day of temptation and the trial. As we watch, as we pray, as we seek his help, because we know that nothing in all creation is gonna separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Finally, just for a moment here, we see a better Adam has come, and the fact that angels attend to Jesus, we see here that it says, and the angels were ministering to him. We remember that in the aftermath of Adam's fall that There was an angel that was guarding the tree of life so nobody could partake of it. But here we see that angels attend to the needs of this new Adam. Guarding him in all his ways. Which God his father in heaven commanded the angels to do so that not only would he not strike his foot against a stone, but rather his foot would tread on the lion and the cobra and trample the great lion and serpent. triumph over evil. And that goes to show as well that even in the midst of great trials and humiliations, pinnacled at the cross, God was going to protect him, preserve him, deliver him, honor him, and with long life satisfy him because as his father would say in Psalm 91, he loves me. And the very fact that angels attended to his needs remind us again of Elijah, doesn't it? Who received the ministry of angels in his desert trek. in his trying time so that he wouldn't give up and he would carry on and do everything that the Lord had called him to do. And Jesus, in accordance with his humanity, would have his needs met as well in these trying times. so he could carry out his task of crushing the serpent's head for our sake and carry out his calling regardless of the trial. Now, we might not see angels at work, but in the midst of your trials and mine, in the midst of our trying times for the sake of Jesus Christ, God makes sure that we know his provision. Make no mistake of that. and he does it so that we can carry on in our service to the Lord. Hebrews tells us angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. For the sake of Jesus Christ, whose needs were tended so that he could carry out his callings as the saving heir of God, the Lord commands his angels charge over us as well. So that as long as you and I are supplied with our daily needs, we could do this. We can carry out our service to the Lord, despite the trying times of life. And so when you come to the dinner table today, and when I do that, we need to remember that God has again supplied. And the reason he did it was so that we could be strengthened for the Christian tasks that are ahead of us for Jesus' sake. For Jesus' sake, who was strengthened so that he could die in your place. Because we don't live to eat. That's not what we're here for. We eat to live for Christ. Whether in temptation, my friends, living among wild beasts or being tended by angels, we see a better Adam here who has come. The Savior promised long, who's fulfilled all things, who's done what we could not, who's fulfilled all things so that we and God's creation could be restored to God, delivered from sin, and so that we could be supplied for everything that we have to face to God's praise and thank the Lord, even in trying times, for God's peace and order. With every reason for us to trust God's word in the midst of our own trying times. I pray that this portion of God's word would encourage you to celebrate all the more the coming of Christ and why he came. And celebrating not only how Christ was so different from Adam, but how Christ as Savior and King has made such a difference in your life and mine. And how it will. For if we can celebrate that way, that's good news. in trying times. Amen. Would you pray with me a moment? Father, again, we come in the name of Jesus, and thank you for how different Jesus was, so much better than Adam, so much better than we. Father, if we find ourselves only in Adam, we find ourselves wanting, but when we find ourselves in Christ, we find ourselves filled Satisfaction is ours, peace, order. And find what a difference He makes. And I pray, Lord, for each and every person that's here that that's their experience today in trying times. As they think about the marvels of Christ and His coming, and they celebrate it. Not just because it was something that everybody was hoping would happen, not only because it It made the ultimate difference in people, but to be able to say in our own lives, it made the ultimate difference for us, for me. And it continues to do that for me in the trying times in which I live. Father, help us then to be those reflections of the Lord, recognizing that there is peace in trial. that as Christ went through them unto his glory, you will lead us along too. We don't need to despair. We have reason to look forward and not be afraid because Christ is our champion. And the promises that you have given to us can be trusted. We saw it in wilderness long ago. We saw it at the cross. May we see that today in our own lives. Dear Father, we pray that you'd accept our prayers for the sake of Jesus. Amen. So let's respond to the word of the Lord, turning to number three.
A Better Adam Comes
Series Mark
- Tempted in the Wilderness
- Among the Wild Animals
- Served by Angels
Sermon ID | 1213201648302436 |
Duration | 34:32 |
Date | |
Category | Sunday - AM |
Bible Text | Mark 1:12-13; Psalm 91 |
Language | English |
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