02. Matt 3-4

As we move from chapter 2 to chapter 3, many years have passed as now we find John the Baptist at the River Jordan (again fulfilling Old Testament prophecy) and Jesus as a young man coming to be baptized.  I do like the way some phrases are translated in this version. The old "You brood of vipers" becomes "you children of snakes."  The chapter ends after the baptism with the voice of God coming down from heaven saying, "this is my son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him." I believe that God loves us all, but I wonder if God finds happiness in what we do and how we live our faith?

I will be preaching on the first 11 verses of chapter 4 this coming Sunday. The story of the temptation of Jesus and the 40 days in the wilderness help us to begin the season of Lent.  Immediately after the baptism the Holy Spirit, which had descended like a dove, now leads Jesus into the wilderness. When we were in the Holy Land in January, we saw where this wilderness has historically been said to be. It was a dry and rocky place. And though no stones looked like bread to me, after not eating for 40 days and nights they may have looked tempting to Jesus. With such hunger a temptation to satisfy his appetite with just a little miracle, much smaller than feeding 5000, yet Jesus does not succumb to the temptation to satisfy his own wishes or wants. Instead he quotes scripture by simply saying it's written, "people won't live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God."

With the second temptation the devil also quotes Scripture, noting how it's written and if only Jesus would jump from the highest point of the Temple surely God's angels will protect him. What a sign or miracle this would be for all to see. But again Jesus declines the temptation simply because it's written, "don't test the Lord your God."

But the devil is not finish and for a third time from a high mountain with all the world before them, what an offer, the whole world could be under Jesus' control.  He would just need to bow down and worship the devil. Could this have been an offer to end hunger, poverty and war around the world? but the price was too high as Jesus again reminds the devil that it's written, "you will worship the Lord your God and serve only him."  And so the devil leaves and we read that angels came and took care of Jesus.

Jesus goes back to Galilee and leaves his boyhood home of Nazareth and goes to Capernaum. Once again I like the translation of how Jesus announces the coming kingdom. He says, "change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!" he goes and calls fishermen Peter and Andrew and offers to show them how to fish for people. And then he calls another set of brothers James and John they were repairing their nets. I wonder if Jesus invited them to come and follow that he might teach them how to be repairers of networks and communities of faith?  This section of his early ministry ends as Jesus begins to gather a crowd and a large following.

The old saying is that, "All's well that ends well."  But here all is well that begins well with the ministry of Jesus. I hope all is well also as you begin reading these scriptures.