Lent and the Example of Jesus

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, “Man does not live by bread alone.’” —Luke 4:1-4

Christ in the Wilderness – Ivan Kramskoy, 1872. Oil on Canvas. Public Domain.
Tretyakov Gallery

 

So much of Lent, and for that matter, so much of the church year is based upon the life of Christ. For example, the length of Lent (40 days) is taken from this experience in the life of Christ. The main spiritual discipline of Lent is fasting and this is also derived from Christ’s experience in the desert. Anyone who has tried fasting will attest to the similarity of Christ’s experience that temptation and the devil love to lead us astray when we try to get closer to God.

It is helpful to understand that just as the church year is drawn from the life of our Lord, so too, the life of Jesus is drawn from the history of Israel. Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness mimics the experience of Israel as it wandered in the desert for forty years. Jesus’ hunger mimics that of Israel when they longed for the “fleshpots of Egypt where they ate their fill of bread; for you have bought us into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” -Exodus 16:3 As Moses led Israel into the wilderness, the Spirit led Jesus.

While there are great similarities, the point of the parallels is that there are also great differences between the experience of Israel and that of Jesus. The biggest difference is that when confronted with hunger, Israel complained and gave into temptation. The devil won the first round. Jesus, on the other hand, was obedient to God, never complained, and defeated the devil’s temptations by quoting the Word of God. Jesus won the second round. His life shows us that where Israel failed, he succeeded. While humanity descended from the old Adam failed in the garden and in the wilderness, humanity triumphed in the new Adam, Jesus Christ.

Which brings us to today and our ability to have a triumphant Lent and not give in to temptation. Yes, Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus is the great triumph over death and evil, but our observance of Lent can also be triumphant in its own way. It is contingent on a decision as to which heritage we decide to live into.

Jesus succeeded because he knew who he was. Immediately before being led into the wilderness, Jesus was baptized. At his baptism the Father spoke and clearly stated, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” If you have given your heart to God, and you long to hear the words that you are beloved and that the Father is pleased with you — then I want you to know that these words are not just for Jesus, but for you too. If you have not given your heart to God, then “We implore you on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God… Now is the favorable time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”  —2 Cor. 5:20-6:2

Jesus succeeded because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit fell on him in power at his baptism and the presence of the Spirit is also attested to by the first verse of Luke 4. Because the Spirit was given to us on the day of Pentecost, we too have access to the same power of the Spirit that Jesus had. Scripture tells us that it is the pleasure of the Father to send the Spirit to those who ask for it. If you have not asked for a filling of the Spirit, this Lent would be a good time to do so.

Jesus succeeded because he was full of the Word of God and could use it to ward off satan’s temptations. The whole purpose of spiritual disciplines of emptying is to create a space or vacuum that we fill with the Word of God. If one fasts from lunch it creates an hour that can be filled with Bible Study. If we choose solitude and fast from social functions, it creates time we can fill with prayer and Bible Study. If we choose silence, it creates a space that is well spent in reading and study of the Word.

The bottom line is that Christ’s time in the wilderness shows us that we too can triumph against the temptations of the evil one. We no longer need to dread “time in the wilderness” as Israel did and spent forty years complaining. All that complaining didn’t do them any good and it certainly didn’t help them mend their relationship with God. Let us enter into Lent filled with the Spirit, filled with the Word, and knowing we are beloved by the Father. Let us also be filled with expectation knowing that “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” If we hunger this season, may it be for the Word. Lent is not a challenge. It is an opportunity.

In Him,

†Bp. Mark