Confrontation in the Wilderness

Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11

– Mark’s description of the wilderness temptation is very short compared to Matthew and Luke

– Mark’s purpose in these verses is not so much to teach us how to resist temptation, as it is to show us who Jesus really is and what He came to do

I.  Jesus is the ‘New Moses’

1. Moses as a ‘type’ (foreshadowing) of Jesus Christ
   • They were both rescued as infants from murderous Kings
   • They both had an adoptive parent
   • They both began ministry in the wilderness
   • They both spent 40 days fasting in the desert
     • Moses’ fast was supernatural – Deut 9:9
     • Jesus’ fast may have been supernatural
   • They both mediated a Covenant between God and His people
     • Moses – Old Covenant (Ex 24:6-8)
     • Jesus – New Covenant (Mark 14:24)
   • They both liberated God’s people from slavery
2. Moses predicted that a greater prophet would come in the future – Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Application: Jesus’ 40 day fast in the wilderness was a signal to Israel (and to us) that the greater prophet Moses spoke about has arrived.

II.  Jesus is the ‘True Israelite’

1. Israel as a ‘type’ of Jesus Christ
   • They are both called God’s ‘son’ (Hosea 11:1 cf. Matthew 2:15,Mark 1:1)
   • They were both ‘tested’ in the wilderness
     • Israel’s period of testing lasted 40 years
     • Jesus’ period of testing lasted 40 days
     • Jesus defeats Satan’s temptations with Bible passages that were given during Israel’s wilderness journey (Deut 6-8)
2. Jesus passes his ‘test’ in the wilderness where Israel had failed

Application: Throughout the Gospels we will see Jesus ‘re-enacting’ various parts of Israel’s history.   Jesus’ victory in the wilderness shows that He is the true Israelite who will not fail.   It is through Jesus Christ that God will fulfill His promise to bless the nations – Genesis 12:3

III.  Jesus is the ‘Last Adam’

1. Adam as a ‘type’ of Jesus Christ
   • They were both tempted by Satan
     • Adam was tempted in a beautiful garden
     • Jesus was tempted in a desolate wilderness
     • God permitted the temptation to occur, but did not do the tempting – James 1:13
   • Satan used the same strategy
   • Lust of flesh, Lust of eyes, Pride of life
   • Goal of the temptations was to get Jesus to abandon the pathway of suffering
2. Jesus succeeds where Adam fails
   • Adam’s failure plunged humanity into ruin
   • Jesus victory undoes the curse of sin
   • Mention of animals in v. 13 – Jesus was with the wild animals and they didn’t harm him! (see Isaiah 11:6-8)

Application: Jesus dramatic victory over Satan at the beginning of His ministry demonstrates that He is the ‘Last Adam’ who has come to reverse the effects of Adam’s Fall in the Garden.