Year 2 Day 345

Year 2 Day 345


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 8:10-13


Message - Alan Burke


I want to draw another word out of this passage today that will help us as we look to what is going on. On Monday it was in the coming of the Pharisees how they came to question Jesus and how that word that is translated as question/argue depending on the translation before you is two words. They are ‘rule’ and the other is ‘dispute’. Rule gives us an idea of their attitude and the emphasis behind the word in greek that is to dispute is that of questioning. So they were coming all riled up to have an argument, to harangue Jesus. Ok the next word, again depending on the translation will be either ‘test’ (ESV/NIV) or ‘tempting’ (KJV). Well this word is used only four times in Mark and if you turn back to 1:13 you’ll see it used as Jesus was being ‘tempted’ by Satan. The three other uses are when Jesus was facing opposition by the Pharisees (8:11; 10:2; 12:15). 


What we learn is that the temptation of Jesus didn’t just take place in the wilderness, it wasn’t a once for all experience, it continued. It continued at the hands of those who were the religious leaders, who wanted a sign but it was ‘A Sign Of Disbelief’. Today this is as far as we are going, that Jesus was tempted by Satan though these Pharisees and a note of application. I know it’s not the thrust of the passage, but the reason why Mark didn’t go into the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness or if He was victorious was because he wanted us to understand that Jesus faced temptation not only at the beginning of His public ministry in this ’40 day’ temptation, but throughout his life and ministry. Jesus faced temptation at the hands of Satan throughout his ministry as Satan endeavoured to subvert God’s great plan of salvation. In Mark 8, it was Satan using the Pharisees to tempt Jesus. 


We all face temptations in so many ways, don’t we? You may rightly say to me that I know nothing of what you face, the temptations that you are in the midst of, I can never understand the temptations that you face and you are probably right but the good news is our Saviour can. In Hebrews we are reminded that; “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15). 


Our Lord and Saviour was tempted in every way but as without sin, we may think, well he wasn’t tempted in the way I am, he wasn’t tempted with the things I face, so then how was he tempted in every way? He was tempted in every way because behind his temptations throughout his life, he experienced temptations that were real and beyond our understanding, greater temptations that we will ever face and at each point he resisted, he overcame. He knew what it was like to be tempted, he was fully human, yet he never sinned. He can sympathise with us in our weakness because he experienced what we experience and now he at the Father’s right hand intercedes for us, speaking on our behalf (Heb 7:25).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q98 What is prayer?
Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, (Ps. 62:8) for things agreeable to his will, (1 John 5:14) in the name of Christ, (John 16:23) with confession of our sins, (Ps. 32:5–6, Dan. 9:4) and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies. (Phil. 4:6)
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