In today’s Gospel Lesson, Jesus moves from the banks of the Jordan River (scene of His baptism) into the dry, barren, lonely wilderness. He had heard His Father’s voice from the heavens: “You are My Son, the beloved; My favor rests on You” (Lk. 3:22), and in these words, His ordination was complete. Now His public ministry of proclaiming the coming Kingdom is about to begin. His spirit is consumed with desire to know the Father’s will and to carry it out faithfully. And, as Jesus reflects on these things in the wilderness, His spirit is caught up in the very human process of discovery. With all humanity, He experiences the terrible inner-conflict, the spiritual turmoil that accompanies any serious reflection on life and its meaning, on God and His purposes. As God’s Son, how was He to act? How was He to proceed? As leader of the New Israel, how was He to fulfill His role?
Satan tempts Jesus three times. First, he…
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