Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41

Another prophecy from Isaiah: Is this #8? "He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases."

Now note this: Simon Peter was married! Jesus heals his mother-in-law. Now honestly, marriage isn't a shocker, it was normal to be married, but there are denominations out there that insist the disciples were not married, Mary was always a virgin, and Jesus had no siblings. The Bible tells us otherwise. This is why it is so important to know the Word! Then religion cannot drag you into wrong thinking regarding who Jesus was & what His message is all about.

Finally, Jesus healed many in Capernaum - & He is still healing us today. Don't think that these are just historical stories. Jesus is alive & well & still walking us through life. Notice how Simon's mother got up & seved them after she was healed. Don't think that was just about a woman's place in the world. When someone does something wonderful for you, you want to do something wonderful for them. That's what relationship is all about - So - get into a relationship with Jesus & see what wonders & joys will come to you.

Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-30

The First Disciples ~

John already told us about the calling of Simon & Andrew.  Here, Matthew & Mark provide their explaination.  Simon, Andrew, John, and James were all fishermen along the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus called them to be His followers & they followed.  Pretty simple, life-changing decision.

On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue, but He wasn't there to learn, He was there to teach.  The synagogue was established during the Babylonian exile in the sixth century BC.  Jews began gathering to pray and study the scriptures.  In fact, synagogue means "a place of meeting" in Greek.  A quorum of ten men was necessary to form a synagogue. Women sat in a separate section, and were not expected to take part.  The five-part service included prayers, psalm-singing, blessings, readings from the Scriptures, and commentaries on the sacred passages, but there were no sacrifices and no standard liturgy.  Any Jewish man who felt himself qualified could ask permission to teach the Scriptures.

Jesus' teaching was so amazing, He taught with so much authority, the people were amazed.  During this time a demon-possessed man confronted Jesus.  The demon recognized that He was the Son of God.  Notice that it only took a few words for Jesus to defeat this spirit.  The confidence and authority that Jesus exhibited made people stand up & take notice.

Has Jesus made you stand up & take notice?  If not, maybe you need to spend a little time reading His words - they are life-changing.

Luke 4:16-30

Jesus is rejected in Nazareth ~

So, Jesus goes to His hometown, comes to church, & reads from Scripture.  This Scripture just so happens to be about Him.  (I believe we are on the seventh prophecy provided in the Gospels.  It comes from Isaiah.)  Jesus tells the people, Here I AM, your Messiah has come, yet I will not be able to perform miracles in your presence for you doubt me.

Now look close, instead of being humbled, instead of looking closer at Jesus' heart, the people become enraged!  How dare He tell them what they will & will not do!  How dare He look into their hearts & call out their innermost thoughts!  The crowd forms this riot mentallity & determines to throw Jesus off a cliff.  They're going to show Him!

Wow, the truth can enrage us when we are unwilling to face it.  Yet, the truth only serves to point us to a better place.  Your choice today is to look for truth, accept it for the healing powers it provides to us, & apply it to our lives.  To run from truth only leads to heartache and anger & who wants to live there?

John 446-54

Healing a Nobleman's Son ~

A nobleman approaches Jesus in Cana & asks Him to come to Capernaum to heal his son.  Jesus heals the boy from where He stands - 16 miles away.  This sign once again shows Jesus' power & authority, yet there is another issue that I think we should focus on.

Jesus says, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe."  Yet, He healed the man's son.  So what is going on?  It's all about believe' & faith that God knows what He is doing.  It's not about your way, it's all about His way.  Signs and wonders will not bring about life change.  They will get your attention, but you can't simply live on miracles.  Your faith & reliance will begin to depend on the act instead of on God.  Jesus healed the boy from a distance & the father simply needed to believe it on Jesus' word alone. 

Always remember, it's not about what happens, it's about your faith.  Do you trust Jesus?  Or does it need to be your way?  Can you pray for your need & trust that they will be taken care of according to God's good plan or do you demand your way?  God is wisdom & knowledge.  Do you believe it?

Matthew 4:2-17; Mark 1:14,15; Luke 4:14,15; John 4:43-45

A very rare reading which is included in all four Gospels?  What makes this event so important to the writers?  Well, this account includes fulfilled prophecy:  Jesus would bring the Good News to Galilee (Isaiah 9:1,2).  

Now Galilee was a fertile & densely populated region of about three million people.  It was a mixed society of Gentiles & Jewish peoples.   If you look at a map of Israel at the time Jesus lived you will see that Jerusalem is found in Judea in the south, Nazareth and Cana are in Galilee in the North, and Samaria sits in between the two regions.  Jesus grew up in the Galilee area, so it was more difficult for Him to preach there because they people were too familiar with Him & His family.  This was a superficial familiarity that lead them to make assumptions about Jesus without ever really knowing Him. 

However, everyone was in Jerusalem during the feast - Passover - since it is a requirement that all Jewish people travel to Jerusalem for Passover.  There, they saw all the things that Jesus did.  Do you remember what He did during Passover?  He cleared the temple, predicted His resurrection, and performed many miracles.  These eye-witness accounts lead people to look at Jesus differently.

How about you?  Do you know of Jesus or do you know Jesus?  Have you made assumptions on who He is based on second hand or superficial knowledge?  Have you taken the time to get to know Him personally?  If not, I invite you to spend some time today seeking Him out.

John 4:39-42

A few things from today's reading:

First, some of the first converts were Samaritans - people that any other Jew would ignore, but not Jesus.  Jesus is here for each & every one of us, regardless of race, religion, or gender.

Second, a woman spread the word.  Not just any woman, a woman that we might refer to as white-trash.  One conversation with Jesus & she has become one of His main evangelists.  Don't ever count any one out!  God doesn't look at the person, He looks at the heart.  Sometimes those we wouldn't even give a second glance become greater than we could even imagine.

Finally, the woman got the people to Jesus, but it was their own personal experience with Him that made them believe.  You won't make anyone a Christian, you can only lead them to Christ.  So, make the introduction, share your experiences & let Jesus do the rest. 

John 4:27-38

Jesus' disciples find Him speaking with a woman.  They wonder what's going on, because in this culture men & women do not spend time alone without a chaperon.  However, they trust that Jesus is doing the right thing. 

The woman is so changed by her conversation with Jesus that she heads into the city & spreads the word to everyone, urging them to come out & see Him.

Meanwhile, the disciples are busy mothering Jesus.  They trust Him to make good choices, but they don't trust Him with His own hunger.  Jesus tells them to stop worrying about physical matters, they need to worry about spiritual matters.  The wheat is ripe for harvest, meaning there are many people just waiting to hear the Good News that the Messiah has come.  So, get busy & spread the Word.

Do you find it interesting that the disciples didn't get this, but the woman did?  She was living in sin, yet a few words from Jesus & she makes BIG changes.  The disciples have been traveling with Jesus, yet they are missing the big picture.  Are you missing the BIG picture?  What are you worried about?  Where is your focus?  Is it on the physical or the spiritual?

John 3:1-26

Since the Pharisees are getting so riled up, Jesus leaves Judea & heads to Samaria.  Now, the Samaritans were cousins of the Jews.  After the death of King Solomon, the kingdom divided into two countries:  Judah (the line of David & Solomon) & Israel.  The kingdom of Israel went their own way & defied God; therefore, they were taken captive & their kingdom was no more.  Those left behind became the kingdom of Samaria, they were considered half-Jewish but they were not accepted by Jerusalem.  It's pretty interesting that Jesus, a Jew, would even give Samaria the time of day let alone an adulterous woman. 

However, there He is, sitting at a well around noon (the sixth hour) when a woman comes by.  Jesus shocks her by treating her like an equal & they strike up a conversation.  I want you to notice how Jesus witnesses to her - He doesn't beat her over the head with the Word, He isn't forceful, He doesn't shy away.  Instead, He intrigues her after opening the door by treating her with respect.  Then He tells her the truth.

So, how do we witness to others?  By treating them as equals with respect.  By speaking truth without judgment.  By answering questions with wisdom & knowledge.  It's a conversation, not an interview.  It's about the person, not about the commitment they make.  It's always all about relationship!

Luke 3:19,20

Such a little reading today, but one of importance - John the Baptist's imprisonment.  John didn't just baptize people in the desert.  He also spoke out against injustices in the leadership of the country. 

A little background on Herod:

"The Herod family were Idumeans. That is, they were descended from Abraham through Isaac and Esau, rather than through Isaac and Jacob. They saw themselves as Jewish, participating in God's covenant with Abraham, but their ancestors had not gone to Egypt with Joseph or returned with Moses and Joshua.  [While this family followed the law for the most part, they corrupted their faith with Roman ideals.  Basically, they followed the laws they liked & dismissed the ones that were inconvient to them.]

Herod the Great ruled when Jesus was born.  He was the king the Magi visited.  Jospeh and Mary fled to Egypt due to his order to kill all Jewish males under the age of 3 years old.

Herod Archelaus ruled Judea after the death of his father, Herod the Great. In Matthew 2: 22, Joseph decided to take his family north to Galilee, because he was also afraid of Archelaus. Archelaus

His brother, Herod Antipas, was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. In the New Testament, he is called Herod the Tetrarch. Another brother, Herod Philip, was tetrarch of Iturea, Gaulanitis, and Trachonitis. Their cousin, Herodias, first married and divorced an uncle living in Rome, then married Philip, and then divorced Philip to marry Antipas."  http://www.sundayschoollessons.com/herod.htm

So, John spoke out against this unlawful marriage as Herodias was not only a cousin, but had  married her way up through the family.  Herod Antipas was offended that anyone should dare to speak out against him, so he imprisioned John.  Hmmmm . . . sounds like pride to me.  How often do we let ourselves get offended when someone points out our bad choices?  We dig in & just make worst choices instead of listening to wise councel all because we our pride was wounded.  Nobody likes being told when they're wrong, but the wise person will admit their mistakes.

John was especially hard on Herod because he professed to be a Jew and he was a man of great power.  He helped to set the example for those under his leadership.  Unfortunately, his example said money, power, & lust are more important than God.  Remember - to whom much is given, much will be expected.  Those in power will always be judged more harshly.

John 3:22-36

John the Baptist's Testimony About Jesus ~

So, Jesus is baptizing in one area & John is baptizing in another.  Some jealousies arise.  "Hey, there's this other dude that's doing the same thing you are doing!"  Yet, John is not at all perturbed about this situation.  In fact, he compares himself to the best man and Jesus to the groom in a wedding.  He's doing his part to ensure that Jesus succeeds in His mission.  Pretty cool if you ask me.  John knew exactly who he is and what his purpose in life is - and get this - he finds contentment & joy in that purpose.  It's not all about him. 

Makes me wonder why we can't figure this out.  When we struggle to be number one, to be popular, to be more successful than someone else, what do we gain?  There will always be someone prettier, smarter, more successful, more athletic.  So why do we get all worked up about it?  Now, I'm not saying, "Don't try.  Just give up now & be a slacker."  I'm saying, "You are the only one with whom you need to compete."  Do your best - find joy & contentment in doing your best.  And be happy for those who are also doing their best.  It all comes back to the Golden Rule - Treat others the way you want to be treated.

John 3:1-21

Nicodemus Visits Jesus at Night ~

Nicodemus was a pharisee & a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council.  What does all this mean?  Well, the Jewish nation was ruled by God through the temple, their government officials were all religious leaders.   So, the church council, the Sanhedrin, was the government.  However, in Jesus' time, Jerusalem was also ruled by Rome.  So, they were under the authority of Rome and their governing officials, but they were still allowed to have their own government, as long as it did not usurp the Roman government.  It's kind of like our state vs. federal government.  In the United States, we have local city & county government, who makes some rules & laws, but they answer to the State government, who make other rules & law, & they are required to obey the rules & laws of the Federal government. 

Now back to Nicodemus.  He was a pharisee.  In the Jewish government there were two main parties - the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  The Pharisees believed in strict observance of the law, and were usually middle class citizens who believed in educating the people on the Torah.  Most of the scribes (those who studied and copied the Scriptures) were Pharisees.  They were the most vocal in their criticism of Jesus.  The Sadducees were from upper-class families, usually from the priestly line.  They supported a more political & judicial view of the government.  Because of their more favorable support of the Roman government, they held the position of high priest.  However, the Pharisees were more popular with the people.  Sadduccees did not believe in resurrection or spirits, while Pharisees held to a more spiritual belief. 

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night.  He was curious about this new prophet, but he didn't want to make his inquiries known to his fellow religious leaders.  Jesus blew his mind with this teachings - you must be born again.  Nicodemus couldn't even fathom how that was possible. So, Jesus explains further - we are all born of water (physical birth) but one cannot enter heaven without a second birth (spiritual birth).  This birth is accomplished when we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Messiah. 

Jesus also prophesied that He will be lifted up as the snake in the desert was lifted up.  What??  Back in Numbers 21:8,9, when Moses was bringing the Israelites through the desert, they whined - A LOT.  God basically got sick of it.  I mean, really, He had provided for their every need yet they continued to complain & whine.  "We're going to die out here."  "There's no water."  "Now we have water, but there's no food."  "Now we have food, but we want meat."  "Now we have manna & meat, but we are sick of eatting manna."  "We should go back to Egypt.  Sure we were slaves, they killed our children and abused us, but hey, that's better than traveling through the desert with all our needs provided."  So, God gave them something to whine about - He sent deadly snakes into the camp.  Of course the people cried out to God, "Save us, save us."  So, God told Moses to make a statue of a serpent and place it on a pole in the midst of the camp.  Whoever looked upon the snake would be healed.  That was all you had to do - look at the snake & believe that God would heal you & boom - you were healed.  It is the same with Jesus.  God has given us everything we need.  He will continue to lead us through every trial & problem we have.  But we just whine & complain & demand our own way.  We make ourselves miserable & we struggle through all sorts of ridiculous problems simply because we refuse to look to God for help.  Jesus is our help.  He was raised up on a cross, His blood has covered our sins.  All we need to do is look up at Him & believe.  Pretty simple - so why aren't we doing it?  Why do we allow ourselves to sit in disbelief?  It's really simple - "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Those are Jesus' words.  Look to them & be saved.

In reference to John 2:12-25

My uncle just sent me this, "Have you done any research on Bedikat Chametz?  Right before Passover, the children go through their father's house to remove all of the leaven (picture of sin).  When did Jesus drive out the money changers, etc.?"  Jesus cleared the temple of its sin on Bedikat Chametz - He cleared His Father's House just like many Jewish children were clearing their father's houses.  How awesome is that?  I love that God has such an incredibly rich & layered plan from the beginning.  Ever heard the Bible being referred to as a tapestry?  Layer upon layer of threads that come together to form a beautiful picture?  Well, God reveals His plan in a tapestry - you just need to follow the threads to see His beautiful picture.

John 2:12-25

Jesus Clears the Temple ~

This is the first time Jesus clears the temple.  Remember, the temple wasn't like your church.  It was made of several different areas.  The first was the court of the Gentiles, followed by the court of women, then the court of men, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.  Passover was a pilgrim feast - every Jewish male was expected to come to Jerusalem to worship.  This made the temple (& Jerusalem) a very busy place.  To make a little extra money, the religious leaders allowed money changers and merchants to set up shop in the court of Gentiles causing all sorts of traffic problems.  The Gentiles, who could go no further than this outer court, struggled to worship in this crowded place.  Plus, the money changers & merchants drove up prices, making it even harder for people to worship God.   Remember, worship of God is not about how much you spend, but the condition of your heart.  This market showed the corrupted heart of the merchants, money changers, and religious leaders.  They weren't concerned about the people, they just wanted to make a quick buck. 

Of course, this made Jesus irate.  He drove them out with a whip.  Is this anger a sin?  No, it's called righteous anger - justified outrage at the mistreatment of people.  Understand this - God becomes angry when His people are being hurt, taken advantage of, and mistreated.  Not only were the people being mistreated, the religious leaders were insulting the God they served.  No wonder Jesus reacted so intensely.  Does this mean we get to throw things around when we get angry.  I guess that depends on our motivation.  There is a BIG difference between uncontrolled rage & righteous indignation.  We must be careful to weigh our motivations before acting.  It is right to be angry about injustice and sin; it is not OK to be angry over trivial personal offenses.

Take note, we have another fulfilled prophecy here, "Zeal for your house will consume me."  Psalm 69:9.

Jesus was asked by whose authority was He clearing the temple.  They wanted a sign or proof.  Jesus tells them to destroy THIS temple & He will raise it in three days.  They think He is speaking of THE temple - which was built 500 years earlier, but had just undergone 46 years of remodeling.  But Jesus was talking about Himself.  John tells us that the disciples remembered this prophecy after Jesus was risen & it helped them to believe.  Many times we have no idea just what a prophecy means until after it has been fulfilled. 

Finally, Jesus showed His power & ministry by performing many other miracles during this Passover.  The last scripture is telling us that Jesus wasn't depending on the opinions or words of man to spread His message.  He knows the heart of man - it is fickle & easily swayed.  So, Jesus will continue to rely on God.  You would be wise to do the same.

John 2:1-12

Jesus Changes Water into Wine ~

One the third day from the time Andrew became a disciple, Jesus was present at a wedding.  I love John because he gives us a pretty easy to follow timeline & I like details. 

It is at this wedding that Jesus performs His first miracle - He changes 120 - 180 gallons of water into choice wine.  Why was this an important event?  Well, it was His first miracle and it affirmed His glory & power to His disciples.  But, why wine?  Well first you need to understand the culture.  Weddings were a big deal in Jesus' time, they could last a week.  A man's reputation could be injured if he failed to provide a good time for his guests.  Mary was probably close to the family since she was aware of the issue, but the Master of the Banquet was not.  Wine was not a choice, but what everyone would be drinking.  As there was no refrigeration in Jesus' time, the options we have today would not have been available.  Milk and juice would go bad, especially in the quantities needed to supply the guests.  Water was not purified.  So, wine was the safest drink available.  This does not mean that the alcohol content was as high as it is today.  In fact, when you read the Scripture, the master of the banquet was impressed with the quality of the wine.  Usually, the new wine (wine with a low rate of fermentation; therefore, low alcohol content) is served first and the older wine (which tasted more like vinegar & had a higher alcohol content) was served last.

So, why is this an important miracle?  You need to remember that it's not about the miracle, but about the sign.  What Jesus did isn't as important as what the sign means.  Jesus turning water into wine revealed his authority & power to His disciples.  It also shows us that God cares about your well-being.  He doesn't just give you something, He gives you His best.  And finally, notice who was aware of the miracle - the disciples and the servants.  Jesus didn't jump up & make a big spectacle about it.  He showed His humility.  He didn't come for earthly power and praise, He came to help us.  Pretty cool.

Luke 1:35-42

Jesus' First Disciples ~

Jesus' first two disciples were former disciples of John.  Was it wrong of them to "jump ship" and abandon John?  Absolutely not.  John's entire purpose was to point people to the Messiah.  It was perfectly natural for him to point his disciples toward Jesus. 

What is a disciple?  The word in Greek is "mathetes" meaning one who accepts instruction and makes it his rule of conduct.  Everyone who followed Jesus and implemented His Words and teachings into their lives was considered a disciple.  You are a disciple of Christ if you follow His teachings by the way you live your life.

After spending some time with Jesus, Andrew went and found his brother, Simon, and basically told him, "The Messiah is here, drop what you are doing and let's go."  Simon listened.  Upon meeting him, Jesus renamed him "Cephas" or Peter, which means "stone."  Names in the Jewish culture had meaning & Jesus has a special purpose in renaming Simon.  (Which will be revealed as we continue to read through the Gospels.)

Now, Jesus is preparing to leave and He calls Philip to follow Him.  Philip calls Nathanael, but Nathanael is a little doubtful.  Would the Messiah really come from some backwater town like Nazareth?  But Jesus displays His knowledge of the hearts of men, and Nathanael is convinced to follow.

What will it take for you to follow? 

John 1:29-34

Jesus the Lamb of God ~

The next day - the day after the chief priests and leaders questioned John - Jesus comes.  As he approaches, John proclaims Him the Messiah in two very interesting ways:

1)  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  This is significant because every Jew knew that the lamb of God is the sacrificial lamb offered on the altar as payment for their sins.  In proclaiming Jesus as the Lamb of God, John is revealing Jesus' mission and ministry.  The Messiah has not come as an earthly king who will establish Jerusalem as a powerful, independent kingdom.  The Messiah has come to sacrifice Himself in order to take away our sins.

2)  John did not know who the Messiah was until God through the Holy Spirit revealed it to him.  See, John and Jesus are related.  They are cousins.  Mary, Jesus' mother, spent three months with Elizabeth, John's mother, while they were both pregnant.  John probably grew up hearing about the incredible events of Jesus' conception and birth.  Yet, he did not rely on man's words, he relied on God's Word.  John proclaims that he knew he was called to prepare the way for the Messiah and it was prophesied to him that he would know the Messiah when, "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit."  John testifies to God's Word, not his own assumptions.  You would be wise to do the same.

John 1:19-28

John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ ~

The chief priests and Levites have heard of John & begin to wonder if he is the forerunner to the Messiah.  So, they go out to question him.  See, they knew the prophecies.  Unfortunately, they had made up their minds how the prophecies would be fulfilled - they were looking for an earthly king.  Someone who would come in & rescue them from Rome & reestablish the country of Israel.  They were looking to be a great, independent nation once again.  As for personal salvation, well they didn't need that.  They were Jews after all - God's chosen people.  Their blood was all they needed, that & strict obedience to the Law (which they had corrupted and changed to suit their wants.)  They weren't interested in the heart, not interested in a relationship.  They wanted power.

So, off they head to question John.  Is he the Messiah?  Nope.  Is he Elijah?  Nope.  (They thought incorrectly that Elijah would return to earth to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.  See, Elijah never died.  He was taken up to heaven in a firestorm.  So, they thought he would just return to earth & once again assume the role of prophet.)  Is John the Prophet spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:15-19?  Nope.  (Acts 3:22,23 tells us the Prophet is Jesus Christ.) 

So who is he?  John uses Scripture, Isaiah 40:3 in fact.  The Scripture referring to the coming messenger and the Messiah:  "A voice of one calling:  "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God."  Notice how the priests missed this?  This is a direct quote from prophecy, yet they only heard what they wanted to hear.  They studied the Scriptures, they had been trained in the prophecies, they had their expectations - so they missed this key verse.  It went right over their heads.

How often to we think we know what we think we know?  How often do we miss the signs right in front of our face?  How much do we struggle because we blind ourselves to the truth?  The priests missed it because they were looking for what they wanted rather than what God said.  Don't make the same mistake.  Don't make Scripture say what you want it to say - read it for what it is.  Realize that God's way is always better than your way.

Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21,22

The Baptism of Jesus ~

All three authors tell us that Jesus went to John to be baptized.  When Jesus came up out of the water, heaven opened, a dove descended, and the voice of God claims Jesus as His Son.  For those present, there should be no question that Jesus is the Messiah.

Matthew provides a little more information.  He tells us that John was not willing to baptize Jesus.  He did not feel worthy to put himself in that position.  In fact, he recognized that he needed the baptism that Jesus was bringing.  Remember ~ John and Jesus are cousins.  John already knows that Jesus is the Messiah.  However, Jesus tells John that it is "proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." 

Yes, Jesus was the Son of God, but He was also fully man.  When He walked the earth as a man, He did everything according to righteousness, according to what was right.  He remained a humble servant.  We need to always follow His example.

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

Satan tempts Jesus in the desert:

Matthew & Luke give almost the same account, but in a different order.  Does this make them less true?  No, in fact, it helps to establish the truth.  Detectives will tell you that questioning witnesses is a tricky business.  People remember things in their own way, focusing on the events that most stand out to them.  This account of Jesus in the desert is given second hand under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  The main points are the same, but the timeline varies - exactly like it should.  If the accounts were identical, then this is a rehearsed story, not the retelling of an actual event.

Jesus went out the desert under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  He fasted for forty days & nights.  Fasting is a period in which a person doesn't eat in order to focus on his relationship with God through prayer.  It is possible to fast this long.  Many people have done it.  However, it is very difficult & it zaps your strength.  Notice that Satan came around at Jesus' lowest point.  Satan isn't stupid, he knows exactly when & where to target you.  He is a master manipulator & a scavenger.  He will take advantage of you however he can.  Here he waits until Jesus is weak from hunger & he offers him bread.  Yikes!  Talk about temptation.

But Jesus keeps His wits about Him.  Notice He doesn't name call, insult, disrespect, or use sarcasm.  He simple uses Scripture.  Satan can and will use your human wisdom against you.  He did it to Eve in the garden.  BUT - he cannot fight against the Word of God.  So, he changed his tactics.  He starts to goad Jesus.  "If you're the Son of God, prove it."  How many times have you allowed yourself to be goaded by a simple insult.  Why do we care so much about what other people think of us?  Really, there is only one person to please - God.  You please God & the people that really matter won't need you to prove yourself.  They will see character and compassion at work in you.  Those that can't see it, frankly aren't worth your time. 

This time, Satan even uses Scripture.  However, he twists it to meet his own purpose.  Don't ever do that!  God's Word is God's Word.  He wrote it just the way it is for His purpose.  You can't make it what you want.  It doesn't work that way.  You conform to Him, not Him to you.  Jesus once again comes back with Scripture in the correct context, leaving Satan to once again change tactics.  Satan offers power.  Ah, power - it's what we all want deep down inside.  That's why so many people want fame & fortune.  They are seeking power.  And, yes, Satan has the ability to give it to you.  But at what cost?  Do you really want to give yourself to someone who is only using you to hurt someone else?  That's all this really is about.  Satan wanted God's power.  He wasn't satisfied with the incredible power God had already given to him.  He wanted more & he was willing to go to war for it, so God threw him out of heaven.  Now he is on a quest to destroy God's creation.  He wants to hurt Him, by destroying us.  So, to Satan you are just a pawn, a plaything to throw back in God's face.  Satan is having one big temper tantrum & you are the toy he's throwing back at his creator.  Is that what you want to be?

Jesus told him to go & Satan did.  You have that same power.  Don't let Satan use & abuse you.  Tell him to flee!  Get to know your Scripture so you can easily fight your enemy.  Notice how Jesus didn't wonder, question, or even break a sweat?  He was confident & self-assured.  He used three Scripture versed & sent the devil running.  You can do the same.  And follow Jesus' words:  "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."  You won't ever go wrong with that.