Day 3 – Lenten Devotional
LENTEN DEVOTIONAL – DAY 3 – FRIDAY, March 8, 2019
Jesus Lesson of Obedience
The Ministry of Christ
2,000 years ago a supernatural miracle occurred. God the Son pierced through the veil of heaven to come earth, fully God and fully man! God the Father set in motion His plan of salvation, redemption and reconciliation; God the Son born of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet most of the young life of Jesus is a mystery. It is not until He comes to John the Baptist to receive the baptism to “fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15) that our Lord begins His brief, roughly 40 month, ministry. As we journey through the Lenten season let us follow the footsteps of our Savior to better realize the fullness of His life, consider the example He set for us, come to the cross with renewed understanding and the marvel of the open tomb of new life.
Matthew 4:1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
The Gospels of Matthew (4:1-11), Mark (1:12-13), and Luke (4:1-13) tell us that immediately after His baptism Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert for 40 days of fasting and temptation by the devil (Luke. 4:2).
There are several lessons in these gospel accounts, but first and foremost is the hallmark of Jesus walk…He teaches us His willingness to obey, to be led by the Spirit and follow.
Keep in mind that Jesus never fell away from His obedience to the Father’s will. To do otherwise would have nullified Him as the perfect sacrifice for our sins and would have blemished (Lv. 22:21) Him with iniquity. Hebrews 4:15 makes this clear, 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.
Jesus teaches us that a life in obedience to the calling of the Holy Spirit in the will of the Father is the most perfect path we can take. Obedience to the Father is a demonstration of our love for Him (John 14:15, 21-24; 15:10; 1 John 2:3-5; 3:22-24; 5:3; 2 John 1:6). True love is the desire to be obedient, NOT the duty to be obedient.
REFLECT: Do you love the Lord? Remember the times you were not obedient to the word of God. Consider those times in which you were obedient.
REPENT: Change your ways. Confess to Him your times of unwillingness to abide by His perfect word. Ask God to strengthen your ears to hear and your eyes to see where His good and holy will is for your life.
REPAIR: Consider the perfect path God has in store for your life and the blessings He bestows. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will guide you (Psalm 25:9). Be open to His everlasting love and guidance for you. Study His word and be doers thereof.
Follow Jesus in His obedient walk. As you are open to Godly repair to your life your relationship to the Lord will grow and grow.
Blessings,
Pastor Tom Bellhy