“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.”- Hebrews 4:15
Max Lucado concludes Chapter 16 of Next Door Savior by stressing that Jesus journeyed into the wilderness for a rematch with Satan. The Second Adam had come to succeed where the first Adam had failed. For forty days Jesus and Satan went toe-to-toe. Christ’s victory was a huge victory for all of us, as The Message’s paraphrase of Romans 5:18 states:
“Here it is in a nutshell. Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it.”
Pastor Lucado observes that clearly we are no match for Satan. If we affirm that Jesus took our sins upon Him, our desert days won’t give us a one-two punch. We must trust Jesus” work and His Word- not our emotions, opinions, or even our friends.
As the author concludes, everything we need for desert survival is in the Scriptures. We simply must heed God’s Word.
Today’s question (from the Study Guide): How do we sometimes demonstrate that we think we are a match for Satan? What invariably happens? Please share.
Coming Monday: the latest Short Meditation, “Christ before me”
Tomorrow’s blog: “Finding Christ in the crisis”
