In the Wilderness

Right now I am reading about the early ministry of Christ.  Some of the events seem episodic.  If I was a liberal critic, I would suggest they are folkish--following patterns.   But, I am a believer---in Christ, in the purity of the Scriptures as a source of doctrine and not of man's manipulations.  Though I do not always understand the source and intent of scripture, I press on to better understand my God through them.

Perhaps part of the problem is that narrative events do not explain themselves, and I long for context and explanation.  I prefer the letters of the New Testament because of they are by nature an explanation, directed toward Christians to help them understand their God and their faith.  

In the gospels, we are given bones and must construct the flesh.

Christ's temptations in the wilderness cry out for flesh.  Why does his professional life begin by a baptism and this journey into the wilderness?  Why the detailed temptations and conversations with the devil?  The feel of this dialog brings me back to Job and the wrestling of God and Satan over Job's fate.  Perhaps it is that I shrink from evil, don't wish to acknowledge the spiritual wrestling.

The individual temptations impart lessons.  Here are excerpts from the BKC commentary:

"The first test pertained to the matter of sonship. Satan assumed that if He were the Son, perhaps He could be persuaded to act independently of the Father... It is better to obey God’s Word than to satisfy human desires."

"The second test by Satan appealed to personal display or popularity. This test built on the first, for if He is the Son of God and the Messiah, nothing could harm Him...Here Satan made a subtle suggestion to Jesus as the Messiah. In effect he was reminding Jesus of Malachi’s prophecy (Mal_3:1), which had led to a common belief among the Jews that Messiah would suddenly appear in the sky, coming down to His temple. Satan was saying, in essence, “Why don’t You do what the people are expecting and make some marvelous display?"

 "Satan’s final test related to God’s plan for Jesus. It was and is God’s design that Jesus Christ rule the world. Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world with all their splendor. These kingdoms presently are Satan’s, as he is “the god of this Age” (2Co_4:4) and “the prince of this world” (Joh_12:31; cf. Eph_2:2). He had the power to give all these kingdoms to Jesus at that time — if only Jesus would bow down and worship him. Satan was saying, “I can accomplish the will of God for You and You can have the kingdoms of this world right now.” This of course would have meant Jesus would never have gone to the cross. He supposedly could have been the King of kings without the cross. However, this would have thwarted God’s plan for salvation and would have meant Jesus was worshiping an inferior."

"Interestingly Satan’s temptations of Eve in the Garden of Eden correspond to those of Jesus in the desert. Satan appealed to the physical appetite (Gen_3:1-3; Mat_4:3), the desire for personal gain (Gen_3:4-5; Mat_4:6), and an easy path to power or glory (Gen_3:5-6; Mat_4:8-9). And in each case Satan altered God’s Word (Gen_3:4; Mat_4:6). Satan’s temptations of people today often fall into the same three categories (cf. 1Jn_2:16)."

The Temptation on the Mountain, DUCCIO di Buoninsegna; 1308-11