Rebellion and Redemption

Victory in the Wilderness

Lesson #6 for February 6, 2016

Scriptures: [Matthew 1:20-23; 3:7-12; 4:1-10; John 9:39; Deuteronomy 34:1-4; Revelation 21:10][i].

1.    How many times do we have recorded in Scripture when Christ and Satan were in direct conflict? How many times do we have a record of what actually happened? What about Revelation 12:7-12ii? Genesis 2&3iii? Job 1&2iv? Daniel 10[v]? The temptations we are studying this week? The Garden of Gethsemane? And, the Cross? Are there any others? Would the casting out of demons by Jesus qualify?

2.    When Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and God spoke to them about the future, He also spoke words to the serpent. What do you think Satan thought when he heard God’s words to the serpent? Satan was certainly hoping for a cordial relationship with the human race and not hatred!

... Yet as the plan of salvation was more fully unfolded, Satan rejoiced with his angels that, having caused man’s fall, he could bring down the Son of God from His exalted position. He declared that his plans had thus far been successful upon the earth, and that when Christ should take upon Himself human nature, He also might be overcome, and thus the redemption of the fallen race might be prevented.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 66.1. [Bold type is added.]

3.    When Christ met Satan in the wilderness, it was not the first time they had been in direct conflict. Had Christ won all of the previous battles? Or, would you say that Satan apparently won some of the battles like the battle in the Garden of Eden? Satan claimed, and God recognized, that when Christ was preparing to come the first time, Satan was the prince of this earth. Christ came to win back His lost territory.

4.    If one has lost something in a war, how does s/he win it back? What kinds of weapons were used in that war? Did Satan win the war in heaven? Of course not! Did he win the war in the Garden of Eden? What do you think? So, when and how does he win any war? On what basis did he claim that this world was his domain? If he won it by deceiving Adam and Eve, what methods would be appropriate for Christ to win it back? Deception? Trickery? No! God “can” and will only use truth and love. God wins by revealing the truth. Did it look like God had won as the flood was taking place?

5.    Read [Matthew 1:20-23; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-13]vi. In these passages the Bible writers made it very clear that it was God Himself who came down to be “Immanuel-God with us.”

6.    Can you spell out clearly several reasons why Jesus came to this earth?

1. He came to restore what Adam had lost. (Romans 5:12,15vii) On several occasions while He was on this earth, the crowds wanted to make Him king. So, what did the Jewish people think the Messiah was going to do for them? They wanted a messiah who would help them kill the Romans, not a Messiah who would be killed by the Romans! That was all backwards! They were looking for another Saul!

2.    Jesus came, lived, and died to give us a clear choice. Each of us must decide whether we want to live a life like His and be loving; or, if we want to continue being selfish and then die as He died. (John 9:39; 1 John 3:8)viii Thus, He brought judgment to human beings. In what way did Jesus destroy the works of the Devil? In what way did He bring judgment? Did dying on the cross destroy the works of the Devil? Or, bring judgment to anyone? How?

3.    Luke 19:10ix tells us clearly that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. His plan was to take away our sins. (John 1:29[x]) What did Jesus need to do to “seek and save the lost”? Couldn’t God have saved the lost without Jesus having to die? Don’t we believe that God is all-powerful-omnipotent? So, why couldn’t He save us without Someone dying? On the other hand, if God was not willing to save us without Someone dying, how can we believe that He is loving, kind, and trustworthy? Surely, at any time, God could have destroyed the Devil. Why didn’t He? Why is the Devil alive and well on planet earth? God actually will keep Satan alive until the great controversy is over.

4.    Jesus came primarily to show us what God is like. He came to correctly represent the Father so that we could have good evidence for knowing Who can be trusted and Who is telling us the truth. Satan deceived one-third of the angels. If Satan conquered our original parents by persuading them to believe a lie, what does Jesus need to do to win us back? He needs to tell us the truth! What does it actually mean to trust Someone? Or, to have faith in Someone? Did Jesus manage to show us the truth about God? Ellen White wrote:

Christ exalted the character of God, attributing to him the praise, and giving to him the credit, of the whole purpose of his own mission on earth,-to set men right through the revelation of God. In Christ was arrayed before men the paternal grace and the matchless perfections of the Father. In his prayer just before his crucifixion, he declared, “I have manifested thy name.” “I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” When the object of his mission was attained-the revelation of God to the world,-the Son of God announced that his work was accomplished, and that the character of the Father was made manifest to men.—Ellen G. White, The Signs of the Times, January 20, 1890, par. 6,9. Contrast The Signs of the Times, December 4, 1893; Manuscript Releases, vol 18, 358.3-359.1; RH August 14, 1900; YI November 21, 1883; RH, November 1, 1892 par.12. [Bold type is added.]

7.    What do you think was the response of the Jews when John the Baptist appeared on the east side of the Jordan River and began preaching about a coming Messiah? It had been 400 years since there had been any prophet among them. Read Matthew 3:7-12xi. Why did John the Baptist use language suggesting the final judgment when he was giving his introduction of the Messiah? Did the coming of Jesus bring a kind of final judgment to the Jewish people? Or, did the Jewish leaders bring judgment on Jesus?

8.    There are several parallels between the story of the children of Israel leaving Egypt and traveling to the promised land and the story of Jesus Himself. Neither John nor Jesus attempted to lead any kind of political movement either among the Jews or against the Romans. What did they preach? They quoted Isaiah and Jeremiah, suggesting that God would prepare a world for society’s most vulnerable-the blind, the lame, the pregnant, mothers with toddlers, and all who seek salvation from their sins.

9.    Read Luke 24:25-27xii. What passages from the Old Testament do you think Jesus quoted? Did He have access to some inspired writings that are no longer available to us? If God’s professed people in New Testament times so greatly misunderstood what the Messiah was going to do, is it possible that the second coming of the Messiah will be different from what we expect? The Jews wanted a messiah who would come and help them either conquer their enemies or get rid of their enemies. What are we hoping for?

10.    Read Matthew 4:1-3xiii; compare Luke 4:1-2xiv. Is this a description of God working with the Devil? For a much expanded explanation of the temptations of Jesus, read 2SP 85-98; DA 114-131; 5BC 1079-83; 1SM 94-95;223,227-8;252-6;267-89; EW 155-8.

It is impossible for man to fully comprehend the strength of Satan’s temptations to our Saviour. Every enticement to evil, which men find so difficult to resist, was brought to bear upon the Son of God in as much greater degree as his character was superior to that of fallen man.—Ellen G. White, 2Spirit of Prophecy 88.1.

Christ in behalf of the race was to conquer appetite, by enduring the most powerful test on that point. He was to tread the path of temptation alone, with none to help or comfort him. Alone he was to wrestle with the powers of darkness, and exercise a self-control stronger than hunger or death. The length of this fast is the strongest evidence of the great sinfulness of debased appetite, and its power over the human family.—Ellen G. White, 2Spirit of Prophecy 89.1.

11.    Jesus was not led into the wilderness for the purpose of being tempted by the Devil. Instead, the Devil approached Jesus when he thought he had an edge because of the fasting that Jesus had gone through. Jesus went to the desert at that time to fast and pray in preparation for His mission. I believe that during His ministry, Jesus communed every night with His Father and the Holy Spirit in preparation for what was coming the next day. (Luke 6:12-16) During those sessions, the Father and the Holy Spirit would reveal to Jesus what They knew would be necessary for His ministry the coming day.

When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted, He was led by the Spirit of God. He did not invite temptation. He went to the wilderness to be alone, to contemplate His mission and work. By fasting and prayer He was to brace Himself for the bloodstained path He must travel. But Satan knew that the Saviour had gone into the wilderness, and he thought this the best time to approach Him.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 114.2.

12.    Who else found Jesus in the wilderness?

He [Jesus] had been separated from his mother for quite a length of time.

During this period he had been baptized by John and had endured the temptations in the wilderness. Rumors had reached Mary concerning her son and his sufferings. John, one of the new disciples, had searched for Christ and had found him in his humiliation, emaciated, and bearing the marks of great physical and mental distress. Jesus, unwilling that John should witness his humiliation, had gently yet firmly dismissed him from his presence. He wished to be alone; no human eye must behold his agony, no human heart be called out in sympathy with his distress.—Ellen G. White, 2Spirit of Prophecy 99.2. [Bold type and content in brackets are added.]

13.    When Satan appeared to Jesus in the wilderness, what was his demeanor? Did he appear with horns and a long forked tail? Or, did he appear as a bright, shining angel, suggesting that perhaps Jesus was the one who had “fallen from heaven”? However, Satan could not conceal his identity but quickly made it clear when he said, “If you are the Son of God....”

14.    Many writers including Bible writers have compared and contrasted the fall of Adam and Eve with the victory of Jesus in the wilderness. (See Romans 5xv.) How would you compare the temptations that Eve and then Adam faced with the temptations that Christ faced? Were Adam and Eve hungry and starving? At that point in time, Jesus must have looked pretty bad. If Jesus had turned a stone into bread, would it have proved anything? Jesus proved His divinity by coming to this earth, living as a human being, and descending to the point of death on the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8xvi) He did not need to prove anything to the Devil. Jesus suffered through many temptations to perform miracles that He could have done but which we could never do, like turning stones into bread.

15.    Satan sought to trick Jesus by quoting from Scripture in his second temptation. (Psalm 91:11-12xvii) Would Jesus have proved anything by jumping off the temple? (Matthew 4:5-xviii7) Trying to force God’s hand to protect Him if He did jump would have been a case of presumption and not faith. God had never told Him to jump. Of course, if God had told Him to jump, He would have jumped.

16.    Read [Matthew 4:8-10; Deuteronomy 34:1-4; Revelation 21:10]xix. It was not Satan’s purpose just to give Christ a tour of the world! No doubt, Satan recognized what Jesus already knew-that he was, in fact, Satan. So, he proposed to Jesus what he had always wanted, that is, to have the Son of God recognize him as a divine, superior being. He offered to give Jesus everything (as if he really owned it!) in exchange. (See [Luke 4:6;;Psalm 2:7-8]xx.

17.    After the third temptation, Jesus summarily dismissed the Devil. There is no way Satan could resist His command. Thus, Christ actually proved His divinity!

Satan had asked Christ to give him evidence that he was the Son of God, and he had, in this instance, the proof he asked. He had no power to withstand his peremptory dismissal, and was compelled to obey the divine command. Writhing with baffled hate and rage, the rebel chief retired from the presence of the world’s Redeemer. The contest was ended. Christ’s victory was as complete as had been the failure of Adam.—Ellen G. White, 2 Spirit of Prophecy 96.2.

18.    In each of His defenses, Jesus quoted Scripture. What does that tell us about how we should meet temptation?

19.    As Seventh-day Adventists, we have been presented with the correct picture of the great controversy between God and Satan. No one else has come even close. Atheists and poets such as T. S. Eliot and Friedrich Nietzsche have talked about the conflict between good and evil. But, no one has spelled it out as has Ellen White as she revealed the truth from Scripture.

20.    Would you have been tempted by any of the temptations that Jesus faced at that point? What are the major classes of sins that tempt us? Are the Ten Commandments a clue?

21.    We need to ask ourselves repeatedly: “Why did Jesus come to this world? Was it just to die to pay the price for sin? Why did He have to die? Can we explain what the purpose of His life and His death was?” (See Item #6, part 4 above.)

22.    Jesus came to this earth to answer the questions that had been raised right in the Garden of Eden: Has God told us the truth that sin leads directly to death? Or, was Satan correct when he claimed God was lying? By His life and His death, Jesus demonstrated beyond the possibility of doubt for those who are willing to take an unbiased look Who won in the great controversy, Who can be trusted, and Who is telling us the truth.

23.    Whether we recognize it or not, the great controversy is being played out in each of our lives! Our minds are the battlefields of the great controversy. Some have suggested that we have to “rely on Christ’s strength” in order to overcome and withstand temptation. How do we do that?

24.    Temptations come at us frequently and from every direction. What is the secret to overcoming temptation as Jesus did?

1.    In order to conquer sin, we must try to stop it as soon as we recognize it as a temptation. It is deadly to play with temptation.

2.    We must learn to crowd sin out of our lives by filling our lives with God’s ideas and God’s thoughts so the Devil’s ideas and thoughts have no room.

25.    Do we really believe that everything that God has told us is for our best good? Each time we sin—if we are aware of what we are doing-we are saying that we are choosing to do our will instead of God’s will and to live selfish lives instead of loving lives.

While we cannot do anything to change our hearts or to bring ourselves into harmony with God; while we must not trust at all to ourselves or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is dwelling within us. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are.

The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ 57.2. [Bold type is added.]

26.    The Hebrew word hosanna comes from a Hebrew expression meaning, “Save, please!” This is actually the same root word which brings us the name of Jesus or Yeshua in Hebrew. When Jesus came to this earth to save us from our sins, He was launching a direct cosmic offensive against the author of sin and death-the Devil himself.

27.    But, the good news is not primarily that God can save you and me! That is a selfish attitude. The real good news is that God can be trusted. Would you even want to be saved if God were the kind of Person that Satan has made Him out to be-arbitrary, vengeful, exacting, tyrannical, unforgiving, and severe? It would never be safe to be in His presence if those accusations were true!

28.    A number of Pharisees and Sadducees approached John the Baptist to be baptized in the Jordan. What are the implications of that? Sometimes, we picture the Sadducees and the Pharisees as the bad guys while Jesus was the Good Guy. But, there were many of the Pharisees and Sadducees who actually later became followers of Jesus. What about Nicodemus? Joseph of Arimathea? Barnabas? And Paul? See also Acts 6:7 and 15:5.

29.    Have you ever been tempted by temptations like those which Jesus faced? Why were His temptations so different from ours? Or, were they? Some people have suggested that Jesus overcame His temptations only because He was God. Read [Hebrews 2:14,17-18; Hebrews 4:15]xxi.

And Christ was not to exercise divine power for His own benefit. He had come to bear trial as we must do, leaving us an example of faith and submission. Neither here nor at any subsequent time in His earthly life did He work a miracle in His own behalf. His wonderful works were all for the good of others.—Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages 119.3. [Bold type is added]

30.    When we pray the Lord’s prayer and say, “Lead us not into temptation,” what are we suggesting? Does this week’s lesson give you any new perspectives on that question?

© 2015, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged.    Info@theox.org

i-Matthew 1:20 While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. 21 She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, 23 “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”).

3:7 When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You snakes—who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? 8 Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. 9 And don't think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham! 10 The ax is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire. 11 I baptize you with water to show that you have repented, but the one who will come after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He is much greater than I am; and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals. 12 He has his winnowing shovel with him to thresh out all the grain. He will gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”

4:The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the Devil. 2 After spending forty days and nights without food, Jesus was hungry. 3 Then the Devil came to him and said, “If you are God's Son, order these stones to turn into bread.”

4 But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks.’”

5 Then the Devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, the Holy City, set him on the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are God's Son, throw yourself down, for the scripture says,

‘God will give orders to his angels about you;

they will hold you up with their hands,

so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.’”

7 Jesus answered, “But the scripture also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Then the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their greatness. 9 “All this I will give you,” the Devil said, “if you kneel down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus answered, “Go away, Satan! The scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’”

John 9:39 Jesus said, “I came to this world to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind.”

Deuteronomy 34:The Death of Moses

34 Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Mount Pisgah east of Jericho, and there the LORD showed him the whole land: the territory of Gilead as far north as the town of Dan; 2 the entire territory of Naphtali; the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh; the territory of Judah as far west as the Mediterranean Sea; 3 the southern part of Judah; and the plain that reaches from Zoar to Jericho, the city of palm trees. 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is the land that I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob I would give to their descendants. I have let you see it, but I will not let you go there.”

Revelation 21:10 The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God

ii-Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; 8 but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. 9 The huge dragon was thrown out—that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused believers day and night has been thrown out of heaven. 11 They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die. 12 And so be glad, you heavens, and all you that live there! But how terrible for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left.”

iii-Genesis 2:23 Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2 She died in Hebron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham mourned her death.

3 He left the place where his wife's body was lying, went to the Hittites, and said, 4 “I am a foreigner living here among you; sell me some land, so that I can bury my wife.”

5 They answered, 6 “Listen to us, sir. We look upon you as a mighty leader; bury your wife in the best grave that we have. Any of us would be glad to give you a grave, so that you can bury her.”

7 Then Abraham bowed before them 8 and said, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Ephron son of Zohar 9 to sell me Machpelah Cave, which is near the edge of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for its full price, here in your presence, so that I can own it as a burial ground.”

10 Ephron himself was sitting with the other Hittites at the meeting place at the city gate; he answered in the hearing of everyone there, 11 “Listen, sir; I will give you the whole field and the cave that is in it. Here in the presence of my own people, I will give it to you, so that you can bury your wife.”

12 But Abraham bowed before the Hittites 13 and said to Ephron, so that everyone could hear, “May I ask you, please, to listen. I will buy the whole field. Accept my payment, and I will bury my wife there.”

14 Ephron answered, 15 “Sir, land worth only four hundred pieces of silver—what is that between us? Bury your wife in it.” 16 Abraham agreed and weighed out the amount that Ephron had mentioned in the hearing of the people—four hundred pieces of silver, according to the standard weights used by the merchants.

17 That is how the property which had belonged to Ephron at Machpelah east of Mamre, became Abraham's. It included the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees in the field up to the edge of the property. 18 It was recognized as Abraham's property by all the Hittites who were there at the meeting.

19 Then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in that cave in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field which had belonged to the Hittites, and the cave in it, became the property of Abraham for a burial ground.

iv-Job 11-2 Yes, you are the voice of the people.

When you die, wisdom will die with you.

3 But I have as much sense as you have;

I am in no way inferior to you;

everyone knows all that you have said.

4 Even my friends laugh at me now;

they laugh, although I am righteous and blameless;

but there was a time when God answered my prayers.

5 You have no troubles, and yet you make fun of me;

you hit someone who is about to fall.

6 But thieves and godless people live in peace,

though their only god is their own strength.

7 Even birds and animals have much they could teach you;

8     ask the creatures of earth and sea for their wisdom.

9 All of them know that the LORD's hand made them.

10 It is God who directs the lives of his creatures;

everyone's life is in his power.

11 But just as your tongue enjoys tasting food,

your ears enjoy hearing words.

12-13 Old people have wisdom,

but God has wisdom and power.

Old people have insight;

God has insight and power to act.

14 When God tears down, who can rebuild,

and who can free those God imprisons?

15 Drought comes when God withholds rain;

floods come when he turns water loose.

16 God is strong and always victorious;

both deceived and deceiver are in his power.

17 He takes away the wisdom of rulers

and makes leaders act like fools.

18 He dethrones kings and makes them prisoners;

19     he humbles priests and men of power.

20 He silences those who are trusted,

and takes the wisdom of old people away.

21 He disgraces those in power

and puts an end to the strength of rulers.

22 He sends light to places dark as death.

23 He makes nations strong and great,

but then he defeats and destroys them.

24 He makes their leaders foolish

and lets them wander confused and lost;

25     they grope in the dark and stagger like drunkards.

v-Daniel 10:Daniel's Vision by the Tigris River

10 In the third year that Cyrus was emperor of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who is also called Belteshazzar. The message was true but extremely hard to understand.[a] It was explained to him in a vision.

2 At that time I was mourning for three weeks. 3 I did not eat any rich food or any meat, drink any wine, or comb my hair until the three weeks were past.

4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month of the year I was standing on the bank of the mighty Tigris River. 5 I looked up and saw someone who was wearing linen clothes and a belt of fine gold. 6 His body shone like a jewel. His face was as bright as a flash of lightning, and his eyes blazed like fire. His arms and legs shone like polished bronze, and his voice sounded like the roar of a great crowd.

7 I was the only one who saw the vision. Those who were with me did not see anything, but they were terrified and ran and hid. 8 I was left there alone, watching this amazing vision. I had no strength left, and my face was so changed that no one could have recognized me. 9 When I heard his voice, I fell to the ground unconscious and lay there face downward. 10 Then a hand took hold of me and raised me to my hands and knees; I was still trembling.

11 The angel said to me, “Daniel, God loves you. Stand up and listen carefully to what I am going to say. I have been sent to you.” When he had said this, I stood up, still trembling.

12 Then he said, “Daniel, don't be afraid. God has heard your prayers ever since the first day you decided to humble yourself in order to gain understanding. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 The angel prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief angels, came to help me, because I had been left there alone in Persia. 14 I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the future. This is a vision about the future.”

15 When he said this, I stared at the ground, speechless. 16 Then the angel, who looked like a human being, reached out and touched my lips. I said to him, “Sir, this vision makes me so weak that I can't stop trembling. 17 I am like a slave standing before his master. How can I talk to you? I have no strength or breath left in me.”

18 Once more he took hold of me, and I felt stronger. 19 He said, “God loves you, so don't let anything worry you or frighten you.”

When he had said this, I felt even stronger and said, “Sir, tell me what you have to say. You have made me feel better.”

20-21 He said, “Do you know why I came to you? It is to reveal to you what is written in the Book of Truth. Now I have to go back and fight the guardian angel of Persia. After that the guardian angel of Greece will appear. There is no one to help me except Michael, Israel's guardian angel.[b]

vi-Matthew 1:20 While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. 21 She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, 23 “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”).

John 1:The Word of Life

1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him.

Colossians 1:The Person and Work of Christ

15 Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. 16 For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him. 17 Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place. 18 He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things. 19 For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. 20 Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood[a] on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

Hebrews 1:God's Word through His Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one through whom God created the universe, the one whom God has chosen to possess all things at the end. 3 He reflects the brightness of God's glory and is the exact likeness of God's own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word. After achieving forgiveness for the sins of all human beings, he sat down in heaven at the right side of God, the Supreme Power.

The Greatness of God's Son

4 The Son was made greater than the angels, just as the name that God gave him is greater than theirs. 5 For God never said to any of his angels,

“You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.”

Nor did God say about any angel,

“I will be his Father,

and he will be my Son.”

6 But when God was about to send his first-born Son into the world, he said,

“All of God's angels must worship him.”

7 But about the angels God said,

“God makes his angels winds,

and his servants flames of fire.”

8 About the Son, however, God said:

“Your kingdom, O God, will last[a] forever and ever!

You rule over your[b] people with justice.

9 You love what is right and hate what is wrong.

That is why God, your God, has chosen you

and has given you the joy of an honor far greater

than he gave to your companions.”

10 He also said,

“You, Lord, in the beginning created the earth,

and with your own hands you made the heavens.

11 They will disappear, but you will remain;

they will all wear out like clothes.

12 You will fold them up like a coat,

and they will be changed like clothes.

But you are always the same,

and your life never ends.”

13 God never said to any of his angels:

“Sit here at my right side

until I put your enemies

as a footstool under your feet.”

vii-Romans 5:Adam and Christ

12 Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned.

15 But the two are not the same, because God's free gift is not like Adam's sin. It is true that many people died because of the sin of that one man. But God's grace is much greater, and so is his free gift to so many people through the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ.

viii-John 9:39 Jesus said, “I came to this world to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind.”

1 John 3:8 Whoever continues to sin belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done.

ix-Luke 19:10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

x-John 1:The Lamb of God

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

xi-Matthew 3:7 When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You snakes—who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? 8 Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. 9 And don't think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham! 10 The ax is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire. 11 I baptize you with water to show that you have repented, but the one who will come after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He is much greater than I am; and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals. 12 He has his winnowing shovel with him to thresh out all the grain. He will gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”

xii-Luke 24:25 Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said! 26 Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter his glory?” 27 And Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets.

xiii-Matthew 4:The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the Devil. 2 After spending forty days and nights without food, Jesus was hungry. 3 Then the Devil came to him and said, “If you are God's Son, order these stones to turn into bread.”

xiv-Luke 4:The Temptation of Jesus

4 Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, 2 where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.

xv-Romans 5:Right with God

5 Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast[b] of the hope we have of sharing God's glory! 3 We also boast[c] of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance brings God's approval, and his approval creates hope. 5 This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us.

6 For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. 7 It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. 8 But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! 9 By his blood[d] we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger! 10 We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life! 11 But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God's friends.

Adam and Christ

12 Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned. 13 There was sin in the world before the Law was given; but where there is no law, no account is kept of sins. 14 But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, death ruled over all human beings, even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam did when he disobeyed God's command.

Adam was a figure of the one who was to come. 15 But the two are not the same, because God's free gift is not like Adam's sin. It is true that many people died because of the sin of that one man. But God's grace is much greater, and so is his free gift to so many people through the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. 16 And there is a difference between God's gift and the sin of one man. After the one sin, came the judgment of “Guilty”; but after so many sins, comes the undeserved gift of “Not guilty!” 17 It is true that through the sin of one man death began to rule because of that one man. But how much greater is the result of what was done by the one man, Jesus Christ! All who receive God's abundant grace and are freely put right with him will rule in life through Christ.

18 So then, as the one sin condemned all people, in the same way the one righteous act sets all people free and gives them life. 19 And just as all people were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man, in the same way they will all be put right with God as the result of the obedience of the one man.

20 Law was introduced in order to increase wrongdoing; but where sin increased, God's grace increased much more. 21 So then, just as sin ruled by means of death, so also God's grace rules by means of righteousness, leading us to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

xvi-Philippians 2:5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had:

6 He always had the nature of God,

but he did not think that by force he should try to remain[a] equal with God.

7 Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had,

and took the nature of a servant.

He became like a human being

and appeared in human likeness.

8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—

his death on the cross.

xvii-Psalm 91:11 God will put his angels in charge of you

to protect you wherever you go.

12 They will hold you up with their hands

to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.

xviii-Matthew 4:

xix-Matthew 4:8 Then the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their greatness. 9 “All this I will give you,” the Devil said, “if you kneel down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus answered, “Go away, Satan! The scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’”

Deuteronomy 34:The Death of Moses

34 Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Mount Pisgah east of Jericho, and there the LORD showed him the whole land: the territory of Gilead as far north as the town of Dan; 2 the entire territory of Naphtali; the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh; the territory of Judah as far west as the Mediterranean Sea; 3 the southern part of Judah; and the plain that reaches from Zoar to Jericho, the city of palm trees. 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is the land that I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob I would give to their descendants. I have let you see it, but I will not let you go there.”

Revelation 21:10 The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God

xx-Luke 4:6 “I will give you all this power and all this wealth,” the Devil told him. “It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose.

Psalm 2:Good News Translation (GNT)

7 “I will announce,” says the king, “what the LORD has declared.

He said to me: ‘You are my son;

today I have become your father.

8 Ask, and I will give you all the nations;

the whole earth will be yours.

xxi-Hebrews 2:14 Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death, 17 This means that he had to become like his people in every way, in order to be their faithful and merciful High Priest in his service to God, so that the people's sins would be forgiven. 18 And now he can help those who are tempted, because he himself was tempted and suffered.

Hebrews 4:15 Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.

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