The Crucified Messiah

Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness, and the effects of his victory were demonstrated as he exercised authority over demonic forces upon his arrival in Galilee where he began to proclaim the Good News – “ Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near! ” For, in Jesus of Nazareth, “ The people that sat in darkness Saw a great light. And to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up .” With the appearance of the “ Son of Man ,” the era of salvation had commenced.

Satan tempted Jesus by offering him political power over “ all the kingdoms of the world ,” an offer he emphatically refused. Instead of power and grandeur, he submitted to the way of the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ that led inevitably to death on the Roman cross. The most startling detail of this encounter is that Jesus did not dispute the Devil’s claim to have jurisdiction over the political systems of the world.

After his baptism, the Spirit “ drove Jesus into the wilderness… for forty days and nights .” Like Moses on Mount Sinai, the Messiah of Israel found himself alone in the Judean wilderness where he was confronted by the Devil. His only guide was the Word of God. Like Israel, he was “ tested .” Unlike that nation, he overcame every challenge and emerged victorious from the experience “ FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ,” and he then began to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom in the villages of Galilee.