Jesus Does Battle in Our Place

The Gospel lesson for the first Sunday is Lent is always about Jesus being tempted by the devil in the desert.

“At once the Spirit sent [Jesus] out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him” (Mark 1:12-13)

“At once”, with incredible urgency, the same Holy Spirit who had baptized Jesus at the edge of the desert, then “sent” (really “cast”) Jesus out into the wilderness. The wilderness was the place in the Old Testament of jackals and thieves, that was the abode of demons, the haunt of all evil things – the opposite of the Garden of Eden, where not even thorns and thistles could grow anymore.

In the Garden of Eden, man exalts himself to be a god in place of God (Gen 3:1–21). He succumbs to the temptation of the devil, and eating of the forbidden fruit, he receives death. But in the sin-cursed wilderness, God humbles Himself to become man in place of man. He does not eat, but fasts and bears the onslaughts of the devil for us that we may be restored to life.

Jesus is cast out into the place where the Old Testament Israelites had failed their testing, had proven unfaithful time and time again, had wandered, but been fed for 40 years. Jesus goes out into the wilderness where He is without food for 40 days. He is tested by Satan, the Accuser, the Old Evil Foe. And He proves faithful. Where the Old Testament Israel failed, the New Testament Israel, Jesus, succeeds.

Jesus, the second Adam, stands where Adam once stood – face-to-face with the devil, the ancient serpent. Not once close to grumbling like Israel did of old. Not once close to stumbling as Adam did of old. The King of kings defeats the prince of this world. Jesus is cast out into the wilderness so that He would then cast out the devil and his demons from possessing God’s people.

Jesus stands as David in our place to do battle against the Goliath, Satan (1 Sam 17:40–51). Though outwardly Jesus appears weak, yet He comes in the name of the Lord of hosts. He draws from the five smooth stones of the books of Moses and slings the Word of God. The stone sinks into the forehead, and the enemy falls. In Christ we are victorious over the devil. Let us therefore not receive the grace of God in vain (2 Cor 6:1–10), but seeing that we have a great High Priest, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain help in time of need (Heb 4:14–16).

“This battle [between Jesus and Satan] was the first engagement touched off by the Lord of our salvation, in order to tread down Satan under our feet. It was the first defeat of the infernal host to show them that now a Stronger one had come. Scarcely had Christ begun His ministry when immediately He attacked Satan. He did not leave the field until He had won the last engagement for us on the cross and could cry out, “It is finished!” The resurrection immediately following upon it was the victory shout of the world’s Mediator, the great Te Deum Laudamus, “We praise You, O Lord.” The descent into hell and ascension into heaven were the victor’s glorious triumphant procession. Yet all this could not have followed had not Christ won His first battle in the wilderness. This also was therefore a necessary part of the work of our redemption.”

“If you want to be eternally blessed by the battle of your Savior, your heavenly General, nothing more is demanded of you and all men than that you play the part of a believing spectator. The important thing is not that you learn how to fight against sin and Satan from Christ’s example, but the first, the most important, the main thing is that you learn to believe that Christ battled for you, in your place, for your freedom and salvation. Whoever knows and feels his sins, whoever knows that hitherto he has served the devil, that he was full of unbelief, contempt of God’s Word, pride, vanity, lust, and love of the world, or that he at least has not really battled against the world, flesh, and Satan, let him merely look to his Savior; this champion from the stem of David has held the field for us; this Lion from the tribe of Judah has conquered for us. Though you may have fallen ever so deeply, though you may have even begged the devil’s pardon, free yourself from this disgraceful tyranny. Side with Christ; then you are victor over sin and hell; then Christ also divides the spoils of war with you, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, life, and salvation.” – C.F.W. Walther

In the name of Christ,

Pastor Michael Zarling