Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. (Mark 1:12-13)
This may seem like a strange advent passage, but it highlights an important advent truth: Jesus is human. This may help you connect with him if you’ve always thought of him as an otherworldly being. In this passage we see two characteristics of Jesus’ humanity. Since he is human, we can relate to him and emulate him.
Jesus submitted to the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was driven by the same Holy Spirit that Christians have within them today. This means that we have the same source of guidance and power that he had! So what would it look like for you to lean more on the Holy Spirit?
But note that the Spirit’s fruit is not the same as the Spirit’s route. Galatians 5:22-23 teaches that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,” and self-control. But even as he brings about this fruit within you, he may be driving you into a wilderness of isolation, hunger, endurance and vulnerability. Often we mistakenly think that if we are following the direction of the Holy Spirit, he will lead us along paths of love, joy and peace. Not so. Sometimes the path is in the shadow of the valley of death.
Jesus struggled with temptation.
I struggled with whether or not to use the word ‘struggle’ here. Did Jesus really struggle with temptation? Or was he so strong that he batted temptation away like a fly?
Hebrews 4:15 says of Jesus,
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
So Jesus experienced temptation in such a way that he can sympathize with our weaknesses. He was “in every respect” “tempted as we are.” This leads me to believe he did indeed experience temptation in a way similar to our experience of it–in a way that connected him with our struggle.
This means that temptation is a fact of life for every believer. No one among us is stronger than Jesus and even he was tempted to sin.
This also means that temptation does not equal sin. Jesus was tempted in every way yet did not sin. Often the Accuser will make you feel guilty for experiencing temptation. Don’t listen to his lies. Temptation is not sin.
So what is your temptation? What would it look like to lean more fully on the Holy Spirit for strength in this area?
Discussion Starters
1. What would it look like for you to lean more on the Holy Spirit?
2. How have you experienced the Spirit’s guidance in your life as a Christian? Share some examples. Or, if you have no examples, why do you think this is?
3. What are some common temptations of our day? What are some temptations that Jesus couldn’t have encountered because of the antiquated time period in which he lived?
4. If you are comfortable enough with your group, share your temptations together. (If you’re not comfortable enough, consider sharing them later with a friend you trust). Pray for one another specifically in these areas.
5. Have you experienced victory over temptation? Share your story.
6. How is a Christian to fight temptation? (Read Matthew’s account of Jesus’ wilderness temptation in Matthew 4 to see how Jesus did it.)
7. Take some time to pray together.
