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40 Episodes with Jesus: The Savior Who Sympathizes (E2)
23 Plays7 months ago
Join Brandon and Chris as they dive into Matthew chapter 4, exploring the profound moment when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. Together, they uncover the deeper meaning behind this pivotal event and discuss why it holds significance for us today. Whether you're seeking biblical insight or a fresh perspective on faith, this episode is for you!
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Transcript
Introduction & New Year's Resolutions
00:00:22
brandon g b
Welcome to the Faith 168 Podcast. I'm Brandon and I have Chris here with me. We are both co-host of the Faith 168 Podcast. And how are you doing, Chris?
00:00:35
Christian McKenzie
I'm doing pretty good, Brother Brandon. How are you?
00:00:39
brandon g b
I'm doing fine, doing fine. Just working on New Year's resolutions, you know, trying to see what to do with all these holiday calories.
00:00:44
Christian McKenzie
Oh, yeah.
00:00:48
Christian McKenzie
Yeah, I swear I'm going to lose all the weight this year.
00:00:49
brandon g b
I went to the doctor.
00:00:51
Christian McKenzie
I promise i I didn't last year or the year before that or the year before that, but this year I'm putting off the weight.
00:00:52
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:00:58
brandon g b
Going to be different. Yeah. Yeah.
00:01:00
Christian McKenzie
It's going to be different.
00:01:02
brandon g b
That determination
Jesus' Temptation & Spiritual Growth
00:01:03
brandon g b
and is important. You know, I know it's crazy, man. i I don't even go to planet fitness the first week or two of the new year.
00:01:11
Christian McKenzie
Mm.
00:01:11
brandon g b
I'm just like, you know what? The equipment's all going to be, there's going to be a lot of people in there. So anyway, but
00:01:17
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:01:19
brandon g b
Happy New Year, everybody, and hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a good holiday. um We are talking about Jesus, no surprise there in today's episode, and we're going to be looking at one of his most pivotal moments, a real turning point in his public ministry, which immediately followed his baptism, where he was publicly declared to be the Son of God.
00:01:47
brandon g b
And we looked at that last time as we're going through the Gospels together, sort of following the outline of my latest book here and the outline of the Gospels and the most significant events in the life of Christ.
00:01:59
brandon g b
and This is really important to consider, especially during this time of year, because, you know, I'm, I'm still on the Christmas mood. You know, I hadn't abandoned Christmas just yet. Uh, my tree still up and my multicolored lights are still out on my columns. And as we think about Christ coming into the world and taking on flesh, there is an episode in the gospels that shows us exactly why he took on flesh. And that is.
00:02:29
brandon g b
what we refer to as the temptation of Jesus recorded in several gospel accounts. um Matthew chapter four is probably ah one of the more notable instances of this. But let's just talk about it a little bit and see what lessons that we can learn and glean from the temptation of Jesus. So hope everybody is tuned in and that your you fasten your seat belts.
00:02:56
brandon g b
Let me read this for us and we'll talk about it. Matthew four, let me just read verses one and two. Then Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. So Chris, what do you think about this? ah What is going on in this scene?
00:03:26
Christian McKenzie
Well, we see Jesus going out into the wilderness and being tempted by the devil and he's hungry. ah Well, I think too, we see a parallel here that,
00:03:45
Christian McKenzie
well, I mean, there's really a lot of points. It's hard to point which one we should focus on, but first, there's the example of being led by the spirit.
00:03:47
brandon g b
Yeah, yeah.
00:03:54
brandon g b
Yeah, let's start there.
00:03:55
Christian McKenzie
that we should follow the
Faith Through Trials
00:03:58
Christian McKenzie
Spirit's lead wherever He takes us. And as we do that, the Spirit's going to lead us through some tough terrain at points, not for our downfall, but for our benefit to to help us grow.
00:04:07
brandon g b
Mm hmm.
00:04:15
Christian McKenzie
And certainly we're going to go through many trials and tribulations in this life. And it's hard to think, well, The spirit would never lead me to somewhere that's going to be tough. That's the biggest lie you could probably believe in when it comes to following the spirit's lead. And I don't think anyone would ever think this a strange thing if we were to look at like a football player or, you know, a famous person that that is good at playing a certain instrument that you would lead them to do something tougher.
00:04:52
Christian McKenzie
And that would be preposterous because a football player, if you make it to the NFL, what you had to do was you had to go through the toughest guys, you had to play the toughest games.
00:05:04
Christian McKenzie
And the only way for you get for you to get that great reward and the greatest reward in football is to play in the NFL or, you know, make it to the Super Bowl or
00:05:14
brandon g b
Mhm.
00:05:14
Christian McKenzie
something like that you have to be the top of the top and the only way for you to get to the top is to go through all of those trials and tribulations to get there or think of maybe a famous piano player they're not going to play mary have a little lamb over and over for the rest of their life if they want to grow they're going to have to start playing some more difficult pieces and
00:05:39
brandon g b
Right.
00:05:40
Christian McKenzie
When we come to this idea that as we follow God, things just become easy. That's completely untrue because how do we grow in our faith and how do we grow as a person if we stand still and every problem is wiped off the table?
00:05:57
Christian McKenzie
I am the man I am to- today, not because of the easy times in my life, but because of the difficult times that God has brought me through.
00:06:04
brandon g b
right
00:06:06
Christian McKenzie
And so we need to follow the spirit's lead
00:06:10
brandon g b
Right.
00:06:10
Christian McKenzie
And as we follow the spirits lead, we need to understand this. Sometimes he's going to lead us into some pretty difficult messes, not for our downfall, but for our benefit to help us grow.
00:06:24
Christian McKenzie
And so I think that's one thing we can see there on the 10,000 other things we can talk about.
00:06:24
brandon g b
Yeah. Yeah, well, that's a good place to start because I know that when I was reading through the gospels for the first time as a new believer and actually many years after that, I kind of skipped over this detail, but it's a really important one.
00:06:45
brandon g b
You know, I was just like, Oh, okay. You know, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. He was fasting, you know, and ah he just shows me how to overcome temptation. But you really got to look at the context and details to.
00:06:53
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:06:57
brandon g b
glean everything you can from this. I mean, God had a purpose in this. The same spirit that descended upon Christ in his baptism compelled and drove him into the wilderness.
00:07:02
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:07:10
brandon g b
It's like God told him to go into the wilderness.
00:07:11
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:07:13
brandon g b
You know, he wasn't backpacking or hiking um like I would foolishly in a place like the wilderness. um God said,
Jesus' Sympathetic Role
00:07:21
brandon g b
son, go into the wilderness. And Jesus followed that because he always did that which was pleasing to God.
00:07:24
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:07:27
Christian McKenzie
Mm hmm.
00:07:27
brandon g b
And so I think this communicates to us that um the Lord had a purpose in this. you know He had a powerful purpose and was actually sovereign over this temptation that his own son would face.
00:07:41
brandon g b
So this is very powerful. I think um You know, one principle, at least we can glean from this is that, uh, no temptation is a waste. Um, now we might wander into them.
00:07:51
Christian McKenzie
but
00:07:52
brandon g b
We might thrust ourselves into them, but no temptation is a waste. God doesn't cause temptations.
00:07:59
Christian McKenzie
isn
00:08:01
brandon g b
He doesn't send them to us, but he does have a purpose of refining us. Kind of like you were talking about, you know, making us stronger, increasing our faith.
00:08:12
brandon g b
um God provides a way of escape, you know, through that temptation.
00:08:15
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:08:15
brandon g b
And he has a purpose to build us up and make us stronger. But of course, you know, Satan and our flesh also have a purpose in temptation, which is to destroy us and debilitate us, um make us ineffective for God.
00:08:20
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:08:29
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:08:31
brandon g b
So powerful point there that he was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit.
00:08:32
Christian McKenzie
Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:39
Christian McKenzie
Yeah. And I think a good point that you make there too is this isn't something that God says, well, I'm going to make evil befall you and then that's going to make you stronger, but rather he sees the waves.
00:08:52
Christian McKenzie
He knows what's there and it's not him that's causing those things.
00:08:54
brandon g b
Mm hmm.
00:08:56
Christian McKenzie
In fact, if you go to James and the And I think James is a really good one to read during this portion here, especially in the first chapter of James, because we know that all good gifts come from God and all evil things come from the deceiver or the deceiver or our own selfish desires.
00:09:11
brandon g b
Right. Mm hmm.
00:09:21
Christian McKenzie
And that's the thing. Jesus didn't have a selfish desire. And so he was tempted by the selfish one himself, the devil, Satan.
00:09:32
brandon g b
Yeah. e
00:09:34
Christian McKenzie
And so he's there and the spirit leads him there. And it's not because we need to see Jesus fall down, but we're going to see a parallel here as well that
00:09:43
brandon g b
Exactly.
00:09:52
Christian McKenzie
that where we have failed, Jesus succeeds.
00:09:57
brandon g b
exactly
00:09:57
Christian McKenzie
And that's another big thing because you think about the wilderness, who's the group you think about immediately?
00:10:04
brandon g b
Oh yeah, old Israel.
00:10:04
Christian McKenzie
That's, yeah, old Israel, the children of Israel wandering through the wilderness. And you see this this number pop up again over and over through scripture about 40, like this time of trial and this time of tribulation.
00:10:20
Christian McKenzie
And so you go back before the children of Israel and you look at Moses, he was in Egypt for 40 years and then he was in Midian for 40 years and then, you know, he he finally got together and then the children of e Israel were led out of Egypt by the glory of God and they wandered the wilderness for 40 years and here's Jesus 40 days and 40 nights.
00:10:42
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:10:46
Christian McKenzie
It's like a direct representation of the downfall of Israel. the They they fell time and time again. They were tempted in the wilderness and they failed.
00:10:58
Christian McKenzie
Moses went up into the mountains and talked to God and received the commandments and while he was up there talking to God, here's Israel worshipping a new God that they created with their hands and already breaking the commandments of
00:11:11
brandon g b
Right. Yeah, immediately.
00:11:15
Christian McKenzie
And so we see this imagery of where mankind failed, Jesus succeeded. Where sin overtook man, the man Jesus, God in the flesh overcame sin.
00:11:34
Christian McKenzie
And so there's another point I think we could look at in that.
00:11:38
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:11:39
Christian McKenzie
so
00:11:40
brandon g b
Yeah, for sure. Um, so what do you think the overall purpose of this is? I mean, that's, that's pretty much it right there. What you said that, you know, it's not like, uh, you know, Jesus, I mean, Jesus is showing us an example.
00:11:56
brandon g b
You know, obviously when you get into the text of this and he quotes scripture, I mean, that's, that's an example to follow, but it's not as though like Jesus fell into temptation.
00:11:57
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:12:07
brandon g b
and then repented and then we can be like, Oh yeah, that's my man. You know, that's what I do is I fall into temptation and I sin and then I have to repent. Um, actually there's not anything Jesus had to prove, you know, about his nature.
00:12:21
Christian McKenzie
Mm hmm.
00:12:23
brandon g b
Um, there's something he was proving about ours. Um, as you were saying, you know, uh, we're pro prone to failure and he was not.
00:12:27
Christian McKenzie
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:32
brandon g b
Um, but, but what do you think?
00:12:33
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:12:34
brandon g b
Um, what do you think? Another overall purpose is here is is Christ showing us something maybe about His sympathy for us here and how He understands us as sinners.
00:12:45
Christian McKenzie
Yeah, yeah. Definitely. Because when you think about God the Father, you you can also go back to James here where it says, God cannot be tempted nor does he tempt any anyone. and And the Father, he can't be tempted and he can kind of come to this idea, well, how can he understand me? Why would he want anything to do with me?
00:13:16
Christian McKenzie
And he shows his great love for us and that he comes into this world in the flesh.
Temptation as Refinement
00:13:23
Christian McKenzie
And Jesus, he can say, well, you know, the father can't be tempted, but I endured temptation.
00:13:33
Christian McKenzie
And not only that, I overcame temptation.
00:13:37
brandon g b
Right.
00:13:37
Christian McKenzie
And while I am perfect and you are not, I know what you went through. And I know that I'm the only one that could overcome it.
00:13:44
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:13:48
Christian McKenzie
And so if you follow me, I am going to overcome temptation for you because you can't.
00:13:53
brandon g b
Right, right.
00:13:54
Christian McKenzie
And so we see a sympathetic Savior.
00:13:57
brandon g b
Mm hmm.
00:13:58
Christian McKenzie
Or if you read in the book of Hebrews, you go through this list of understandings there and you read through really the nature of Christ and why he did what he did so that he could be our sympathetic high priest.
00:14:12
Christian McKenzie
that he knew what we went through and he knew that he was the only one that could overcome it. And now he can say, I walked this earth hand in hand with you and you failed and I succeeded and I am here offering a helping hand so that you can stand on your two feet during these trials and tribulations, during times of great temptation.
00:14:38
brandon g b
Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's a point we often miss um because it's really not enunciated in the gospels. You know, the gospel writers just report the facts, you know, they're, they're reporters.
00:14:50
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:14:51
brandon g b
And we don't find out some of the underlying purposes to this temptation until, like you said, we read the letter to the Hebrews where over and over the author talks about Jesus' sympathy.
00:15:01
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:15:05
brandon g b
And he actually mentions his sympathy for sinners in the same context as referring to his earthly temptations.
00:15:06
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:15:16
brandon g b
um You know, for instance, Hebrews 2.18 says, for because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
00:15:16
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:15:29
brandon g b
It's like, OK, because of what Christ went through, he's in a unique position
00:15:29
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:15:34
brandon g b
a perfect position to understand what you're going through. Uh, not because he has sinned like we have, but because he endured, you know, the full range of human emotions that we do.
00:15:39
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:15:47
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:15:48
brandon g b
And he went through all of our experiences, including temptation.
00:15:51
Christian McKenzie
Mm.
00:15:53
brandon g b
Um, now I don't think that he was tempted from the inside as we are. He wasn't lured and enticed by some sinful desire since he was
00:16:02
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:16:03
brandon g b
um Immaculate since he was sinless, but he was tempted from without and and that's that's hard language That's hard grammar.
00:16:08
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:16:11
brandon g b
I know but um you know Satan presented opportunities to him to sin just as he does to us and so you know that ironically and paradoxically the person that most understands what it is like to be tempted is Christ and That's why he is you know, a friend that sticks closer than a brother when it comes to, you know, wanting to fight our temptation and who we can confide in.
00:16:34
Christian McKenzie
yeah
00:16:39
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:16:40
brandon g b
Um, yeah, we can confide in one another, but you know, who better to confide in and run too, than, than Christ, our sympathetic high priest.
00:16:48
Christian McKenzie
Yeah. Well, and thank two of that time when Jesus looks at the apostles and said, I now call you my friends. And what makes a friend?
00:16:58
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:17:00
Christian McKenzie
You know, I know a lot of people in this world and I've passed by people and I know of their stories and I know what they've been through yada, yada, yada, but they're not my friends. My friends are the ones that strive alongside me. And that was something that Jesus wanted to show us is that he is our friend and he knows the suffering that we go through. And most of our suffering is deserved.
00:17:30
Christian McKenzie
And so he knows on a greater level of suffering because he did not deserve the suffering that he went through.
00:17:36
brandon g b
Right.
00:17:39
Christian McKenzie
And he he looks at his apostles after the culmination of of you know crucifixion and resurrection and and says, I want you to know, y'all are my friends.
00:17:51
Christian McKenzie
We've strived alongside each other and I'm going to make known to you all things. and then He does, he tells them all things. He reveals himself throughout scripture to them and opens up to them in a completely new way that he kept telling them was gonna happen. And then finally, there's that culmination of that. But he he walks with us as a friend and he is closer than a brother because he knows what we go through and he knows it better than anyone because he suffered more than anyone.
00:18:25
brandon g b
Yeah. And you know, the real wonder of this, and we touched on this during the last episode, but the real wonder of this is that this man we're talking about who is our friend and our sympathizer is God.
00:18:38
Christian McKenzie
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
00:18:40
brandon g b
It's not just a mere, you know, like we talked about with the baptism episode, like there's controversy in that passage about, you know, well, has Jesus always been the son of God or did he become the son of God at that moment?
00:18:53
Christian McKenzie
a
00:18:53
brandon g b
You know,
00:18:53
Christian McKenzie
yeah
00:18:54
brandon g b
And it's more significant that He's always been the Son of God.
00:18:58
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:18:59
brandon g b
And it's more significant in episodes like we're talking about here from the temptation that this is God in the flesh and not just flesh.
00:19:06
Christian McKenzie
right
00:19:07
brandon g b
um You know, we can say of Christ, as Adam said concerning Eve, this is flesh of my flesh. I mean, this guy is in a body like mine, except he was without sin.
00:19:15
Christian McKenzie
the
00:19:21
brandon g b
But in another like magnificent way, he's not flesh of our flesh. This is God in human human form. um And so I just always marvel at that.
00:19:33
brandon g b
Like when I read the gospels where you know, Christ does things where He either, like, goes through situations that we go through or He sympathizes with people who are hurting. um You know, I was reading the Gospel of Mark um yesterday and read where, you know, He was hungry. He was frustrated with people's um slowness to believe.
00:20:01
brandon g b
um He did all these things. like He experienced all these things that I experienced weekly. you know And I'm like, well, that's that's not just a man that I i can identify with. That's that's the God-man.
00:20:12
brandon g b
So that makes this all the more significant. So what we're both saying, and we hope our listeners understand this, is that Jesus did not endure temptation in this account for his own sake.
00:20:16
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:20:28
brandon g b
But like everything else he came to do,
00:20:28
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:20:30
brandon g b
He endured it for your sake and mine.
00:20:33
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:20:34
brandon g b
He didn't he didn't need to do this to op to prove his sinlessness, um you know, any more than he needed to be baptized to prove his righteousness.
Empathy Through Experience
00:20:44
brandon g b
um Instead, he did this to prove his sympathy and empathy for your sinfulness.
00:20:44
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:20:53
brandon g b
And so what a great savior we have.
00:20:56
Christian McKenzie
Yes.
00:20:57
brandon g b
Absolutely.
00:20:57
Christian McKenzie
Amen.
00:20:58
brandon g b
And you know,
00:20:58
Christian McKenzie
Amen.
00:21:00
brandon g b
I think as you go through the Gospels beyond this point and you continue to see the humanity of Christ, you can observe even more of His sympathy, can't you?
00:21:11
Christian McKenzie
Yeah, yeah, definitely. And I think too, one thing we need to know as we go through, maybe something to elaborate on is, you know, you can say, well, I can see that he wants to so show that he's sympathetic towards us, but could he not show his sympathy and in any other way?
00:21:33
Christian McKenzie
and And one simple answer to that is is no, not really. how How else do you show sympathy than going through it, overcoming it, and still being there for those that have failed?
00:21:41
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:21:44
brandon g b
Yeah, right.
00:21:46
Christian McKenzie
I think that's that's pretty plain there. But we we live in this fallen world, and I think there's a question that can be brought up almost in any conversation.
00:21:59
Christian McKenzie
is why are there trials and tribulations? If there is a good and loving God, why does he allow trials and tribulations? And I think that also answers why did he come in the flesh and show himself as our sympathetic high priest.
00:22:16
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:22:16
Christian McKenzie
And it's as simple as this. This was a man's problem.
00:22:18
brandon g b
Mhm.
00:22:19
Christian McKenzie
And, ah you know, I like when Rob has a really great way of explaining this, but he goes back to Genesis. and And, but it's good because you go back to Genesis and you see the creation of this world and that God did not create the world for himself.
00:22:41
Christian McKenzie
He created man for himself. And he created the world for man. And he said, here is this gift I give you.
00:22:47
brandon g b
Hmm.
00:22:50
Christian McKenzie
So do it, overcome it, take it, it's yours. The animals, you name them, the food, It's yours. All I ask is one thing, don't eat of that tree in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is where they fail. And that is, that's where you see this dominion. And that's what Rob talks about. And I love when he, he talks about this, he has a good way of explaining it and I'm probably going to butcher it as I try, but simply put, the sin problem was a man problem. Man made the mess.
00:23:24
Christian McKenzie
and man had to clean up the mess. And I think a good passage to look at is actually in Romans in verse 17 through 19, where it says, for if because of one man's trespass, death reign through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men,
00:23:50
Christian McKenzie
So one act of righteousness leads to justification in life for all men. For as by one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience, the many will be made righteous.
00:24:04
brandon g b
Hmm.
00:24:06
Christian McKenzie
And so what he does there is you see this this idea that man made the mess and man had to clean up the mess and only God could clean up that mess.
00:24:08
brandon g b
That's good.
00:24:17
Christian McKenzie
So God became man. And through one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, but through one man's obedience, many were made righteous.
00:24:29
Christian McKenzie
And so man cleaned up the mess.
00:24:30
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:24:33
brandon g b
Yeah, man with a capital M, you know, man, that's really good.
00:24:35
Christian McKenzie
Yeah, man with a capital M, exactly. i I think that's a big thing to look at, you know.
00:24:40
brandon g b
Yeah. That is actually so pertinent to this because, you know, one thing we often miss when it comes to the work of Christ is we think of only typically what is referred to as his passive obedience, which is where he gives his life as a ransom for many on the cross.
00:24:59
brandon g b
And of course that's the apex of what he did. Uh, the cross is, is central, you know, but he didn't just die for sinners.
00:25:02
Christian McKenzie
Right.
00:25:07
brandon g b
He lived for them. And that's his active obedience.
00:25:08
Christian McKenzie
Yes.
00:25:10
brandon g b
And that's exactly one of the things that Paul's talking about in that passage in Romans five, he says through one man's obedience, the many will be made righteous. And of course that has to entail what Paul wrote about likewise in Philippians two, where Christ became obedient to the point of death, meaning giving his life.
00:25:30
Christian McKenzie
right
00:25:31
brandon g b
being the propitiation for our sins. But I mean, that's only one side of the gospel coin. We not only need our sins to be forgiven, we need righteousness credited to our account in order to stand before a holy and righteous God.
00:25:47
brandon g b
And the only way that can be credited to us is if Christ racked up
00:25:47
Christian McKenzie
Right. Right.
00:25:53
brandon g b
quite a bit of righteousness, which he did. And part of that righteousness achieving is
00:25:57
Christian McKenzie
and
Significance in Salvation History
00:26:01
brandon g b
him overcoming temptation in the wilderness where he prevailed over Satan, the tempter, and he prevailed and conquered ah temptations, which are similar to those which we would face.
00:26:14
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:26:14
brandon g b
So, I mean, this we don't need to miss the significance of this account here in Matthew chapter four and other gospels. There's a lot going on here. as Christ is being tempted and overcomes it and he has us in mind, you know, that's the beautiful thing here is it it had to Christ is the sinless Son of God, but it still had to be hard I mean he was fasting for 40 days and 40 nights.
00:26:29
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:26:36
Christian McKenzie
yeah
00:26:39
brandon g b
I can't go six hours without a meal, you know and Yeah, yeah, we all get hangry syndrome, you know, well the thing is I Christ here is lonely in the wilderness.
00:26:43
Christian McKenzie
Yeah, I get a little hangry.
00:26:54
brandon g b
um Nobody's watching him, of course, except for the father. it you know If it were us, we'd be like, you know it's not really a big deal to turn stones to bread.
00:27:05
brandon g b
Nobody's looking. Plus, I've got the power to do it, and I'm kind of hungry.
00:27:06
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:27:08
brandon g b
you know But Christ endured all of this, all of this.
00:27:12
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:27:13
brandon g b
And he's thinking not so much about himself in the wilderness. He's thinking about us.
00:27:19
Christian McKenzie
yeah Yeah.
00:27:19
brandon g b
about being that sympathetic savior on our behalf.
00:27:23
brandon g b
So good stuff.
00:27:23
Christian McKenzie
Yeah. And how easy it would have been to just just forget us and and, you know, write us off as disobedient and unworthy because we were.
00:27:33
brandon g b
Yeah, right.
00:27:34
Christian McKenzie
That's the truth. But he endured it.
00:27:36
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:27:38
Christian McKenzie
He endured it even though he did not have to because of his great love. And that always reminds me of that scripture that can fit almost into any passage, any message. any conversation when we read in Romans 5.8 that God demonstrates his love toward us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
00:27:58
brandon g b
yeah
00:27:59
Christian McKenzie
And and you know what you were saying there reminds me of a Paul Washer sermon where he's talking about you know one man dying and and you know paying for the sins of all humanity and and how in the world could that be that makes no sense and he said but because if you take everything that is good everything that is beautiful everything that is noteworthy and praiseworthy in this world and you wrap it all together Christ is so perfect so wonderful so much more beautiful so much infinitely more important
00:28:18
brandon g b
Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:42
Christian McKenzie
that his death was sufficient for all of that. And so that's that's a beautiful thing.
00:28:46
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:28:49
Christian McKenzie
The one who deserved to be fed went hungry for us.
00:28:56
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:28:57
Christian McKenzie
And then you see another thing. I know we didn't read through all of it, but you know he's taken up to view the world there and all of the kingdoms and the one who deserved everyone to bow down at his feet.
00:29:05
brandon g b
yeah
00:29:13
Christian McKenzie
He said, I'm not even going to to take that and give up this moment. I'm going to suffer for my creation that rejects me right now. And and that's that's a beautiful thing to think about. The one who is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise came to this world humbly and humiliated through many different occasions.
00:29:44
Christian McKenzie
And he died for us. He can't. He can't make that up. That doesn't fit our way of thinking, you know.
00:29:53
brandon g b
Yeah, right, right. Yeah.
00:29:56
Christian McKenzie
So.
00:29:57
brandon g b
Yeah, I always look at that, you know, when people criticize scripture about being written by a man like man, if a man wrote this, it wouldn't turn out like this.
00:30:08
brandon g b
You know, I mean, this is this is only a.
00:30:09
Christian McKenzie
Oh, no, it had been a Yeah. Jesus would have come down and they've been like, yeah. And he went up right to the emperor and he punched him in the
Relatability to Modern Believers
00:30:18
Christian McKenzie
face and said, be gone, all of your Romans.
00:30:18
brandon g b
Yeah, yeah.
00:30:21
Christian McKenzie
And that would have been the end of the story if man had written it.
00:30:23
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:30:24
Christian McKenzie
Uh, and yet Jesus came and said, I, I even want to die for the Gentiles.
00:30:25
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:30:30
Christian McKenzie
I want to, yeah.
00:30:30
brandon g b
Yeah, yeah.
00:30:32
Christian McKenzie
I want to save the Romans too.
00:30:32
brandon g b
Yeah, if it will. Yeah, it's it's definitely just so paradoxical. Like if a man wrote it, like you were saying, Christ would have been like, all right, Satan, ah meet me in the morning in the wilderness.
00:30:46
Christian McKenzie
It's going down in the wilderness.
00:30:47
brandon g b
I'm gonna crush your head, you know?
00:30:51
Christian McKenzie
It's going down.
00:30:52
brandon g b
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I mean, only God and his wisdom confounding the wisdom of man could write a story like this. And I guess the overall point, there are so many angles to this, so many things we could talk about is Jesus has been there and done that savior.
00:31:01
Christian McKenzie
Oh, yeah.
00:31:11
Christian McKenzie
Amen.
00:31:12
brandon g b
You know, he, he went through what we went through or what we will ever go through. He wore every hat imaginable, walked in our shoes for 33 years. And we should really find great comfort in that.
00:31:25
brandon g b
um That's why, again, the writer of Hebrews says, you know, because Christ was tempted, we can come to the throne of grace to find help.
00:31:25
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:31:34
brandon g b
ah This is a means for us to run to Christ, not to run away from him in shame and humiliation, but to run to him because he understands what it is like to be you because he was you.
00:31:48
brandon g b
And I know that I find great comfort in that.
00:31:48
Christian McKenzie
yeah
00:31:51
brandon g b
especially at this period in my life because, you know, I turned 30 this year. And I was actually just thinking about this yesterday driving around.
00:31:57
Christian McKenzie
Man, he's old. Good man.
00:31:59
brandon g b
I know I'm getting old, man.
00:31:59
Christian McKenzie
Good night, man. you know
00:32:03
brandon g b
I'm getting old, man. I'm making, I'm digging my grave right now. um But I was just thinking this yesterday on my car ride home. I'm like, I'm 30 years old and I'm not that old.
00:32:17
brandon g b
And Christ, was 30 years old when he was tempted since his public ministry probably lasted about three years before he was crucified.
00:32:23
Christian McKenzie
the
00:32:26
brandon g b
And i I just got to thinking about him like, you know, when you look at the movies and like read stories, I don't know why, but I tend to think that Jesus is like in his late 40s or something.
00:32:37
brandon g b
You know, the actors probably are in their late 40s or early 50s, you know, like Jesus was still a really young guy.
00:32:38
Christian McKenzie
Yeah. Right.
00:32:44
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:32:44
brandon g b
when he was tempted and when he was crucified, you know, still, still spry, you know, still full of zeal. And I'm like, I'm at the age right now that Jesus was when he was tempted. And so there's like nobody I can identify with more than Christ.
00:33:02
Christian McKenzie
Well, in two, you think about that as well in There are days where I feel very mature for my age because, you know, I'm a little bit older than you.
00:33:13
Christian McKenzie
I'm not going to say how much older.
00:33:16
brandon g b
Yeah, you can say that again.
00:33:18
Christian McKenzie
Yeah. No, but, uh, there's, there's times where I'm like, man, I feel like I'm very mature for my age. And then I think about what was Jesus doing at this time.
00:33:28
Christian McKenzie
I'm writing that, that gets to that.
00:33:29
brandon g b
Yeah, right. Yeah.
00:33:31
Christian McKenzie
I'm like, man.
00:33:32
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:33:34
Christian McKenzie
Okay.
00:33:35
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:33:35
Christian McKenzie
I need the. I need to get off my high horse for a little bit and stop trusting in my own power as my own wisdom and knowledge and strength and and get back and in line because Jesus still knows more than me.
00:33:38
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:33:42
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:33:46
brandon g b
Right.
00:33:50
brandon g b
Yeah, it's like a kind of two-edged sword. It's as comforting as it is humbling. It's like, man, Jesus knows what it's like to be me because I'm in my 30s.
00:33:55
Christian McKenzie
Right, yeah.
00:33:58
Christian McKenzie
Yeah, thank you Jesus for overcoming what I could not.
00:33:59
brandon g b
But wait a minute. He was doing his father's business perfectly. Yeah.
00:34:05
Christian McKenzie
Well, when he was 12, I'm about my father's business.
00:34:05
brandon g b
Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:07
Christian McKenzie
I mean, i well, I'm not 12 anymore and I'm not as mature as that.
00:34:08
brandon g b
Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:15
brandon g b
Yeah. Yeah Yeah
00:34:17
Christian McKenzie
But yeah, it is it's humbling, ah but it's also comforting to know that the one who is the ancient of days, the King of
Conclusion & Encouragement
00:34:32
Christian McKenzie
Kings and the Lord of Lords,
00:34:35
Christian McKenzie
cares enough about me and loves me enough that even though I am imperfect and unworthy he still suffered and died for me and also rose for me to promise me new life in him that should I put my faith in him and follow him He would give me His righteousness.
00:34:53
Christian McKenzie
He would help me through trials and tribulations. And where I can't overcome temptation on my own, when I seek Him out, He gives me that ability. He gives me that strength, His strength to overcome.
00:35:06
brandon g b
Yeah.
00:35:07
Christian McKenzie
And I have victory in Jesus. And I love that song. I'm not gonna sing it, but victory in Jesus.
00:35:13
brandon g b
Come on.
00:35:14
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:35:17
brandon g b
Yeah, absolutely. Well, good stuff, man. I think this is a good place to wrap it up here. And I hope everybody has been encouraged through looking at the life of our Lord and especially this episode dealing with his temptation.
00:35:22
Christian McKenzie
Yeah.
00:35:29
brandon g b
Again, remember if you're tempted and you will be, if you're a believer, You can find strength in Jesus because he knows what it is like. He became a man for you and for me. And if you want to read up more on this, I want to encourage you to go on Amazon and type my ugly name in. And my latest book will come up 40 days with Jesus. That's some of the inspiration for these episodes. And, um, this temptation of Christ is covered in the book also and some other insights and, um,
00:36:02
brandon g b
But hey, we thank you for tuning in. And if you enjoyed this episode, we want to encourage you to share it with your friends and family. Give us a good rating on Apple Podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts. We're just about everywhere in the podcasting world. And if you have a question or something you'd like for us to cover in future episodes, reach out to us on our Facebook page and we'll be glad to interact with you and and maybe cover some of those questions and topics in the future. um Chris, anything to add?
00:36:32
Christian McKenzie
No.
00:36:33
brandon g b
All right, bud. Why don't you pray for us then?
00:36:36
Christian McKenzie
All right, I will. Let's pray. Father, I thank you so much. and and And I just praise you right now for the love that you have for us, that while we were still sinners, you came into this world in the flesh to live a perfect life that we couldn't, to be a sympathetic high priest, a sympathetic savior, and to die on the cross, the death we deserve,
00:37:01
Christian McKenzie
to give us the forgiveness of our sins. And we praise you that you rose again to promise us new life. Father, we can't thank you enough and and I could probably sit here for hours singing praises to your name, but you are so glorious and so wonderful. And we thank you for this passage in scripture that we were able to look at today to see your sympathy and your love for us and your desire to have a relationship with us And we thank you for when we go through trials and tribulations that you were there to help us out and guide us through those things and give us strength to overcome temptation where we couldn't do so on our own. So Father, as we continue on, help us to walk in your righteousness, to overcome the things of this world by your power and your grace. It's in Jesus name that I pray all these things, amen.
00:38:00
brandon g b
Amen.
00:38:02
Christian McKenzie
Thank you for joining us. We love you. Go out and live faithfully for Jesus 168 hours this week until we meet again.