February 22, 2026 - In the Wilderness: Matthew 4:1-11

But notice something else here. It happened this wilderness preparation season happened at the very beginning of his ministry, before the sermons, before the miracles, before the crowds. What does that tell us? That formation precedes influence. Baptism declared his identity. Jesus, I he followed the obedience about really living, dying, raised again, pointing to the cross, but it's saying, have a new identity. I am God's, and God is mine. [00:54:57] (43 seconds)  #formationprecedesinfluence

And then the very next verse says in Matthew four one, then Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. Woo hoo. Isn't that what you look forward to in life? Yay. Wilderness. Led by the spirit. Let that sink in. Sometimes, the wilderness seasons of our life are not a detour. Sometimes, they're the place of formation. [00:29:53] (43 seconds)  #wildernessisformation

You can't separate the two. At his baptism, the father said, you are my beloved son. In the wilderness, the devil says, well, if you're the son of god. Do you hear it? Temptation always questions what God has already delivered. And notice that Jesus does not argue emotionally with the devil. He anchors in scripture. He leans into the spirit, and beloved, that is the pattern available to us. Not grit, not willpower, not arguments, but the holy spirit of God and his written word to guide us. [00:55:51] (45 seconds)  #anchorinscripture

The battle was rigged from the beginning. It's not the good guy versus the bad guy who's gonna win. It's the god of all power with the deceiver of lies reminding him who he is and us praising and remembering who god is. It's not an equal battle. Satan is defeated. The lies of your life are defeated. The challenges of your life are defeated by the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the holy spirit. [01:01:07] (42 seconds)  #victoryoverdarkness

That doesn't mean that the liar won't still roar and tempt and seek opportunities to to bring brokenness, but here's what it means. God won. And he still does. His authority, the power of the holy spirit through the holy spirit, the same power that sustained Jesus is now present to fill us. Can you read that with me if you're able? Through the Holy Spirit, the same power that sustained Jesus is present to fulfill us. Hear the word of the lord. [01:01:49] (51 seconds)  #holyspiritpower

Humanity can't fix itself. But in the wilderness, Jesus steps into the story not just as a teacher, but as a faithful human. In the wilderness, Jesus stands where we have fallen. Do you hear that? Whatever the brokenness we faced in our life, in this moment, Jesus stands where everybody else failed along the way. He stands tall, and he glorifies God by embodying the truth and the presence of God in even the darkest circumstances. That is hope, friends. [00:38:06] (52 seconds)  #jesusstandsforus

The incarnation, meaning that Jesus was fully God, fully human, means that he entered the very real vulnerability of our condition. He was hungry. He felt pressure. He felt the pull to an easier way, and yet Jesus chose obedience to God the father. You know what that means? That when we feel the pull, we are not uniquely broken, but we are also not alone. Jesus made a new way through obedience to God. [00:53:34] (47 seconds)  #fullygodfullyhuman

But this is an epic collision between good and evil. This is the second Adam standing where the first Adam fell. This is the faithful Israel finally getting it right. This is God in Jesus breaking the power of sin and opening the way for our hearts to be made new. This is Jesus defeating the liar so that we can live in the truth of wholeness in God. [00:35:24] (43 seconds)  #secondadamvictory