I want to go back the question I raised last week. Do we see Jesus do something similar in his life, that we see at creation?

Obviously, if I’m asking the question, it is a yes. I want to show you three stories where we see Jesus, with a word speak into the chaos of the wilderness, water, and darkness and bring order.

I’m going to go backwards in the days of creation and Jesus’ life. Day three and six was talking about the forming/separation of water and land and then filling it with animals and humanity. Where do we see Jesus interact with the chaos of the wilderness?

Luke 4:1-13- Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[c]”

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

What do you notice? In the midst of the chaos of the wilderness, the lies of the evil one, Jesus was filled with truth. The truth of Scripture and the truth of the Spirit filled him in the midst of the lies. And with a word, “it is written” he rebukes evil. Btw- did you notice the last time he spoke back to satan? “It’s said” … I would harken back to creation, when the author said, “God said….” God said, Jesus said and with a powerful word, chaos and evil is repelled by truth.

Can I give you one other interesting connect, if you read this similar story in Mark 1:12-13- 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
A call back to creation, wilderness, chaos and Jesus brings order through filling himself with the Spirit of truth.

Which means, as we live in the wilderness, when we are walking through a barren time in life, a lonely time, a time of weakness, what is formed around us or within us can be chaotic. Think about it, the chaos of circumstances around you, some you can control, some you can’t. The chaos within you, doubt, fear, shame.

What do you do when you are walking through a wilderness and feel desolate, weak, or lonely?

How are you filled? Are you filled with his truth? When you begin to hear the lies of the enemy, how are you combating the lies with the truth of God?

To be filled with the truth, we need to know the truth. Reading scripture, writing it down, memorizing, declaring it.

What passages do you need to fill your mind, heart, and attitude to come against the lies, loneliness, and weakness we can face in the wilderness?