Who is Jesus? The Theologian and Overcomer

The Theologian and the Overcomer

Luke 2:46-47 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. (NIV)

            Jesus was sent to earth to teach people the will of His father as part of His mission. At twelve years old, Jesus left an impression on the religious leaders of His day, due to the wisdom that the Holy Spirit had imparted in Him. His parents had lost contact with Him during a trip to Jerusalem, for the Feast of the Passover, but found Him three days later in the temple courts. Even as a child, He knew that He had to be about His Father’s business.

 Luke 2:49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (NIV) God was always there to guide His Son as He grew up in His fleshly form and showed Him favor because He was His Father. Luke 2:52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (NIV)

            Jesus, at the age of 30, began His mission on earth. He was baptized by His cousin, John the Baptist, and went into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days and nights. Matthew 4:1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (NIV) Jesus knew that He was about to encounter many attacks that would be brought on by the enemy. Therefore, He needed some time with the Father in order to be prepared. The devil, however, saw this as a grand opportunity for him to tempt the Son of God when He would be at His weakest. Of course, the devil would never let a spiritual fast go to waste, so he decided to tempt Jesus by quoting scriptures, but in his attempt, he was not prepared that the Teacher would be prepared to use the Word of God to block his evil efforts. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV)

            The devil began by asking Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God by turning stones into bread. The devil already knew who Jesus was for he had once been in Heaven prior to his fall. Yet, he wanted to set a trap for Jesus just as he had successfully done with the first man. Jesus, however, being the scholar and theologian that He was did not fall for the devil’s scheme. He quoted the Word back to him. Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”  (NIV) Jesus let the devil know that he was wise to his schemes and would not fall into sin due to his appetite as Adam and Eve had done.

            The devil saw that his first try was unsuccessful, so he took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and quoted scripture to Him for the devil knew that the Word of God was powerful. Matthew 4:6 “If you are the Son of God,”  he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (NIV) The devil seemed to want a battle of the minds between himself and Jesus. He knew that Jesus thoroughly knew the scriptures, but in a pitiful attempt, he tried to mix truth with error. The devil, in his arrogant mind, somehow felt that Jesus needed to prove something to him. Nevertheless, Jesus used the Word against the devil again. Matthews 4:7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (NIV)

            Nothing seemed to be working so the devil, in a desperate attempt. decides to take Jesus to the highest mountain and offer him the world with only one catch. Matthew 4:8-9 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will down and worship me.” (NIV) Now the devil had to be pretty stupid to think that he had anything to offer Jesus that wasn’t already His for the taking. However, the devil was about to get a rude awakening for he always envied God and his authority, so his attempt to offer Jesus what already belonged to God was laughable at best. Jesus at this point was tired of the devil and did not want to be bothered any longer. Matthew 4:10-11 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left, and angels came and attended him. (NIV)

            The devil’s scheming did not work and he had been ordered to leave at Jesus command. Why did Jesus put up with him for that length of time? Jesus was teaching us that we too can have victory and be an overcomer. Jesus was both man and God, so he could have easily fell into the trap that the devil was trying to set. However, Jesus let us know by quoting the Word of God back to the devil, that we are able to overcome and resist the devil’s attempts to make us sin. James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (NIV) There is power in the Word and just as Jesus used the Word to fight off the enemy, so can we.

            Jesus taught many lessons throughout His time in ministry on earth because He is the Master Theologian. We are to take on the mindset of Jesus and the only way to do that is to be a continuous student of the Word by studying daily. Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus. (NIV) We must feast on the Word of God as we do with food in the natural. Studying the Word of God and allowing Him to teach is the only way to get to not only know who He is, but to take on His very character. Since Jesus teaches us, and through His Word has taught us the ways of His Father, we have power against any demonic forces that come our way; we can understand TRUTH that only comes through Him. John 14: 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. Non one comes to the Father except through me.” (NIV)