While reading Matthew 22 this morning, I was struck by the number of times the Pharisees, Sadduces, and the Herodians went at Y’shua Jesus to tempt and perplex Him. As we are done with Conversion-Conviction and with the ABCs, for the moment; it is worth revisiting the temptation explanation again, then (hopefully) spending some time in Matthew 22. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat, which will be presented in multiple versions to aid our reflection for the next few days.
Luke 4:1-2 AMP
[1] Now Jesus, full of [and in perfect communication with] the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness [Matt 4:1-11]
[2] for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they ended, He was hungry. [Deut 9:9; 1 Kin 19:8]
Luke 4:1-2 CEB
[1] Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. [2] There he was tempted for forty days by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and afterward Jesus was starving.
Luke (Luk) 4:1-2 CJB
[1] Then Yeshua, filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, returned from the Yarden and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
[2] for forty days of testing by the Adversary. During that time he ate nothing, and afterwards he was hungry.
Led By God’s Spirit
I’ve read it before, we’ve reflected on it before, and it still strikes me every single time. It was God’s Spirit Who led Y’shua Jesus into the wilderness. God not only knew of Y’shua’s season of testing; it was God Who ordained it. I’ve heard of mother birds teaching the little chicks how to fly. It is said that they drop them from the nest, allowing adrenalin and the wind beneath their wings to help them soar. So, if that is true, perhaps it is actually natural that God’s Spirit would lead Y’shua into the wilderness.
In all the videos I watched, the parents kept visiting the fledgling but never actually pushed the fledgling out of the nest. Instead, they taught the birds how to flap their wings to gain strength and allowed curiosity and the breeze to help them soar, staying near enough in case of emergency. In extending the analogy to include the concept of the bird videos, then it could be said that God’s Spirit, Ruach (Wind), have Y’shua momentum to get to the wilderness. Even then, siblings, we still see God knowing that Y’shua was about to fly solo, and God was simply watching from the wings.
Self-Check
Have you ever felt that God was saying it’s time to take a solo flight? Did you accept the challenge? How did it feel?
Application
The difference between God’s Spirit and the birds is this, however. The fact that Y’shua was led by God’s Spirit means Y’shua was never alone. Not entirely. Not for one moment. It’s like the wind under the fledglings’ wrongs that helped them soar. Invisible, but wholly present.
In the video, I noticed that the nest was wide enough for practice steps. It had just enough room for a little bit of wing flaps around and across the perimeter but offered safe landing. Each fledgling had to leave the nest in order to fly. Y’shua had to leave Heaven, then Nazareth, in order to come into His own.
And so do we.
Otherwise, all we’re doing is flapping our wings to gain strength without actually soaring. We’d not have truly faced anything enough to know God’s true nature.
Although the nest represents creature comforts, it is important that we allow God to help us soar. It’s a new season siblings. Spring is coming. Let’s allow ourselves to be led by God’s Spirit so we can soar.
Point to Ponder
If this is the time for our solo flights, what lessons do we still need to learn in the nest? If we’ve already flown solo, might God be inviting us to go higher, deeper?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
