Wilderness Journey

You cannot enter the Promised Land without first going through the wilderness. Between freedom from slavery in Egypt and the milk and honey of the Promised Land lies the God-intended wilderness filled with trial and testing. It is a character forming time, a character that God desires. Israel had to go through that wilderness. Jesus had to go through that too. In all the synoptic gospels we read that after Jesus was baptized and the voice of God pronounced God's approval of Jesus , he was led by God's Spirit into the wilderness to be tried and tested (Matt 3-4; Mk 1:9-12; Lk 3:21, 4:1-13). Hebrews 5:8 says that although Jesus was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. No matter who you are, if you are a Christian you will have to go through that wilderness of trial and testing. The Bible says that the disciples are not above the Lord. In John 15:20 Jesus tells his disciples that a servant is not greater than the master. Therefore not to expect a better treatment in life than the one Jesus received as the Son of God. But when we turn to the “health, wealth and prosperity gospel” of our culture, I feel that we are saying to Jesus we are better than you. Look you were poor, we celebrate prosperity, you were persecuted we wallow in popularity, you were rejected we enjoy wide acceptance.