This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on 1st March 2026, by Colin. For the audio , please click here. For the worship, please click here. From the River to the Wilderness: Standing Firm in Times
of Testing
Last week, we began reflecting on the Lenten season — a time
of lengthening, a time of preparation, a time to center our lives once
again on Jesus.
Lent marks the forty days leading up to Easter. In the
busyness of life — work, responsibilities, gadgets, endless notifications — we
can easily lose focus. These forty days invite us to slow down, to practice
spiritual disciplines, and to realign our hearts with Christ.
Jesus said when you give, when you pray, when
you fast — not if. These are not optional extras for the Christian life.
They are expectations.
But today, we turn to a powerful moment in Scripture that
teaches us what it means to stand firm in testing.
A Mountaintop Moment
In Gospel of Matthew 3:13–17, Jesus comes to the Jordan
River to be baptized by John.
John hesitates. “I need to be baptized by You,” he says.
Yet Jesus insists. Though sinless, He identifies with
humanity. He humbles Himself. He steps into the water — not for His own
repentance, but for ours.
When He comes up from the water, something extraordinary
happens:
- The
heavens open.
- The
Spirit descends like a dove.
- A
voice from heaven declares:
“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
In that moment, Jesus’ identity is publicly affirmed. The
Father speaks. The Spirit descends. The Son stands in obedience.
It is a mountaintop experience.
But immediately after comes the wilderness.
From Jordan to the Desert
In Gospel of Matthew 4, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Notice this carefully:
He was led by the Spirit.
The wilderness was not accidental. It was purposeful.
Life often swings like a pendulum. One moment, everything
feels aligned. The next, we find ourselves in a dry and testing season.
Mountaintops are often followed by valleys.
Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. And then, at
His weakest physically, the tempter came.
The First Temptation: Appetite and Identity
“If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become
bread.”
Jesus was hungry. Hunger is legitimate. The need was real.
But the temptation was to satisfy a legitimate need in an
illegitimate way — to bypass trust in the Father.
The enemy also attacked His identity:
“If You are the Son of God…”
Yet the Father had just declared who He was.
Jesus responds with Scripture:
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God.”
He quotes from Deuteronomy, recalling how Israel failed in
the wilderness by grumbling and doubting.
Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeded.
Fasting reminds us that we are spirit before we are
appetite. It trains our spirit to lead our body, not the other way around.
The Second Temptation: Presumption vs. Faith
The devil then takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and
even quotes Scripture:
“He will command His angels concerning You…”
Yes, the enemy can quote Scripture — but often misapplies
it.
The temptation here was not faith, but presumption. Faith
trusts God. Presumption tests God.
Jesus replies:
“It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”
How important it is to know not just what is written — but
what is also written.
True faith does not demand signs. It does not manipulate God
into action. It rests in obedience.
The Third Temptation: The Crown Without the Cross
Finally, the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the
world:
“All this I will give You, if You bow down and worship me.”
This was a shortcut. A way to gain the crown without the
cross.
Jesus had come to redeem the world — but redemption required
suffering.
He answers:
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
No shortcuts. No compromise.
The same temptation exists today — success without
integrity, glory without sacrifice, gain without obedience.
But the way of Christ is always the way of the cross before
the crown.
The Good News: We Have a Victor
Adam failed in the garden.
Israel failed in the wilderness.
We fail often.
But Jesus did not fail.
He passed every test. He resisted every temptation. He
remained faithful where humanity fell.
And our hope is not in our righteousness — but in His.
He is our great High Priest. He is our perfect sacrifice. He
stands victorious on our behalf.
Standing Firm in Our Wilderness
Lent is not just about reflection. It is about preparation.
When we leave the safety of worship and enter the
“wilderness” of everyday life, our faith is tested:
- When
we are misunderstood.
- When
finances are tight.
- When
illness strikes.
- When
prayers seem delayed.
In those moments, remember:
- You
are a beloved son or daughter of God.
- The
wilderness is not permanent.
- God
is shaping your heart.
- The
Word of God is your weapon.
Read Scripture until you are fed. Pray until your spirit is
strengthened. Fast until your appetites are aligned.
And when the testing ends — as it did for Jesus — the angels
minister.
This Lent, Move Forward
As we continue this season:
- Let
your giving be generous.
- Let
your praying be persistent.
- Let
your fasting be sincere.
- Let
your identity remain secure.
From the river to the wilderness, from the cross to the
crown — Jesus has shown us the way.
And because He overcame, we too can stand firm. Amen.
