John said temptation involves:
1. Hunger or lust of the flesh (temporary satisfaction)
2. The selfishness of the flesh which contributes to self-ruling, turning from God to another. It is a power or mighty hand or arm of oneself. God must be submitted to as one’s ruler; putting yourself last instead of first.
3. Power from the earthly riches a man can obtain putting ONE at the top of a pedestal receiving the praise of oneself.
Each temptation involves a SINFUL FLESH!
Each temptation involves a SINFUL THOUGHT TO TAKE YOUR flesh INSTEAD OF YOUR SPIRIT and set it ON TOP OR A PRIORITY ( the temporary becomes more important than the EVERLASTING).
SO, why does MARK say Jesus was tempted?
How is God tempting God?
Jesus was not in a cursed flesh.
The only parallel example of it being a correct thought would look at the idea of how Adam ( in a sinless flesh) was tempted by the Tree of Knowledge.
Start in the story with verse one:
He arose- think of a word picture where the flesh arose. You get someone rising out of bed. Think of a “spiritual word picture” and you get Jesus rising to heaven.
Second, think of the Jordan River and a word picture. You could think of many with the Jordan river such as Jesus’ baptism, the Israelites crossing it, slaves crossing and becoming free from the Egyptians, and several more. The big word picture needs to be “spiritual also” by recognizing it was a crossing from death into heaven.
Now, Mark 1 should in your discerning mind read like: Jesus, God, ascended into heaven and looked down to preach to the Pharisees. Jesus said, I am God, whom you shall not tempt nor can be tempted ( James 1:13:
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”
James 1:13 KJV
Adam was told God was “human-like.”
Adam was “tempted” by the thought to become a “GOD”!
The question the Pharisees asked had a “SPIRITUAL” application only in regards to marriage!
The Pharisees were asking Jesus (the simple man, a human like them, and they did not consider Jesus as God; but, Satan was using those Pharisees) to act in a “SPIRITUALLY SINFULL WAY”! They wanted Jesus to deny his LORD for another!
Marriage is a COMPLETE “PTN” of the bond between God and his children!
Marriage can get really tough!
The question the Pharisees were asking was, “is it OK to worship other gods”?
Their question was asking, “can you worship God AND OTHERS AT THE SAME TIME?”
Their question asked, “can we float from God to “Baal”, and go back, and leave again, and go to another?”
Then, James 1:12
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
James 1:12 KJV
What is the crown? Many tell of the idea it is a very beautiful jeweled crown that you can lay down at God’s feet. But, it is NOT physical of this world or the next! It is “spiritual”! 5he crown is Jesus himself! You become the bride! You receive that which your entire life as a Christian worked through sanctification to receive ( residence with your Lord and father, brothers and sisters in Christ)!
In the very first verse, there is an extravagant amount of Mark’s descriptive language of the Pharisees trying to get Jesus to “fail” at knowing and understanding “MAN’S LAWS”! Mark’s use of the word “tempted” is also the word for “tested”. This is so important why not to take line by line, expository, precept upon precept, etc. when discerning scripture or scriptural topical parable! You have to IMMEDIATELY look at JESUS AS “ONLY” a man! Jesus was a man, BUT HE IS AND WAS, “I AM, first! Then you need the discernment and synergy of scripture with the relationship to the first Adam to get somewhere close with figuring out this message! It is very similar to how discernments stray with the parable of the woman at the well. Again, the religious “lawyers” we’re trying to “test” or “tempt” him with “FAILING” in knowledge and understanding of the LAW! THEY BOTH TIMES DO NOT SEE “GOD” standing in front of them! This “frame of mind” must be reconciled to get to the writer’s purpose and view of what is taking place in front of him. It takes much more scripture to “work your spiritual senses” or YOU BECOME TUNNEL VISIONED AT LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE STORY AND MORAL PERSPECTIVE “FROM YOUR OWN “””FLESHLY PERSPECTIVE””” ( like the Pharisees themselves)!
God gave us a great explanation with marriage for HIS PARABLE SPIRITUAL INSIGHT into the subject with Hosea and Gomer. Why would God instruct a prophet to marry a prostitute? If any man told another man on earth to do that you would no doubt call that man stupid and the man considering such a thing! Looking through your parable you will recognize God showing Hosea represents the God and Gomer represents the Israelites in their relationship spiritually going from Gid to idolatry!!!!!! Once again, Jesus is using a different parable to explain the SAME THING to these LEGALISTIC HYPOCRITES claiming the “LEGAL ASPECT” keeps a man worthy (holy). These Pharisees are wanting their brothers to be justified by the law “NO MATTER THEIR HEART”! Do you see a pattern with this ideology associated with other vial acts in the world? Man wants laws changed to “LEGALIZE IMMORAL ACTIONS” of all sorts! “If it is legal”, man can look at God and say “it is not wrong”! It is exactly what the Pharisees wanted Jesus to declare; yet, he declared that the law Moses gave them for divorce was legal (right) AND to divorce was wrong (immoral). So how can it be both? For the Pharisees would stand there dumbfounded and a Christian would also if he not roll up his parable to understand both messages in a spiritual manner.
Understand the moral and (PTN) Prophetic Typological Narration marriage has regardless of the couple being Christian or not, even of the same sex. The word: “MARRIAGE” means God created! The word: “MARRIAGE” means a bride ( a Christ follower) will unite with his Lord in an “EVERLASTING RELATIONSHIP”! The word: “MARRIAGE” means God will not separate. The word: “MARRIAGE” means “FAITHFUL COMMITMENTS” from both parties. The word: “MARRIAGE” means “UNITED AS ONE FLESH”! The word: “MARRIAGE” means “PERPETUAL FORGIVENESS”! The word: ” MARRIAGE” means “THE CREATOR GOD CREATED THAT WHICH IS GOOD FOR MAN” ( and woman)! The word: “MARRIAGE” means “SACRIFICE”! The word “MARRIAGE” means “PEACE”! EVERY WORD related to MARRIAGE IS A REFLECTION OF JESUS! Even the bad ones reflect him; the people acting bad just reflect another; but, it is how God takes evil and makes good. Lemonade comes from sour lemons. Bonds or relationships outside of marriage represent non-…………………(fill in the words above).
