From the start, Jesus identifies

Good Day. 

My high school football team is in the race for the championship.  This past Friday night, the players were wearing their black uniforms, so the announcement went out ahead of time, ‘black out’!  The fans proudly sported their all-black clothing, head to toe, not just in support of their team, but because they wanted to identify with them.¹

What does it mean to identify with others?  I read the question on-line and a reader supplied an answer, ‘to identify means to see that they are a little like you.’  He went on to explain, ‘For example, I have mental health problems and I identify with the stories and situations of others who similarly mistrust their own minds - Its like listening to someone and saying a big - yes me too!’²  Identify.

In recent weeks, we looked at Jesus as our eternal holy God, one person of the Trinity.³ Is it not stunningly remarkable then that Jesus wants to identify with you and me--simple, flawed human beings?  First, Jesus comes out to the Jordan River for John-the-Baptist to baptize him.  Not like the others being baptized, mind you, Jesus did not need to have sins cleansed, his spirit renewed, nor did he need to make a public statement of faith in God—he was baptized to identify with us. 

Matthew records:  “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”⁴

Jesus subjected himself to the testing of the devil to identify with us—but first, he fasted.  Forty days and forty nights.  Why would the Son of God put himself through such torture?  Think of the contrast—from the cool of the river water to the scorching wilderness heat; from words of fatherly affirmation and the presence of John and others to utter loneliness and desolation.  The exact location of Jesus’ fasting and temptation is unknown, but that it was in the Judean desert we know, which covers a lot of ground--north of Jericho and down to the Dead Sea, extending back to the Jerusalem Hills.  ‘Twas dangerous with wild animals and scorpions, very barren—frigid at night, blistering by day.

Jesus fasted in submission to God the Father, and in preparation--for the rigorous ministry into which he was entering, and the testing he would face.  While denying himself food and any human contact, he availed himself of intimate communion with his Father, a habit Jesus would maintain throughout his ministry.

“Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it.”⁵ Fasting is mentioned throughout Scripture, and yet so many Christians give it little attention.  Moses and Elijah fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, praying and purifying themselves. Who else?  David the king⁶, Esther the queen⁷, and Paul for three days immediately after his radical conversion.⁸

Jesus said, “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.”⁹  Notice with me, ‘And when you fast…’ Not if. Fasting, I believe, is meant to be part of the devoted Christian’s life—a time when we turn our plates over, so to speak, and choose to spend set-apart, focused time in prayer.  It is not something to trumpet, as though we are extra holy, but rather a matter between God and us, when we are longing for breakthrough.

Fasting is a gift—an arrow in our quiver for living a Spirit-empowered, prayer-filled, and prayer-realized life.  I invite you to look up the Scriptures listed below, and consider if God might call you to fast and pray to see some kind of breakthrough in your life!

Christine 

PastorWoman.com

^{1 – San Clemente High School won in overtime!}

^{2 - Answers.yahoo.com}

^{3 – www.pastorwoman.com}

^{4 – Matthew 3.16-4.2, NIV}

^{5 – John Wesley}

^{6 – Psalm 69.10}

^{7 – Esther chapter four}

^{8 – Acts 9.9}

9 – Matthew 6.16-17, NLT