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Baptism and Temptation - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And there came a voice from heaven saying,
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  Speaker 1: Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
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  Speaker 1: Mark 1.11 As I step into my purpose, I thank
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  Speaker 1: you that, like Jesus, I am being baptized into my
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  Speaker 1: new life and mission here on earth. Before I even begin,
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  Speaker 1: I thank you that also, like Jesus, you have affirmed
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  Speaker 1: and validated me as your child. With my identity secured,
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  Speaker 1: I know that even as I walk through the deserts
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  Speaker 1: of temptation, you are with me and have equipped me
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  Speaker 1: to overcome the lies of Satan. When I am tempted
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  Speaker 1: with comfort instead of commitment, I will remind Satan of
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  Speaker 1: your word and command him to flee. when Satan tries
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  Speaker 1: to get me to doubt my identity, I will remind
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  Speaker 1: him that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. When Satan
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  Speaker 1: tempts me with the luxury and fame of this world,
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  Speaker 1: I will remind him that the source of my fulfillment
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  Speaker 1: comes from you, Lord, and that it is you who
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  Speaker 1: elevates me, and I will command him to flee. I
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  Speaker 1: thank you, Lord, that through your word, I have supernatural
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  Speaker 1: steadfastness and resolve. Satan has no authority over my life.
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  Speaker 1: And through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, I
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  Speaker 1: have complete victory. In Jesus' name, amen. Listening to these
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  Speaker 1: daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from
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  Speaker 1: the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year.
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  Speaker 3: Baptism and temptation. In our last story, we peered into
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  Speaker 3: the childhood of Jesus. Even as a young boy, his
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  Speaker 3: purpose was clear. He was to teach the Word of
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  Speaker 3: God and turn people's hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.
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  Speaker 3: Although his family did not entirely understand, Jesus grew up
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  Speaker 3: with purpose.
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  Speaker 4: And a mission.
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  Speaker 3: He grew in strength and wisdom, worked as a carpenter,
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  Speaker 3: and waited to begin his ministry. Now we see John
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  Speaker 3: preparing the way of Christ through baptism. He preached repentance
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  Speaker 3: until the day of the Lord finally arrived. Then, before
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  Speaker 3: his very eyes, God enters in, inspired by the Gospels.
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  Speaker 5: In our last episode, we heard how Jesus, at just
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  Speaker 5: 12 years of age, was full of wisdom and insight
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  Speaker 5: and in perfect fellowship with God. His desire was to
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  Speaker 5: be near to the Father, and when his parents went
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  Speaker 5: to Jerusalem for Passover, Jesus spent his days in the temple,
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  Speaker 5: sitting with teachers and rabbis, answering questions, but also sharing
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  Speaker 5: the depth of his understanding so that all around him
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  Speaker 5: were amazed. From an early age, just 12, it was
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  Speaker 5: clear that he knew his purpose, even when others didn't
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  Speaker 5: understand it. Today, we'll see John the Baptist preaching repentance
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  Speaker 5: and baptizing people, preparing the way for Jesus' ministry to begin.
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  Speaker 5: God was using him to soften the hearts of his people,
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  Speaker 5: turning them back to him and getting them ready to
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  Speaker 5: meet the Messiah. Then we'll hear how Jesus came onto
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  Speaker 5: the scene, God's very presence, Emmanuel among his people, the
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  Speaker 5: lamb that would take away the sin of the world.
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  Speaker 5: Let's listen now to the reading of God's word.
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  Speaker 3: John rose to the sounds of birds chirping in the trees.
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  Speaker 3: Crawling out of his makeshift hut, he could see the
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  Speaker 3: morning light peeking through the edge of the forest. He
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  Speaker 3: stretched his lean and muscular arms to the sky, breathing
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  Speaker 3: in the.
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  Speaker 4: Cool morning air.
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  Speaker 3: He walked down to the brook nearby and washed his
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  Speaker 3: shaggy hair. Then he ate his breakfast. Cooked locusts from
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  Speaker 3: the desert with honey he foraged from the trees. John
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  Speaker 3: prayed to the Lord after his meal, calling upon him
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  Speaker 3: for favor and anointing. He strapped his cloak of camel
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  Speaker 3: fur securely around his waist and ventured off to the
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  Speaker 3: Jordan River. A multitude of people gathered by the Jordan
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  Speaker 3: waiting for John. They had been meeting him for weeks now,
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  Speaker 3: listening to him proclaiming the way of the Lord. John
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  Speaker 3: scanned the sea of faces and stepped into the river.
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  Speaker 4: The water was cool and refreshing.
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  Speaker 3: He turned around to the people and raised his voice. Repent,
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  Speaker 3: for the kingdom of heaven is near, he yelled. One
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  Speaker 3: by one, the people walked into the water with John
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  Speaker 3: and were baptized. Their submersion in the water represented a
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  Speaker 3: turning away from sin and idolatry. It was often a
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  Speaker 3: custom Gentiles would undergo to come into the family of God.
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  Speaker 3: Yet Jews flocked to John to be baptized. Their hearts
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  Speaker 3: were softening towards the Lord, and they knew they needed
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  Speaker 3: to turn from their selfish ways and be restored. John
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  Speaker 3: would preach the truth of God to thousands of people daily.
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  Speaker 3: Then he would baptize those whose hearts were ready to
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  Speaker 3: receive the restoration. John would baptize each person, and the
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  Speaker 3: crowd would erupt in cheers.
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  Speaker 4: A revival was beginning in the heart of Israel.
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  Speaker 3: John knew that the day of the Lord was coming
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  Speaker 3: very soon. As John was baptizing, he saw a group
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  Speaker 3: of hooded figures coming towards the water. It was the
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  Speaker 3: Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious elite responsible for upholding the law.
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  Speaker 3: They stared at John with scornful eyes. They had spent
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  Speaker 3: their entire lives sowing seeds of shame into the people
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  Speaker 3: of God, yet John would not allow them to poison
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  Speaker 3: his followers. John marched out of the water and pointed
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  Speaker 3: towards them. Brood of vipers, he shouted. Do not presume
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  Speaker 3: you are secure with the Lord because you are children
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  Speaker 3: of Abraham. God could make these rocks children of Abraham
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  Speaker 3: if he pleased. The men said nothing. They only glared
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  Speaker 3: at John with loathing. John continued, saying, Come and bear
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  Speaker 3: fruit worthy of repentance, for a day will come when
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  Speaker 3: all that does not bear good fruit will.
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  Speaker 4: Be cut off.
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  Speaker 3: The people marveled at John's words. John's eloquence and bravery
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  Speaker 3: stirred the children of God. They began to mumble rumors
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  Speaker 3: of him being the promised Messiah. John paused for a
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  Speaker 3: long moment, and the people were silent as they waited
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  Speaker 3: for him to speak. John touched the water and let
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  Speaker 3: it fall out of his hands. John's words were interrupted
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  Speaker 3: as he saw a man standing in the crowd. John's
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  Speaker 3: eyes widened and his lower lip began to quiver. The
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  Speaker 3: man stepped forward from the group of people standing on
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  Speaker 3: the shore. A few tears streamed down John's hairy face
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  Speaker 3: as he watched Jesus walk into the water. John could
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  Speaker 3: barely speak. His entire purpose in life was to prepare
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  Speaker 3: the way of God's chosen, and here he was standing
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  Speaker 3: before him. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away
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  Speaker 3: the sins of the world, he whispered to himself. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: smiled and held his cousin's shoulder. Would you baptize me, John?
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  Speaker 4: He asked. John shook his head. Let it not be so,
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  Speaker 4: my Lord.
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  Speaker 3: It is you who should be baptizing me. Jesus held
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  Speaker 3: up his hand and grinned.
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  Speaker 4: Let it be so.
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  Speaker 3: It is fitting to fulfill what is about to take place.
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  Speaker 3: So John agreed and led Jesus deeper into the water.
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  Speaker 3: John held the middle of Jesus' back with one hand
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  Speaker 3: and his arm in another. Then John slowly dipped Jesus
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  Speaker 3: back into the water. The crowd watched silently as Jesus
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  Speaker 3: went under the river. As John brought Jesus back up,
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  Speaker 3: the skies opened up. A bright light shone like a
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  Speaker 3: second sun, and the Holy Spirit descended down in the
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  Speaker 3: form of a dove. All in attendance awed as they
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  Speaker 3: heard the voice of God speak for the first time
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  Speaker 3: in over 400 years.
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  Speaker 4: This is my beloved Son.
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  Speaker 3: It is with Him I am pleased. This event marked
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  Speaker 3: the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The favor of the Father
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  Speaker 3: and the presence of the Spirit dwelled richly with the
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  Speaker 3: promised Son. In His baptism, Jesus modeled repentance for the
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  Speaker 3: rest of humanity. He identified with sinful and broken man. Yet,
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  Speaker 3: He was not sinful nor broken. Already, Jesus was beginning
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  Speaker 3: to take on the dirtiness of mankind. The Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 3: dwelled with Jesus richly, and it was by His guiding
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  Speaker 3: presence that Jesus departed the Jordan into the wilderness. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: hiked the hills outside Judea. There he fasted for forty days,
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  Speaker 3: seeking the presence and wisdom of God. Jesus fixed his
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  Speaker 3: gaze on the nation of Israel. A gentle wind blew,
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  Speaker 3: rustling the tall grass beside him. him. He was hungry
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  Speaker 3: for food, yes, however Jesus was more hungry for the
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  Speaker 3: restoration of his people. As he was praying to the Lord,
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  Speaker 3: a slithering presence entered his midst. Jesus looked over his
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  Speaker 3: shoulder to find the accuser behind him. The author of
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  Speaker 3: deception disguised as an angel of light loomed over Jesus
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  Speaker 3: as he sat. This was the same enemy that spoke
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  Speaker 3: to Eve in the garden, Satan. The two did not
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  Speaker 3: stand as equals. However, Satan in his pride believed he
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  Speaker 3: could trick Jesus into compromising his heart. He knew Jesus
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  Speaker 3: was hungry from fasting, so he drew in close to
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  Speaker 3: Jesus and whispered, What good is the Son of God
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  Speaker 3: if he cannot feed himself? Why not just make these
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  Speaker 3: stones into bread?
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  Speaker 4: Surely you are able.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus was fully God and fully man, so the human
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  Speaker 3: side of him hurt from hunger.
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  Speaker 4: However, he would not be swayed. Man does not live
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  Speaker 4: by bread alone.
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  Speaker 3: He said, but every word that pours forth from the
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  Speaker 3: voice of God. Satan spat and took Jesus up into
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  Speaker 3: a high place to gaze at the kingdom of the earth.
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  Speaker 4: You see those kingdoms, Jesus? Look at those people.
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  Speaker 3: They are ready to be ruled, to be conquered. I
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  Speaker 3: am in the ears of every king in the world.
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  Speaker 3: If you bow to me, all of it shall be yours.
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  Speaker 3: Satan's words were soft and cunning.
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  Speaker 4: However, they dripped with poison. Jesus turned away and looked
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  Speaker 4: deeply into the angel's eyes.
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  Speaker 3: It is written, You shall worship God and God alone.
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  Speaker 3: Only he is worthy to serve, he said.
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  Speaker 4: Jesus' voice was strong and resolute.
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  Speaker 3: Growing angry, Satan took Jesus to the edge of the
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  Speaker 3: mighty temple. Below, there were thousands of people. He had
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  Speaker 3: Jesus gaze upon the multitudes. He whispered softly in Jesus' ear, saying,
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  Speaker 3: If you truly are the Son of God, why not
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  Speaker 3: throw yourself over?
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  Speaker 4: Surely the angels will come to your rescue. They will
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  Speaker 4: see it too, the people. They will see your glory.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus looked down at the people below. He did not
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  Speaker 3: need them to watch a spectacle. He wanted their hearts
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  Speaker 3: to turn towards him and be saved from their own sin.
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  Speaker 3: You shall not test the Lord your God, Jesus said.
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  Speaker 3: His last answer was a rebuke as well. So Satan
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  Speaker 3: crawled back into the shadows. So Jesus returned to the
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  Speaker 3: people after forty long days. He ate, he gathered his strength,
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  Speaker 3: and marched towards Galilee.
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  Speaker 5: As we begin today's reading, we meet a very unusual man.
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  Speaker 5: John the Baptizer didn't fit the mold of society. He
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  Speaker 5: lived in the desert, eating insects and honey and wearing
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  Speaker 5: camel's hair. But this was no madman. His voice was
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  Speaker 5: strong and sure. He spoke boldly, proclaiming that the kingdom
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  Speaker 5: of God was on the way. And each day he
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  Speaker 5: grew larger and larger crowds, Jews and and others whose
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  Speaker 5: hearts were being warmed toward God. And as they heard
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  Speaker 5: John's call for repentance, they came to be baptized as
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  Speaker 5: a sign of their commitment to turn away from their
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  Speaker 5: sin and begin a brand new commitment to God. God
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  Speaker 5: worked powerfully through John the Baptist, just as he said
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  Speaker 5: he would, to prepare the way of the Lord, the Messiah,
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  Speaker 5: to begin his ministry. This was a threat to the
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  Speaker 5: religious establishment. the powerful and oppressive Pharisees and Sadducees who
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  Speaker 5: wielded power and control over the Jews with dogma and
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  Speaker 5: burdensome rules. They watched from a distance, sneering, seething at
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  Speaker 5: this man who preached repentance and forgiveness from sin, not religion.
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  Speaker 5: But John did not cower before them. He was courageous.
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  Speaker 5: He called them out. He called them actually a brood
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  Speaker 5: of vipers, poisonous snakes, threats. John called them to repentance
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  Speaker 5: as well, warning them that the day was coming when
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  Speaker 5: they would be cut off from bearing any fruit. His
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  Speaker 5: boldness impressed the crowds. They began to wonder if he
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  Speaker 5: was the Messiah. The people were ready for a Savior,
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  Speaker 5: and they wanted John to be their hero. But he
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  Speaker 5: was quick to correct their misconception. His baptism was with water,
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  Speaker 5: but the one who was to come would baptize them
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  Speaker 5: with the fire of God's Spirit. It would signify a
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  Speaker 5: deeper change of life. And then one day, suddenly Jesus
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  Speaker 5: came through the crowd. John knew exactly who he was,
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  Speaker 5: even if others didn't. This was the very moment for
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  Speaker 5: which John had been born. And he didn't miss it.
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  Speaker 5: Here was the Savior the world needed. And he announced loudly, boldly,
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  Speaker 5: that Jesus was the Lamb that would take away the
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  Speaker 5: sins of the world. Then what Jesus did shocked John.
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  Speaker 5: He asked to be baptized, and John was incredulous. He,
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  Speaker 5: in fact, protested. Shouldn't Jesus be the one baptizing him?
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  Speaker 5: But Jesus assured him that this was what must take place.
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  Speaker 5: And so Jesus submitted to the baptism of John to
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  Speaker 5: fulfill all righteousness. And then something supernatural happened. God spoke
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  Speaker 5: from heaven. The voice from the heavens gave the people
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  Speaker 5: a clear message that we find in Matthew 3, 17.
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  Speaker 5: And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my
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  Speaker 5: beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. As God
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  Speaker 5: the Father spoke, God's Spirit in the form of a
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  Speaker 5: dove descended and rested on Jesus. So here we see
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  Speaker 5: the Trinity, the triune God, all three persons, Father, Son,
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  Speaker 5: and Holy Spirit. The meeting was abundantly clear to everyone present,
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  Speaker 5: and it should be to us. This one, the Savior
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  Speaker 5: of the world, Jesus, was more than a prophet or
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  Speaker 5: a teacher. He was God's one and only Son, and
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  Speaker 5: God's Spirit anointed him and appointed him to be the
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  Speaker 5: Savior of the world. Immediately after this event, Jesus went alone,
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  Speaker 5: filled with God's Spirit, to the wilderness. He fasted 40
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  Speaker 5: days and was tempted by God's adversary, the devil. Satan
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  Speaker 5: knew that Jesus' presence and ministry would spell his end,
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  Speaker 5: his ultimate defeat. So he attacked him at the very
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  Speaker 5: outset of his ministry, trying to destroy the mission of God.
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  Speaker 5: Just as he had done with Adam and Eve, Satan
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  Speaker 5: twisted God's word. But Jesus stood firm against every attack.
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  Speaker 5: Each temptation he fired back with scripture, showing that with
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  Speaker 5: God's word, we overcome the enemy. The word of God
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  Speaker 5: is like a weapon. It is a sword, the sword
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  Speaker 5: of the spirit. This was real temptation. This was more
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  Speaker 5: than just the testing of Jesus' mind and metal. In
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  Speaker 5: this moment, Jesus demonstrates that He can identify with us
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  Speaker 5: and the temptations we face. Because just as He faced
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  Speaker 5: and overcame temptations in His life, He empowers us now
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  Speaker 5: by His Spirit to overcome every temptation. He went to
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  Speaker 5: the cross and died for our sins so that we
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  Speaker 5: no longer need to be bound by our sins. Satan
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  Speaker 5: is soundly defeated, and now we can live in the
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  Speaker 5: victory that is ours in Christ. Thank you, Jesus, for
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  Speaker 5: coming to this earth to take away our sins. We
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  Speaker 5: know that you are the Lamb of God, the precious
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  Speaker 5: one who gave your life on the cross so that
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  Speaker 5: we could be forgiven. Thank you for taking on every
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  Speaker 5: temptation of the enemy so that we could live in
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  Speaker 5: the promise and in the peace of victory in you.
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  Speaker 5: And we pray this in your powerful and saving name. Amen.
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  Speaker 5: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year.
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  Speaker 5: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download
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  Speaker 5: the Pray.com app and make Bible study and prayer the
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  Speaker 5: priority of your life. And if you appreciate this podcast,
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  Speaker 5: please share it with someone else. I also want to
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  Speaker 5: encourage you to go to jackgraham.org. That's jackgraham.org, for we
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  Speaker 5: have resources that are free and available for you so
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  Speaker 5: that you may know Christ and grow in Him. God
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  Speaker 5: bless you.