Dear Christian friends:

The Bible tells us that if we hope to share Jesus' glory in heaven, we must now, here on earth, share His suffering. (1 Peter 4:13) St. Paul said to his churches, "We must through much tribulation suffering enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:23) In our text it says that John the Baptist had been put in prison. (verse 14) Why? Did John break any laws? Was John the Baptist a bad man? No! He was a good and righteous man. He was God's preacher who prepared the Jewish nation for Jesus, Well, why did King Herod put John in prison? Because John preached to him and told him the truth that it was wrong for him to marry his brother's divorced wife, and do other evil things. (Luke 3:19-20)

John had to suffer prison and then his head chopped off because he preached God's word, for Jesus' sake. We, too, must suffer for Jesus' sake here in this wicked world as we read in the Epistle lesson before, "For You (God) we are same as sheep ready for slaughter." (Romans 8:36)

_ Therefore, we may be tempted to give up and quit the good fight of faith or we maybe fail to preach and witness to sinners because we don't want any trouble. But we should not let trouble or suffering stop our serving Jesus. Because in Jesus we have perfect victory over all enemies of the cross, Here in our text we read about Jesus' victory over Satan, which is also our victory.

Here in the desert Jesus began His victorious fighting with Satan.

God wanted Jesus to fight with Satan. Our text says the Holy Spirit led Jesus out into the desert to be tempted. If God had not wanted it to happen, it could not have happened. God permitted Satan to tempt Jesus, and Jesus, led and helped by God's Spirit, accepts that terrible fight.

Here in the desert is the beginning of Jesus' fighting with Satan. The final battle happened on the cross. Then Jesus called out with a loud voice, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) But here in the desert Jesus begins His fighting with Satan.

Why did God want Jesus to fight with Satan? Because that was part of Jesus' work, Adam listened to Satan in the beginning of the world, and therefore all men are born with sin and under Satan's rule. Jesus came to free men from Satan's rule; therefore He must let Satan tempt Him and then defeat him, so that men can be free from Satan's rule. God wanted Jesus to defeat Satan and get the victory over sin and evil.

Jesus' wonderful victory over Satan is also our victory. In the Epistle lesson for today St. Paul tells us, "We have complete victory through Him that loved us." (Romans 8:37) And in our text we read that after Jesus had defeated Satan, He went to Galilee and preached God's good news. He said, "The time has come, and God's Kingdom is here. Repent and believe the Good News." (verse 14-15) The devil's kingdom and rule is destroyed, but God's kingdom and rule is here! God's love and mercy is here! Forgiveness is here! Peace and joy are here! New life and freedom from Satan and Sin is here! God's kingdom is here! God's rule is here! Your victory is complete!

Because we have this wonderful victory in Jesus, because God's kingdom is here, we should "Repent and believe the Good News." Don't walk any more in bondage to sin and Satan, but let the Holy Spirit of God lead you, because He has freed you from the Law of sin and death.

In the Epistle lesson Paul asks, "Who will blame those that God has chosen? Will God? No! God is the one who makes us righteous. Who will condemn? Will Christ? No! Christ died for us, more than that He is ruling in heaven, and He prays for us." (Romans 8:33-34)

God and Jesus are the only ones who have a right to blame us. Satan and nobody else have a right to blame us. And the ‘Good News is that God does not blame us! God declares us righteous because of Jesus and Jesus is the One who died for us. Therefore we are free, free, free! "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) NOBODY !

Because we have this perfect victory in Jesus we should let not trouble, hardship, persecution, hunger or poverty, or danger make us doubt God's love and give up serving Him. In the Epistle lesson Paul says with power, "In all these troubles and dangers we have complete victory through Him that loved us. I know that not death or life, not angels or rulers, not the present or the future, not any powers, not things above or below, or any other living thing can separate us from God's love which is ours in Christ Jesus, our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)

Jesus' wonderful victory is ours now. Believe it and show it by your victorious life!

Amen.