Lent series: The Desert Trials - introduction

Over the next six weeks, we're going to spend time with Jesus in the desert - a place where he was taken at a pivotal point in his life to face a spiritual battle before he began his ministry.The story we have of this battle takes the form of a conversation between Jesus and God's enemy, Satan, "the devil".In this introduction, we look at the whole story and how it fits into the bigger stories of the gospel and the Bible as a whole.The desert was not just a difficult, desolate place. It was the front line of a battle, seen as a dumping ground of isolation, prison for demons and a stronghold of evil, the opposite of good life.Jesus was not heading there for a peaceful retreat but to engage in battle, and he looked to readers of this story like a leader. For a Jewish audience, he would have sounded like Moses who spent 40 days fasting on Mount Sinai before receiving the Jewish law. Others will have noticed that Luke put this story after a family tree which linked Jesus to Adam, everyone's ancestor, and wondered if Jesus could succeed where Adam and Eve failed in dealing with temptation.It's hard for us to find 40 days away from our normal lives, but can we find some time every day in Lent to spend with Jesus in the desert? Can it help us to see ourselves, our relationships and our purpose in the world a different way and get us ready for Easter, where Jesus finishes the battle?Upcoming episodes (one per week every Wednesday):Episode 1 - the bread trial - what the devil saidEpisode 2 - the bread trial - what Jesus saidEpisode 3 - the temple trial - what the devil saidEpisode 4 - the temple trial - what Jesus saidEpisode 5 - the world trial - what the devil saidEpisode 6 - the world trial - what Jesus saidFind more about Lent and Easter at severnchurchbristol.org/lent