BAYLON, ALIAH MAE

BS. CRIMINOLOGY

Reflection Paper
Temptation of Jesus (Mark 1:12-15)

As a grown-up who does not attend church and does not love to read the Bible. I've
searched for the topic or the title that our professor wants us to reflect on which is the
“temptation of Jesus (Mark 1:12-15)”. “The wilderness is a place of destruction and danger,
of being tempted off one's path and also of meeting God. “ that was the message of the Bible
verse that our professor gave to us. However as I analyzed the message that I gathered from
the internet, it was hard to understand because it has many words that are hard to explain. But
when I read the title itself “The Temptation of Jesus” I simply give or explain that, Jesus
itself tempted by evil. Wherein our lord Jesus also experiences how to resist the temptation
just like us, humans. Based on observation and ideas as a member of the church of Christ, I
can tell that Jesus is just like a human being who once tempted by evil. But he never let the
evil find their way to do their evil plan. Based on my past expedriences I am also tempted by
evil. I just remember when I was in the 10th grade of high school, it was the first day of class
and I just had a few friends from my 9 th-grade classmates. And we're not that so close to each
other for us to hang out and sit next to each other in class. So in the first month of class
which is June, I felt lonely and sad whenever I attended school because my best friend
already transferred to their province so I had no one to talk to about my problems. Wherein
it's come the point that I'm having stress, anxiety, insomnia, and depression which lead to not
going to school like how I used to before. But when I saw the day or story of my best friend
on Facebook she was happy even though we're not in the same school and were only catch-
up in messages and calls. I've realized that I can make myself happy on my own. And figured
out that I need to walk by myself and not depend on other people on how I will become
genuinely happy. I know some of you make fun of what I've shared because it's a simple
scenario of life but me, as a soft-hearted and overthinking person it was a big deal and had a
huge impact on my life.

According to research, it is normal to feel like we’re alone even if we aren’t we're just a
human being. And we're not that “perfect” for us not to be tempted by evil just like Jesus Christ.
We know Jesus once was tempted but he had a strong faith in God that why he never let the
wrong plan make him evil. And I think the connection of the topic to my experience is that the
one who is our fierce enemy and the devil is ourselves. Because we're not contended with the
things and people that we have in our lives, and we do not value the one who is by our side no
matter what happens to us. That's why we overthink every single thing that is hard to think about.
We give meaning to every action that we know is normal to see. While the temptation is an
essential part of spiritual development, Mark only gives two verses to describe Christ's
temptation. It appears to be just ceremonial, a prerequisite before Jesus can get to the real
business—his preaching in Galilee. Although the fight is inescapable and essential, it is but a
temporary aspect of our existence. What matters more to who we are as individuals and what we
will achieve is what happens after the battle. We have to resist all of life's temptations, just as
Christ did, to reach our own "time of fulfillment" and fulfill our part in bringing about the
establishment of God's Kingdom. Jesus has three temptations based on the Bible. The Devil tried
to entice Jesus during his forty-day sojourn in the wilderness following his baptism. The three
temptations that the Evil One felt he could use to win over Jesus were turning stones into bread,
submitting to Satan, and challenging God. The Bible says that Satan was vanquished and that
Jesus never caved into temptation. Even so, the church, which has mostly refrained from giving
in to the identical temptation Jesus resisted, may learn a great deal from Jesus' desert experience.
Jesus was tempted to worship Satan to become ruler over the entire planet, to convert stones into
bread, and to allow Himself to fall from a high position and be saved by angels. The bread and
pebbles were the only temptations that made sense to me because Jesus had been fasting and was
starving. Thus, I could identify with that. But plummeting from a height just to have angels save
you? Even ruling the entire planet? I'm just not very into this stuff. And even making bread out
of rocks—I can see why you may want to do that, but why is it such a bad thing? Why does the
Bible only use these instances of Jesus being tempted? I now recognize the intricacy of those
temptations and the prism by which they enable us to see our immoral impulses as an adult.

However, my preference has generally been to see it from afar. These are some of the
most profound ideas I have had about the entire tale up until lately, but I acknowledge that Jesus
was tempted and did not give in, that He sets an example for us to follow, and that He can relate
to us because of His experience. After all, we are always tempted in this environment, so perhaps
there is greater value in going into further detail with this study. Is it not worth investigating
further if our goal is to emulate Christ and the Bible provides us with a detailed description of the
Son of God's temptations and His obedient response to them? Now that I was convinced, I
looked into it more. What can we learn from these stories of His temptations? For Jesus, what
does it say? For us, what does it mean? How does it relate to our personal experiences? The first
of a three-part series is now available. Based on studies, Temptation happens in the gut, not in
the brain, eliciting a jumble of magnetic emotions, luring and repelling us simultaneously. It can
be as innocent as reaching for a piece of chocolate cake, hesitating, and then pushing away from
the table. Or as guilty as embezzlement, reaching into a cash drawer, hesitating, and then
stashing the bills. Temptation triggers corruption in political life when government officials
abuse their power and the public trust. Temptation triggers guilt in our personal lives when we
cave into desires.

As Christians, we know that temptation toward sinful, illegal, or destructive things needs
to be resisted, and yet we often find ourselves losing the battle. That is not only frustrating, it can
get downright depressing. It can even make us start to question whether God still loves and cares
about us. But when I read some information or scenarios on how Jesus Christ resisted all of the
temptations that created to test his faith and to build a strong relationship with god. Just like us,
we are the ones who are prone to temptation because we as humans have a desire for many
things, especially luxurious things that we want to have. wherein those kinds of things may lead
us to be tempted to accomplish that we wouldn’t want to do. And when the time that we failed to
have the things and power that we desired to have. It will lead us to have too many questions
about the love of god to us as his proponents. The fact that Jesus was tempted in all points like
we are, teaches us at least two things. One thing it teaches us is that just as Jesus overcame every
temptation, we need to follow his example and make every effort not to fall into temptation. But
there is so much more here, and it makes all the difference. If Jesus were merely a great role
model that we should follow, there would be no hope for us. Following Jesus would then just be
another of the world’s many religions — humanly devised systems of coping with bad behavior
and plagued consciences. Wherein as we read the Bible we can access all of the relevant
information that Jesus wants us to find because it can be our guide on how we will work on
many things in life. And also on how we can overcome many difficulties that we are
experiencing right now. The other thing these temptation passages teach us is that Jesus
overcame every temptation in our place, as one of us, both representing us and substituting for us
before God. As a student, I learned many things in writing this re-election because while
researching every meaning of those deep words that have connected to the Bible verse, I simply
thanked and worshiped god with all I could do. As a way of recognizing his hard work. On
making us “one” with the power of his wonderful words of wisdom that will save us from any
harmful things that the world has

Jesus offers sacrifices and acts as the go-between to get everything straightened out
between sinning people and God. In religion, this concept keeps people mindful of the need to
behave better and establishes a hierarchy of humans that can exercise control over the masses. he
took all the sins of humanity onto his head. But all the sin in the world was no match for the Son
of God. In him, sin, all sin, found its demise. In Christ, God destroyed the work of the devil and
defeated our sins once and for all. This is not religion; it is the gospel. It is easier for us to
comprehend Jesus' complete humanity when we see him tempted. To help us relate to Him, God
allowed God to suffer. It is a common occurrence for all of us to feel isolated in our daily battle
against temptation. This chapter uses the "wilderness" and "beasts" as metaphors to describe the
confusion and impediments that face us as we struggle through life while carrying our loads. It is
consoling to know that we are not alone in our hardships when we can consult scripture and find
Jesus going through similar challenges. As Jesus demonstrates, the wilderness is a source of
immense hope rather than something to be feared. It is an intimate and revelatory space. In these
many words that I said I only want to say something important, let us make ourselves worthy of
heaven by turning from our sins and beginning to live in the kingdom of heaven on earth. Jesus,
come to us so that we might start experiencing the heavenly life on our planet. As a practice, let
these forty days of Lenten observance. So as his followers who have faith in him, I simply say
that we must be responsible for every action that we commit to preserve a good attitude that
heaven wants us to enrich.

Christ has given us a new mind and heart, not because we studied a lot and concluded
that "we'd better or else," but despite this, we succumb to temptation far more frequently than we
would like to. This is why we dedicate ourselves to love, good actions, and upright life.
However, if Christ redeems us despite our shortcomings, who is to hold us accountable? It was
impossible, Paul reasoned, for nothing "in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love
of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." I am aware that I ought to be kind, loving, and
forgiving. So said Jesus. I start making commitments and asking for grace if he would only lend
me a hand when I'm feeling panicked, disappointed, or inspired. A person who loves, acts
virtuously, and leads an honorable life is a Christian disciple. I would adore being that. You have
my undying love. "You've taken over my thoughts and emotions. Since Christ has truly given us
a fresh perspective and heart. It's more appropriate that we give up our lives and follow Christ's
example of doing good, loving, and leading an upright life. If Christ's death has redeemed us
despite our sin, then who is to hold us accountable?" "You'd better or else," is hardly an
appropriate way to express gratitude for such grace. I’ve realized that I must be kind to all people
that I encounter in my life because sometimes it may help them to resist the temptation to some
things that they desire. Wherein those simple kindnesses that we shared with every person that
we knew, on every person that we shared the things with. It can have a huge impact that may
lead them to resist all of the temptations that evil wants us to wish for.

As I learned things from other past experiences, I think I can say that I am confidently
overcoming those temptations that will come into my life. Wherein I will use the Temptation of
Jesus (Mark 1:12-15) as a guide on what I need to do when that kind of thing suddenly appears. I
can also recall instances in which I gave in to temptation and everything around me appeared to
be animals in the wild—irrational things that completely confused me. Darling, you were
tempted; you sensed that evil was there in you. Through a time of hardships, you were purified. I
felt more like I was in a wilderness and the darkness throughout this period than like I was under
God's hand. I realize how God was shaping me as I look back. In the desert, one may encounter
God as well as be destroyed or seduced from their path. Jesus discovers God in the desert. The
feeling of prayer is like being in the wilderness. Because it exposes us to both our good and
terrible aspects, it can be harmful. Obviously, with practice, this links us to the peace of God in
Christ that surpasses comprehension—Jesus' desert. People also renew their devotion to serving
God and rediscovering his strength within them here. In my observation, I think It's not that
Jesus had to be coerced into going somewhere He didn't want to go or that He was forcing
Himself to. It appears, however, that the contrary is true. That is to say, Jesus' readiness and the
Spirit's great yearning came together. This was not an experience he willingly entered.
Nevertheless, other verbs employed by evangelists demonstrate that Jesus refrained from giving
in to this temptation as he could have when, in hindsight, it would have been prudent for him to
steer clear of such a fatal confrontation at the beginning of his role. We put ourselves in danger
of temptation all too often. Jesus' temptation came from the Spirit of his Father.

This verse involves us in three separate thoughts. The subject of the first two clauses is
Jesus. According to the first perspective, Jesus strolled among the wild animals just like Adam
did in Paradise, giving us a glimpse of Paradise here on Earth. Some go further in this direction,
believing that Jesus is here to redeem the sin-cursed creation to its pure innocence. Hendriksen
comments on this, saying, "The idea that the animals gathered about Jesus as a friend runs
contrary to the context which stresses the difficult and terrible conditions surrounding the Lord."
All the verses that discuss Jesus' humiliation, however, work against the idea. From this
perspective, it simply gives us an idea that when we hit the hard times ourselves, to the point that
we are stressed out, a lot of things cause anxiety, depression, and insomnia. We just need to put
god in our hearts because when we give up on him his the one who will guide us through the
difficulties that life can give to us. Another viewpoint is that of Lenski: "These wild animals
prowled around Jesus, more or less endangering him. And Mark throws these dangerous animals
into contrast with the blessed angels who finally ministered unto him." Well stated. Lenski does
not suggest naturally that the magnificent nature of Jesus was not personnel in His Temptation.
Equally, we claim that when it comes to Jesus the God-man God passed away for us so we
additionally claim that when it comes to Jesus the God-man God was attracted to us. However,
He sustained all that we rightly should have and also all the pressures of heck that protest us. He
endured triumphantly. We are greater than conquerors via Him the God-man Who liked us. The
Temptation of Jesus is a wonderful convenience for us. He was attracted in place of all males,
though He was remarkable. Mark asserts that Jesus was in the desert with the wild animals.
Ylvisaker and Fahling are promoting a third sight. This would undoubtedly emphasize the
possibility that Jesus' group of friends was split apart during the time of His enticement.
Furthermore, Fahling said, "The wild pets are not stated to indicate the risk in which our Savior
was but rather to suggest the barren nature of that area." No one must, nor can help Him.
Wherein From this perspective, I must say that it teaches us that at the end of the day, we just
only have, ourselves to fight the circumstances that might happen in our life. That’s why we need
to build a strong relationship with god, for us to have a source of strength when we are facing
difficulties in our lives. And also it teaches us to stand and fight by ourselves, wherein we have
to learn how to cope with the challenges of every battle of our life.

The Temptation of Jesus is a great comfort for us. He was tempted vicariously for all
men, though He was sinless. He was tempted in all things just as we are tempted but He was
without sin. That’s why I am amazed at how Jesus found a way to avoid the temptation of evil.
Honestly, as a person, I am not that strong to fight those temptations created by the evil spirit,
but while reflecting on this verse saying that Jesus does avoid those temptations, I think with his
guidance and with the help of my faith in God I can also do the avoidance of the temptation.
However, it’s not that easy because we’re human and are inclined to different kinds of
temptation. Furthermore, Satan tempted Jesus during His entire earthly life. For example, when
the people wanted to make Him an earthly king ), He dismissed the disciples and the people and
went to the mountain alone to pray. When Peter objected to His suffering and dying, Jesus turned
on Peter, telling him that, as Satan's agent, Peter was presenting a trap for Jesus. Satan worked
through Jesus' enemies and Jesus told them so, where He described Satan as a murderer and liar.
So thoroughly wicked and vicious is Satan that he thought He could conquer God Himself and he
used and still uses people to try to accomplish this. "and the angels were serving Him
(Jesus)." This implies that Jesus conquered Satan when He was tempted. These angels were not
sent to help Jesus in His temptation. rules that idea out. Jesus could have asked the Father for the
help of legions of angels. But He did not. He was tempted and suffered alone, all alone, in our
stead. makes it very clear that only after Satan had left did the angels come and serve Him. And,
because of what Jesus did for us, is a wonderful comfort. He sends His angels to serve us. Our
struggle in this life is not with people. It's with Satan and all his hellish force. The Word of God
is the sole instrument that we must use in our constant fight with Satan. People cannot win in
their struggle with their flesh and Satan unless they hear the Word of God and keep it. I have had
a lot of experiences where I was once tempted to do something that was not in the will of god but
with the help of my undying faith in him, I can conquer not all but at least I tried to fight those
temptations that were created by evil. Honestly, as a Christian, I do not attend church weekly but
I am purely praising god with all of my heart because my mom said that no matter what happens
to you, just pray to god and give all things to him because he knows how and what are the things
that I need to fight those difficulties that might happen. Also, my mom teaches me that on every
decision that I make, I need to ask and put god at the center of that decision for it to become
prosperous

There is a sense in which the Temptation of Jesus and also His suffering and death is the
preaching of Law. They show us how dearly it cost the Son of God to redeem us from sin, death,
and the devil. He came not to be served but to serve, to give His life as a ransom for many, which
means all. The sinless Son of God took my place when He was actually and severely tempted by
Satan for forty days. The sinless Son of God took my place when He was despised and rejected
by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The sinless Son of God took my place when
He laid down His life and took it again. If it cost Him that dearly I must confess my sins. But I
must also believe the Gospel. "If ever we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. This connected verse teaches us to
accept and confess all of our sins. And forgive ourselves and also the one who trespassed against
us to cleanse our hearts and minds from all of unrighteousness. If we are not going to confess all
of our sins to him how Jesus will help us to forgive ourselves for every sin that we have
committed? In this verse, I just realized that It tells us at least two things Jesus experienced
temptation in every way just like we do. It instructs us, among other things, to follow
Jesus' lead and do everything in our power to resist temptation, just as he conquered
all of them. It makes all the difference, though, because there is so much more here.
We would have nothing to hope for if Jesus was just a wonderful example for us to
emulate. Subsequently, adhering to Jesus would only constitute one more of the
numerous global faiths – imaginative frameworks created by humans to address
negative conduct and troubled morals. Additionally, these verses on temptation tell us
that Jesus, standing in our place and acting as a stand-in for us before God, conquered
every temptation. The role of a high priest is to mediate on behalf of the people
toward God. In the first place, Jesus is depicted as an unparalleled High Priest. To
make things right between God and sinful humanity, he provides sacrifices and serves
as the mediator. This idea is used in religion to create a hierarchy of people who can
rule over the masses and to remind people that they should behave better.

In understanding the whole concept or meaning of the whole Bible verse I just realized
something wherein it taught me that In our most difficult moment, God appears and helps us
through. Wherein we saw or we read that in the verse Temptation of Jesus (Mark 1:12-15). The
power of God appears in the desert, in weakness, in ones who come out of nowhere and will be
handed over. God’s activity has been hidden from human beings, and even when it is revealed
through Jesus, many will be unable to see. Those who do see will take comfort when they pass
through the desert. They will know that Jesus has already been there and knows the way. All
they have to do is follow. This happening that we can read in the Bible teaches us that we need to
do is to have a strong relationship with God because it is the instrument that we can use to resist
all the temptations in this world. Christian, be encouraged. Christ knows what you are
going through. Even more, His angels came to His aid. They may be sent by
God to serve us as well. A beautiful illustration of something occurring is presented
in this book. A sneak peek at what's to come. What was the target of Satan? To
vanquish the Son was his goal! But in what way? It appears that Satan wanted Jesus to
experience no pain at all in the end. Undoubtedly, Satan was there at the baptism! He
heard it all and saw it! Along with bringing about Satan's downfall, Jesus' suffering
and death also brought about our salvation. I had a lot of learnings that can cherish
through my journey as a Christian. When it was over, the angels waited on him.
He ate a legitimate meal, provided from the Father by the angels, not a meal the
devil offered. And all this was only the starting point of his long journey to
Jerusalem to be murdered, buried and resurrected to glory — as one of us for all
of us.I just want to say that We must constantly be aware of temptation. We can
willingly allow Divinity to cleanse us so we can go into the world and be a
person of the Good News. I am sure that from your experiences, being a
Christian fully aware of right and wrong is difficult. To do so takes faith,
knowledge, and an appreciation of the awe and wonder of God. Among the
other gifts of the Spirit is the sense that we are cared for and waited on in a
lesser form of Jesus in the desert. Perhaps you have been blessed with the
courage to take the challenge of being in the kingdom to great heights. If you
tried and failed, keep trying, it is part of the process, trust that Jesus is near you.

In conclusion, In our temptations, then, we can take heart. Christ is with us,
drawing us to him and away from sin, but when we do sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, who not only set the example
for us but also made atonement for the sins of the whole world, including ours.
That’s why we need to take responsibility for every action, and decision that we
make. Because just little things we disobey God, it is unrighteousness for us as
an individual who once listened to and loved the powerful word of God. Our
individual lives can mirror what is true of a church's overall operations. Everybody
goes through their periods of wilderness, which are frequently triggered by a loss
experience. According to the gospel reading, Satan tried and tempted Jesus while he
was in the wilderness. It was a test of his relationship with God, which had been so
forcefully confirmed at his baptism. Our faith is frequently put to the test during our
desert periods. God can come across as aloof and quiet. Nevertheless, the gospel
reading for today reassures us that, despite the terrifying creatures life may present,
God is always with us at these times of personal faith crisis. "The kingdom of God is
close at hand," were Jesus' first words after emerging from the desert. In times of
crisis, whether personal or societal, the Lord's strengthening presence is always
available. He frequently makes himself known through his angels, messengers, and
companions in love, hope, and faith. When we can allow the Lord to be present to us
throughout those times of desert, we find that our faith becomes even more powerful.
In my opinion, the real reason or purpose of the temptation of Jesus is to test a
person’s endurance against Satan and his accompanying offer of attractive sin/s.
Many of us fall prey to this temptation because we are spiritually weak and this
is primarily caused by our not being always wired with God. As an individual
who once can’t resist the temptations that are created by evil I will the only
thing that we can use to resist it is our faith in god. Wherein just like Jesus
Christ it was His close connection with God. Jesus achieved this connection
with God through His prayerful life. This is the reason why Jesus survived His
test of temptation by the devil in the desert. Jesus was tempted by the devil three
times and He subsequently rejected it also three times. We all know that Jesus
Christ is incarnated as a man so it is not biased that he can resist the temptation
of evil 3 times. It’s just God wants to tell us that we as humans can resist
temptation just like Jesus Christ. We just need to keep in mind that we are the
children of god we are made more worthy before the eyes of God once we can
pass through and defeat temptations. In lining up my reflection honestly, I can’t
believe I got all this learning from one Bible verse! It took me three to four days
to study this provided verse. But it is such an honor for me to write this
reflection because Ive learned a lot of things, knowledge, person, and God. And
those learnings will be saved to be used as guidance soon.