The way in which the living Word dealt with the veil of His own flesh, and the circumstantial evidence that appeared to His human nature to be so contradictory to His Father's word to Him, was revealed in the experience that Jesus had in the wilderness immediately following His baptism. After His Father's public acknowledgement, "This is My Beloved Son in Whom I AM well pleased," His Father's word to Him was challenged in a singular way, by contradictory appearances and the feelings of the human nature He was in. The living Word of God Who was within Jesus, was required to see and rest in that which was invisible to the eyes of His human flesh.
Here, at the beginning of His public life, a process was begun which would ultimately finalize upon the cross. There, the living Word would go through the veil of looking at things through human eyes for the last time. In that final test, He would rend that human veil completely, revealing the new and living way by which the Anointing sees beyond, and steps through, the appearances and feelings of the natural human life.
The following inspired record describes how the Anointing within Jesus of Nazareth, Who had been baptized by the Spirit of God, related to this severe testing into which He was brought by His Father. This wilderness time that Jesus passed through revealed how the Anointing always relates to the tests that His Father passes Him through. It is a revelation to us of how the Anointing within us, relates to the contradictory appearances and feelings of our own human nature.
"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." The words of Mark are still more significant. He says, "Immediately the Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts." Mark 1:13.
...At the Saviour's baptism, Satan was among the witnesses. He saw the Father's glory overshadowing His Son. He heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus...Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered...
When Jesus entered the wilderness, He was shut in by the Father's glory. Absorbed in communion with God, He was lifted above human weakness. But the glory departed [the sense of His Father's Presence wasn't there any more], and He was left to battle with temptation. It was pressing upon Him every moment. His human nature shrank from the conflict that awaited Him. For forty days He fasted and prayed. Weak and emaciated from hunger, worn and haggard with mental agony, "His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men." Isa. 52:14. Now was Satan's opportunity. Now he supposed that he could overcome Christ [the Anointing].
The words from heaven, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," were still sounding in the ears of Satan. But he was determined to make Christ disbelieve this testimony. The word of God was Christ's assurance of His divine mission. He had come to live as a man among men, and it was the word that declared His connection with heaven. It was Satan's purpose to cause Him to doubt that word.
Satan insinuated that God never meant His Son to be in such a state as this. "If Thou be the Son of God," he says, "show Thy power by relieving Thyself of this pressing hunger. Command that this stone be made bread."
In His reply Christ [the Anointing in Jesus] made no reference to the doubt. He was not to prove His divinity to Satan, or to explain the reason of His humiliation.
Christ did not appear to notice the reviling taunts of Satan. He meekly bore his insults without retaliation. The words spoken from heaven at His baptism were very precious, evidencing to Him that His Father approved the steps He was taking in the plan of salvation as man's substitute and surety. The opening heavens, and descent of the heavenly dove, were assurances that His Father would unite His power in heaven with that of His Son upon the earth, to rescue man from the control of Satan, and that God accepted the effort of Christ to link earth to heaven, and finite man to the infinite.
These tokens, received from His Father, were inexpressibly precious to the Son of God through all His severe sufferings and terrible conflict. And while enduring the test of God in the wilderness, and through His entire ministry, He had nothing to do with convincing Satan.
"It is written," He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." He met Satan with the words of Scripture. In every temptation the weapon of His warfare was the Word of God. Satan demanded of Christ a miracle as the sign of His divinity. But that which is greater than all miracles, a firm reliance on a "Thus saith the Lord," was a sign that could not be controverted. So long as Christ [the Anointing] held this position, the tempter [Accuser of the soul] could gain no advantage...
He awaited God's time to bring relief. He was in the wilderness in obedience to God, and He would not consent to obtain food by following the suggestions of Satan. In the Presence of the witnessing universe He testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God...In all the ways of God's choosing, Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience...giving man an example of trust and submission.
"Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me." This was Satan's crowning effort. Into this effort he threw all His beguiling power. It was the charm of the serpent. He exerted the power of his fascination upon Christ [the Anointing], striving to make Him yield His will [consent and agreement] to him.
IN HIS WEAKNESS, CHRIST LAID HOLD OF GOD. Divinity flashed through humanity. Christ [the Anointing] stood revealed as the commander of heaven, and His words were the words of One who has all power. "Get thee hence, Satan," He said, "for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord Thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."
Satan had questioned whether Jesus was the Son of God. In his summary dismissal he had proof that he could not gainsay. He had no power to resist the command. Writhing with humiliation and rage, he was forced to withdraw from the Presence of the world's Redeemer. Christ's victory [the victory of the divine Anointing in the soul] was as complete as had been the failure of Adam [the failure of humanity]. DA 111-119; ST 12-03-02; & On the Bosom of the Father.
In this test, the living Word went through the veil which the Word of God always has to pass while within any human soul - the veil of how unreal that divine Word looks and feels to the human nature it is within, as all of the circumstantial "evidences" appear to contradict and invalidate Father's word to the soul. The veil of human perception cannot see the present reality of Father calmly accomplishing His perfect purpose, but is limited to only what it can see with its human eyes and feel with its human feelings, and interpret what is occurring with human judgment.
Jesus staked His whole life on His Father's word, as expressed to Him by the Anointing within, rather than on how things appeared or felt at the time, to His human nature. In this Jesus revealed that, just as it was the privilege of the Anointing in Him to remain in the reality of the words which His Father had just spoken to Him at His baptism, so it is the privilege of the Anointing in us to remain in the reality of the personal word which Father speaks to us, no matter what appears to come against it.
God desires that we shall have a thorough understanding of the truth as it is in Jesus [the truth of the Anointing in us, as It was in the life of Jesus of Nazareth]...God is waiting to do great things for us as soon as we come into a right relation with him; but if we hold ourselves in doubt and unbelief, the enemy can keep the control of our minds, and intercept the promises of God...
You should not allow the channel between God and your soul [the Father and the Anointing in you] to become obstructed. You should not be moved by circumstances [circumstantial "evidence," or human judgment and its feelings]. You should refuse to listen to the suggestions of Satan, that he may not paralyze your efforts [to continue resting in, and giving agreement to, only that which Father has said is true for you]...
Satan will try to sever the connection which faith makes between our souls and God...These suggestions should not cut off our confidence... We should have more wisdom and confidence to-day than we had yesterday...God will give you everything that you are prepared for, everything that will minister to your strength. He will make peace with you if you lay hold of his strength. But he will not let his power drop upon you without effort on your part. You must co-operate with God in the work of salvation [by letting Father's words be constantly on your lips, in your thoughts and your only point of view]...
Plead with God that he will put his Spirit upon you [that He will baptize you with the Anointing, with His Holy Spirit], that you may know the truth and understand its principles. If you gain an experience of this kind, there is nothing that will turn you from the truth. You will be like Daniel in the lions' den, and like Joseph in Pharaoh's prison... God wants every one of you to...connect with him, the source of all wisdom and truth, that when you open your lips the words of Christ [the Anointing] may flow forth. Shall we not let the Spirit of God come? 1888 Materials 119,120.
You must be determined to believe, although nothing seems true and real to you. [Your choice must be fixed to believe, and insist on believing, quietly knowing that you would simply rather die than to disbelieve what Father has said to you.] I need not tell you it is you, yourself that has brought you into this unenviable position. You must win back your confidence in God...It is for you to yield up your will [consent and conscious agreement] to the will of Jesus Christ [the Anointing within you]; and as you do this, God will immediately take possession and work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Your whole nature [body and mind] will then be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ [the Anointed One within you], and even your thoughts will be subject to Him. You cannot control your impulses, your emotions, as you may desire; but you can control the will [what you give your agreement to, and what you consent to let be true for you], and you can make an entire change in your life.
By yielding up your will to Christ, your life will be hid with Christ [the Anointing] in God and allied to the power which is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from God that will hold you fast to His strength; and a new life, even the life of living faith, will be possible to you. But your will must cooperate with God's will...Disregard custom [your old familiar experience and ways of thinking] and the strong clamoring [of feelings or circumstantial "evidence" that seems to be in the face of what God has said to you] of appetite and passion. Give Satan no chance to say: "You are a wretched hypocrite." [You're believing something that you're not feeling] Close the door so that Satan will not thus accuse and dishearten you. Say, "I will believe, I do believe that God is my helper," and you will find that you are triumphant in God.
BY STEADFASTLY KEEPING THE WILL [the active force of the soul in the direction of the Father's Word to the soul] ON THE LORD'S SIDE [insisting that what Father says and sees is true for you] EVERY EMOTION [every part of you] WILL BE BROUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE WILL OF JESUS [the Anointing personified within you]. You will then find your feet on solid rock. It will take, at times, every particle of will power which you possess; but it is God that is working for you, and you will come forth from the molding process a vessel unto honor.
Talk faith. Keep on God's side of the line [of agreement and consent]. Set not your foot on the enemy's side, and the Lord will be your helper. He will do for you that which it is not possible for you to do for yourself. The result will be that you will become "like a cedar in Lebanon." Your life will be noble, and your works will be wrought in God. There will be in you a power, an earnestness, and a simplicity that will make you a polished instrument in the hands of God. 5T 513-515.
The faith of Jesus of Nazareth revealed that the divine faith of the Anointing within Him was not anything like human faith. The faith of the Anointing is the sight with which the soul sees. What does the Anointing see with Its sight? It sees that His Father's word is true and real -- now. The faith of the Anointing, or "the faith of the Son of God," quietly insists on the reality that things are the way Father has said. The Anointing doesn't settle for any lesser options. Furthermore, It refuses to look at any supposed impossibilities, and will not even acknowledge any, if the attempt should be made to bring them to Its divine attention or notice. This is what the Anointing demonstrated in Jesus of Nazareth. "Who is blind [to circumstantial "evidence"] but My servant? Or deaf [to the insinuations and accusations of the adversary] like My messenger whom I send? Who is blind [to everything but that which I have said to Him] like the [Anointed] one who is at peace with Me, who has been admitted to covenant relationship with Me? Yes, who is blind like the Lord's servant?" Isa. 42:19 Amplified.
The Anointed One within Jesus lept with identity and personal recognition when He read Isaiah 42:1-7:
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him...he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged...Thus saith God the LORD...I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. Isa. 42:1-7.
The Anointing knew that Isaiah was prophesying about Him. It was the Anointed Word in Jesus of Nazareth Who knew that those inspired words were referring to Him personally. Those words were the Father's faith for His Son, and He continually lived by those words, taking their vital nourishment into Himself. The Anointing knows the truth about Himself, and the human partakes of this knowing more and more.
His life was far from being one of ease or pleasure. Painful toil was a part of each day's experience. Weary, hungry, sorrowful, opposed and misrepresented by His brethren, His soul acquainted with grief, He did indeed bear the yoke in His youth. No other human being was ever so weighted with responsibility. He had a mission to perform, and constantly the words were on His lips, "I will not fail nor be discouraged." ST 6-16-98.
Why did Jesus constantly say, "I will not fail nor be discouraged?" Why were those particular words of His Father on His lips without interruption? Because "conflicting circumstantial evidence" and "contradictory appearances" were continually being put in His face, and being pressed upon Him with superhuman force, to belie those words. Those words were constantly on His lips because He was being given constant opportunity to not believe them, and to judge His Father's words as not true. But, Jesus brought forth "judgment unto truth." That is, the Anointed One within Him only made His judgment about what was happening to Him, and what He was going to believe about what was happening, according to the truth of what His Father told Him, not according to anything else. It is written of the Anointing:
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him - the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord - and shall make Him of quick understanding...and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears. Isa. 11:1-3 Amplified.
Chapter 10, page: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
