Moving on from the Wilderness
As we watch the devil slink away, we have to accept that he’ll be back. Getting rid of him will be a long-term project. There’ll be more challenges before the cross, and even then the mortal wound he’ll receive will not instantly eliminate him. It’s going to take an army of faithful people, transformed by the cross and living resurrection lives in the power of the Holy Spirit, to reinforce the upcoming victory. Just as the man and woman in Eden were able to walk and talk with God before making their choice, so for three years the people of Judea and Galilee see firsthand the realities of the kingdom Jesus has come to bring us into.
Two thousand years ago it was a surprise to many that in proclaiming His kingdom Jesus recruited the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed and the marginalised. Today, He is still recruiting those who are humble enough to reach out to the tree of life and take up the now-restored offer of life that was rejected in Eden.
