Mark 1:9-12

⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. ¹¹ And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved;^[h] with you I am well pleased.”

¹² And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³ He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.

This is one of the first instances in the gospels where Jesus spends time alone in the wilderness. And it is a description of one of the longest times away. Right after His baptism and the confirmation of His identity as the Beloved Son of God, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, but the angels waited on Him. In this lonely encounter, Jesus resisted the temptations that were thrown at Him. (We might see that he was lonely, but not truly alone.) We hope for some heavenly presence where we are feeling alone in whatever wilderness and temptation we encounter.

Prayer

God, help me to face trials and temptations with a firm resolve and a sense of a spiritual presence in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.