The Desert Trials episode 4 - the temple trial: what Jesus said

We’re going through Lent spending time every day, not alone but with Jesus in the desert, not empty but full of his Spirit, not resting but wrestling with the things that get between us and God, not relying on ourselves but trusting in God to win every battle thanks to what Jesus did.Matthew 4:7Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’Tempted to use the Temple as a platform in a way it was not designed for, Jesus could have argued this out, but instead quoted from a well known Jewish story about a famous place named “testing”.What did it mean for God’s people to put God to the test there?What did it mean for Moses to fail there? What did he do wrong? (There might not be a simple answer to this - scholars have lots!)Can we picture Jesus as succeeding where Moses failed?How would he know how to do that? Where would he get the wisdom and strength?And how can we follow Jesus here? What do we need to more of, or less of, to do this faithfully?Can it help to have God remind us about who he says we are?We're inviting you to spend a few days reflecting on this before we look at another trial in our next episode.

What is the Bible, how did we get it, and what is it for? Claire Lynch looks at how the different genres, stories and conversations in the Bible fit together into something which has conveyed truth to people for thousands of years - as long as they knew how to interpret it. How can we do this today?

We’re going through Lent spending time every day, not alone but with Jesus in the desert, not empty but full of his Spirit, not resting but wrestling with the things that get between us and God, not relying on ourselves but trusting in God to win every battle thanks to what Jesus did.Matthew 4:5-6Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:‘ “He will command his angels concerning you,and they will lift you up in their hands,so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”’Can we picture the scene here, and how different it is from being in the desert?Can we imagine how high the temple stood and what visitors expected from the experience of visiting?How carefully constructed was the temple to guide people into God’s presence and help them remember how special he is?What did it mean to use the temple as a platform for something different?Can we relate to the idea of using religion as a platform, for ourselves, or to claim God’s support?Can we relate to the possibility of doubting whether God might show up? Do we fear that God might not be there, or might not care?Can we relate to the temptation to throw ourselves into a crisis? Do we ever feel we need this to make God show up, or to strengthen our faith?How would we answer the devil here?We're inviting you to spend a few days reflecting on this before we look at Jesus’ reply in our next episode.

Why can it feel awkward to think or talk about being “redeemed” or “saved”? Kyle Henderson-Begg looks at how we can understand this better by getting to know God’s love, his long-standing promises and the person and work of Jesus.

We’re going through Lent spending time every day, not alone but with Jesus in the desert, not empty but full of his Spirit, not resting but wrestling with the things that get between us and God, not relying on ourselves but trusting in God to win every battle thanks to what Jesus did.Matthew 4:4Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’What is surprising about Jesus' response here?Is it as defensive as we might be when undermined, questioned, or accused about our identity and integrity?Is Jesus replying on the enemy's terms, at their choice of battle location, or reframing the battle with a bigger, better way of seeing things?What does it mean to live on God's word? Is it just about the Bible, or something more - perhaps something we can find explained in the Bible, a foundation of all creation, including us?What can we find in the Bible to help us reflect on who God says we are? (Join us in exploring, and find a list if you'd like one at severnchurchbristol.org/lent)We're inviting you to spend a few days reflecting on this before we look at another trial in our next episode.

We’re going through Lent spending time every day, not alone but with Jesus in the desert, not empty but full of his Spirit, not resting but wrestling with the things that get between us and God, not relying on ourselves but trusting in God to win every battle thanks to what Jesus did.Matthew 4:2-3After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’How different do we feel when we are hungry? Are we our best selves? Our worst selves? Which of those is closer to who we really are?What is Jesus being tempted to do here? Is it just about bread?What about the word "If" here? How much is that doing to try and undermine Jesus? Can we relate? How does it feel for our identity or integrity to be questioned?How would we respond?We're inviting you to spend a few days reflecting on this before we look at Jesus' response together in our next episode.

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

What is worship all about? David Jennings looks at how important it has always been for God's people to worship, how this has been reflected in buildings and structures, and how these give us a meaningful picture today.  

Where are we as a church, what makes us who we are, and what are we looking forward to in 2026? Owen and Claire Lynch share how Severn is an inclusive community of friends where all people are welcome to encounter Christ Jesus. If you would like to know more about giving to Severn, see severnchurchbristol.org/giving. To find the FAQs and other material to accompany this talk, visit https://severnchurchbristol.org/vision2026.

How can we get to grips with the Bible and what it means? Claire Lynch looks at how it fits together lots of stories as part of one big story of life, purpose, relationships, struggles, suffering, hope and fulfilment. Can looking at the Bible as a box set with recognisable episodes help us to explore it and connect it with our lives today?