Monday Meditation
March 21, 2016
From the desk of A.J. Higgins
And He was with the Wild Beasts
“And He was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him”
Mark 1:13
It seems strange that this verse is found in Mark’s brief account of the temptation. He omits the many details which Matthew and Luke give us; but he adds this one brief comment which the others do not mention. We would have expected Luke, whose purpose is to show the perfect humanity of the Lord Jesus, to have told of the submission of creation. As the Second Man, the Last Adam, the Lord from heaven, He had dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and the beasts of the field. But it is in the account of the Perfect Servant that we learn that the wild beasts did not harm Him while He was in the wilderness. Thought might be given to why Mark inserts this truth. Is it to show that God’s Servant can always move at the direction of the Spirit (v 12) with absolute security? Is it to show that as the Servant of Jehovah He will have dominion in a coming day?
But regardless of the “why,” consider the “what” which is presented. He was in the wilderness with wild beasts; it was their habitat and not His, and yet the wild beasts leave Him unharmed and unscathed. Creation recognizes His dominion and bows to the authority of this Servant. He can move amongst the wild beasts without so much as a roar from a lion, a bark from a wild dog, or the talon of a raptor touching Him. Later in His ministry, He could ride an unbroken animal into Jerusalem; He could control the timing of a cock crowing; He could command fish to swim into a net.
Mark 1 tells of the beginning of His ministry. But He was amidst wild beasts on another occasion, at the end of His ministry. On this occasion, the outcome was far different. The bulls of Bashan beset Him round (Ps 22:11). They roared against Him like a pride of lions over their prey (v 12). His soul was among lions (Ps 57:4). The dogs compassed Him about, enclosing Him and moving in for the kill. The wild beasts of humanity were unleashed against the sensitive Hind of the Morning.
The One Who is Lord over creation and Whose dominion is unquestioned by the wild beasts of nature, is now subject to the unbridled and unrestrained frenzy of humanity as it rose up against Him. The wild beasts of the wilderness left Him unmarked. The wild beasts of the nation and Gentiles left Him unrecognizable. His back was given to those who would lash it with their scourges. His visage was marred more than any man. His face was pummeled and bruised, covered with their spittle, no doubt swollen, disfigured, and bloodied by all they had done.
What the wild beasts of the field did not do, we did. Creation owned Him; we disowned Him. Creation honored Him; we shamed Him.
Consider
1. Think of times He showed control over nature, the fowls of the air and the fish of the sea.
2. Romans 1 reveals how that when men reject the knowledge of God that we sink below the beasts of the field. Does that shed light on why we treated Him as we did?
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