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BACKGROUND FOR THIS EPISODE

(In Order of Appearance)

NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Hebrew 6:18 – It was impossible for God to lie about those two actions.c God wanted to use those two things (which cannot change) to give us much encouragement. We have run for safety to take hold of the hope that is in front of us. 
  • John 8:44-45 – You come from your father, the Devil. You want to do the sinful things that your father wants. The Devil was a murderer from the very beginning. He does not stand with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only talking naturally, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45“But I am telling you the truth and that is why you don’t believe me. 
  • Revelation 12:10 – I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now the salvation, the power, the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come, because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown out. He always accuses them in front of our God day and night. 
  • Romans 6:23 – The pay you get for sinning is death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 
  • Romans 6:3-4, 15-16 –   How could we live in sin anymore? We died to it!a 3You know that all of us were immersed into Christ Jesus. Don’t you know that we were immersed into his death!? 4So, through immersion, we were buried with him into death. Christ was raised from death through the glory of the Father. In the same way, we will live a new life…15What does this mean? Should we sin because we are not under the law, but under God’s gracious love? Never! 16Surely you know that you are slaves to whomever you offer yourselves to obey!? The one you obey is your master. You could obey sin which leads to death, or you could obey God. 
  • Luke 3:22 – The Holy Spirit came down upon him in a physical form, like a dove. Then a Voice came from heaven and said, “You are My Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you!”
  • Luke 4:1 – Jesus returned from the Jordan River. He was full of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was leading Jesus into the desert. 
  • Acts 2:3-4,7 – They saw something which looked like flames of fire separating and staying over each one of them. 4They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak different inspired languages; the Spirit was giving them the power to do this…7The Jewish people were all amazed at this. They didn’t understand how the apostles could do this. They said, “Look! These men whom we hear speaking are all from Galilee!b
  • John 1:1-3,14 – In the beginning was the Word,a and the Word was with God, and the Word was deity.b 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him, everything was made. Without him, nothing which has happened would have happened… 14The Word became human and lived among us for a while. We saw his glory, the kind of glory like that of the Father’s one and onlyc Son—full of gracious love and truth. 
  • Luke 4:14 – Jesus went back to [north to the province of] Galilee with the power of the Holy Spirit. Stories about Jesus went all over the area around Galilee. 
  • Matthew 6:16 – “And when you fast,c do not wear a sad face as the hypocrites do. They make their faces look very serious, so that people will realize that they are fasting. I am telling you the truth: They have received their reward. 
  • Matthew 3:4 – John always wore clothes made of camel hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. He ate grasshoppers and wild honey. 
  • Mark 4:3 – “Hear! Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.”
  • Matthew 12:27 – And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 
  • Acts 19:13-14 – Some wandering Jews were also trying to make evil spirits go out of people. The seven sons of Sceva were doing this. (Sceva was an important Jewish priest.) These Jews were using the name of the Lord Jesus to do this. They all said, “By the same Jesus whom Paul proclaims, I order you demons to come out!”
  • Hebrews 5:7 – During Jesus’ human life, he offered prayers to God. Once, with strong cries and tears, Jesus asked God to save him from death. (God could have done it, too, but He didn’t.) God listened to Jesus because Jesus was devoted to God. 
  • Hebrews 10:1-4– The law was only a copya of good things in the future. (The copy was not the real thing.) The same sacrifices, offered year after year, could never make worshipers perfect. 2Otherwise, they would have stopped making sacrifices, because the worshipers would have been made clean once for all time. They would not feel guilty. 3Instead, every year, when the sacrifices were made, the people remembered their sins. 4Goat’s blood or bull’s blood could never take away sin.
  • Hebrews 9:12-14, 24 – Once for all time, Christ went into the most holy place and secured for others everlasting forgiveness from sin.f He used his own blood, not the blood of goats or calves. 13The blood of goats, bulls, or the ashes from a young cow are sprinkled upon unholy people. This makes them separate and clean on the outside. 14But, how much more will the blood of Christ make our consciences clean from dead human efforts, so that we can worship the living God! Through the everlasting Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice…24Christ did not enter the most holy place [in the templew] which was man-made, a copy of the real one. No, he went into heaven itself to appear before God for us. He’s there now.
  • Mark 1:12-13 – Immediately, the Spirit thrust Jesus into the desert. 13Satan was testing Jesus for 40 days in the desert. Jesus was with the wild animals, but the angels were helping him.
  • Luke 4:5-6, 13 – The Devil took Jesus and showed him, in a moment of time, all of the kingdoms of the world. 6The Devil said to him, “I will give you all of these kingdoms and all the power and glory which are in them. It has all been given to me. I may give it to anyone I want…The Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, and he left him to wait until another time.  – 
OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Genesis 3:1-6 – Now the snakea was the most clever, wild creature that God, the One Who Is Always Present, had made.b The snake asked the woman, “Did God actually say to you that you two could not eat from any tree in the garden!?” 2The woman answered the snake, “Yes. We are allowed to eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 3but not from a particular tree near the center of the garden. God told us not to eat any fruit from that tree—we cannot even touch it.c If we do, we will die!” 4The snake said to the woman, “That’s not true! You will not die!d 5Why? Because God knows that whenever you two do eat some of it, then your eyes will be opened.e Then you will become like God, knowing the difference between right and wrong!”f 6The woman could see that the tree was good for food, that it was beautiful to look at, and that it could make her wise. So, she took some of its fruitg and ate it. Then she also gave some to her husband who was with her. He ate it, too. 
  • Genesis 2:7 – The Always-Present One, God, took some dirt from the ground, and from it He shaped a man. Into the man’s nose, God breathed the breath of life. And, the man became a living person.d
  • Isaiah 61:1-2 – The Lord Yahweh has put His Spirit in me.a This is because Yahweh has anointedb mec to proclaim the good newsd to the poor people.e He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts are broken. He has sent me to tell the captives that they are free.f He has sent me to tell the prisoners that they are released.g2He has sent me to announce the timeh when Yahweh will show His kindnessi and the time when our God will punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort all those who are sad.
  • Numbers 11:25 – Then Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses. And, Yahweh put it on the 70 individual elders. With the Spirit in them, they prophesied,i but this happened just that one time.
  • II Kings 2:15 – A group of the prophets at Jericho were watching on the other side of the Jordan River. They said, “Now the spirit of Elijah is upon Elisha!” And they went to meet Elisha. And, they bowed themselves down to the ground in front of him. 
  • Isaiah 11:1-2 – A Shoota will grow from the stump of the tree that was cut down.bFrom the family of Jesse,c a Branchd will bear fruit.e 2The Spirit of the Always-Present One will rest upon him.f The Spirit gives him wisdom,g  understanding,h guidance,i and power. And, the Spirit teaches him to knowj and revere Yahweh.
  • Leviticus 16:32 – “So, the anointedbb priest will perform the rituals for making things ready for Me. He is ordained to take his father’s place. That priest must put on the holy linen clothes. 
  • I Kings 1:39-40 – And, they put Solomon on King David’s mule and led him to Gihon Spring. 39And, Zadok the priest took along with him the containeru of olive oilv from the tent.w He poured [anointed] the olive oil on Solomon’s head.x Then they blew the trumpet.y And, all the people shouted: “May King Solomon live long!” 40Then all the people followed Solomon into the city. They were playing flutes and shouting with great joy. They made so much noise that the ground shook.
  • Isaiah 35:4-6 – Say to people who are afraid and confused, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid! Look, your God will come,e and He will punish your enemies. He will make them pay for the wrongs they did. He will come and save you.” 5Then the blind people will see again.f Then the deaf will hear.g 6Then crippled people will jump like a deer.h
  • Deuteronomy 8:3 – God humbled you. He let you get hungry. Then He fed you with manna.b Manna was something which neither you nor your ancestors had ever experienced. This was to teach you that mankind does not live on food alone. Instead, he lives on every word which comes out of the mouth of the Always-Present One
  • I Kings 8:37-39 – “Sometimes the land may become so dry that no food will grow. Or, a disease might spread among the people. Or, all the crops might be destroyed by blight or by locusts or by caterpillars. Or, enemies might attack our cities. Or, Your people might get very sick. 38Whenever any of these disasters occur, the people will all become truly sorry. If any one of Your people, Israel, stretches out his hands in prayer toward this temple, 39please hear his prayer. Hear it from Your home in heaven! Then forgive him and help him. You are the only One who knows what each person in the human race is really thinking. So, judge each individual fairly. 
  • Psalm 91:11-12 – God will command His angels to take care of you. They will watch over you wherever you go. 12Their hands will catch you, so that you will not hit your foot against a rock.a
  • Deuteronomy 6:13-16 – “You must revere Yahweh, your God. Serve only Him! Make your vows in His Name.j 14Do not chase after other gods, the gods of the ethnic groups who are surrounding you. 15Why? Because Yahweh, your God, is a jealous God! He is present with you. If you worship other gods, then the Always-Present One, your God, will become angry with you. And, He will destroy you from off the surface of the earth! 16“You must not test the Always-Present One, your God, as you did at Massah. 

OTHER JESUS QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS:
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BK. 15, 11:5 – The fourth front of the temple…had the royal cloisters…and this cloister deserves to be mentioned better than any under the sun; for while the valley was very deep, and its bottom could not be seen, if you looked from above into the depth, this further vastly high elevation of the cloister stood upon that height, insomuch that if anyone looked down from the top of the battlements, or down both these altitudes, he would be giddy, while his sight could not reach to such an immense depth.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS APPEARING IN OTHER EPISODES

Season 1, Dream Maker, “Hesitant Herald”

Season 5, Promise Keeper, “Citadel of Shadows”

Season 6, Shadow of Death, “The Substitute”