Episode Transcript
Hello. I am Dr. Kylie Fisher.
Welcome to heavenly harmonies. Mark, chapter one, verse 13, says that Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days, tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered unto him. You know, one of the greatest battles of all time was fought in that lonely wilderness in the land of Palestine.
Night. What is the significance of this battle for our lives? And how is this reflected in our hymn for today? Stay with me to discover how the song oh Jesus, I have promised can draw us nearer to the heart of God. So, in our series, we have been looking at some hymns that we can see are really prayers and we've been exploring their depth of meaning and how they particularly reflect on the life of Christ.
And so today we have another hymn that is definitely a prayer and that is oh, Jesus, I have promised. I have many favourite hymns, but, yeah, this is definitely one of my more favourite hymns. So, yeah, let's have a look at the words of this hymn, think of it as a prayer and think what this has to say to us today.
So let me read the first verse. O Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end. Be thou forever near me, o my master and my friend I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side nor wander from the pathway if thou wilt be my guide.
So let's have a think about what this first verse means, and let's focus to start with, towards the end of the verse, which says, I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side. Now, what does this mean? Well, we have discussed in previous programmes the verse revelation, chapter twelve and verse seven, which says that there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels.
So there was a war in heaven. And we know that, very sadly, that war has come down to earth and we can see the effects of that war all around us. So, really, living on earth, we are living in a battle zone.
And, yeah, sadly, when there's battle, innocent people get hurt and war is just not something that is ever pleasant. But we really have pretty much no choice about being born here on earth. We're just born into this situation.
But we do have a choice about which side we're on, actually. We can choose to be on the side of good and the side of truth, or we can choose to be on the side of evil, the side of deceit and lies and so forth. This war that began in heaven has come down to earth and we've mentioned in previous programmes that the life of Christ on earth really has tremendous significance to this war.
But let's just also have a look at the last verse in revelation, chapter twelve, because this verse shows us that this battle is heating up and that this battle is becoming more and more intense, and that today, as we looking around us, there are so many people, even people that are not christians, that can see that there's many signs that our world cannot continue the way that it's going for much longer. Many people are very confused about what might happen, but it's pretty clear that our world can't continue the way that it's going for much longer. And so we can see that we're heading towards some tremendous crisis.
And so I think this is really well described in revelation, chapter twelve and verse 17. It says there that the dragon which we know from revelation twelve, verse nine, is Satan, the devil himself. The dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
So living on earth today, particularly if we do make that choice that we want to be on the side of goodness and truth, we are going to find ourselves right in the heat of the battle and we're going to find all of the weapons of Satan hurled at us. So that's really what this song is saying. It says there, I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side.
So this song is saying there is going to be a battle, but in this song, let's go back now to the beginning of the first verse which says, o Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end. Be thou forever near me, my master and my friend. So the person singing this song, hopefully it's us or praying this as a prayer, singing it as a prayer.
This person is making the choice that despite the fact that there's this tremendous war going on, they are going to be on the side of goodness and they are going to be on the side. Right. The reality of it is some people maybe think, well, I'm not going to stand up for truth because it's just too hard.
It's just not really worth it. The reality is we're all in a battle. No matter which side you're on, you are going to be suffering.
It's struggling. And so, yeah, it's. Does you make the choice to be on the side of truth not just to escape suffering, but just because it's the right thing to do and it's the true, it's the noble thing to do.
Yeah. So that's the choice that this song is presenting is the best choice and it's the right choice. And, yeah, it's a choice.
That last episode, we were speaking about baptism. Baptism is, of course, the public ceremony when you decide that you're going to be on God's side, on the side of right and truth. But it's a choice that we have to make every day.
When my husband and I made our promises together, made our promises to each other on our wedding day, that was a wonderful, and it was a special day. But it's a promise that you have to have every day. And especially sometimes when the going gets tough, you sort of look back to that day and you think, no, that is the promise that I made.
I'm sticking to it. It's the same in the christian life. It's a commitment that we have to make every single day.
So even though we have promised to follow Christ, we have to remain faithful to him. But the wonderful thing is that, as we've been discussing, jesus came down here to earth. He experienced the same temptations and the same struggles that we have to experience, yet he was victorious, and so he can help us because of that.
And, yeah, so that's a really wonderful thing. Let's look at a couple more verses about being in this battle. And what is the nature of this battle? I mean, does that mean that we need guns and knives and all of this sort of thing? Doesn't sound like really that much of a christian attitude.
So let's have a look at Ephesians chapter six and verse, starting at verse ten. And this is a really well known passage about the kind of battle that we're in. So, Ephesians chapter six and verse ten says, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So the battle that we are fighting is not one that we fight with literal weapons that we can see, it's one that's a spiritual battle. And we're battling against Satan, we're battling against other evil angels.
And so really, in our own strength, it's not possible for us to overcome these beings that we've discussed. I think in other programmes, the Bible is really clear that angels are actually stronger than people. And so if we are trying to do this battle in our own strength, we have just got absolutely no hope whatsoever.
But Christ through his humanity. We've talked about how Christ was completely, fully human. He was God in human flesh.
So through his humanity he reaches us and through his divinity he reaches to the throne of God. So he connects us to God. And with God's help we cannot fail.
Through Christ we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. So let's have a look. Let's keep going with this passage.
Verse 13 says, wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all to stand, stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. So we see there that the armour that's described here and the weapons that are described here are things like truth, righteousness, peace. What a contrast that we've got shoons of peace while we're in this battle.
And it says, faith. Faith is the shield. You've got the helmet of salvation and of course, you've got all prayer, the wonderful weapon that Christian resorted to in the valley of humility.
If you've read Pilgrim's progress, one of my favourite books. So, yeah, such a powerful weapon. And we can see that Jesus used prayer all through his life.
But particularly we are speaking about Jesus'experience and his battle in the wilderness, his battle with Satan in the wilderness. And before that battle, Jesus was praying. So, yeah, speaks about the temptation of Jesus in Luke, chapter four.
Also speaks about it in Matthew, chapter four. And it also speaks about it briefly in Mark. So Jesus went to the wilderness to pray and to fast.
And so for 40 days and 40 nights he was fasting there and he was praying out in the wilderness. And so prayer is a wonderful, wonderful ally when we're tempted. So let's have a look at the second verse of this hymn and see.
I think this verse in particular points us to the temptations that Christ experienced in the wilderness. So verse two says, let me feel thee near me the world is ever near I see the sights that dazzle the tempting sounds I hear my foes are ever near me around me and within. But Jesus draw thou nearer and shield my soul from sin.
So let's just discuss very briefly. So, Jesus, according to the accounts in Matthew and Luke, give us a little bit more detail about the actual temptations that Jesus experienced. And basically, there was three temptations when he was in the wilderness.
The first one was a test on appetite. So Jesus, after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, was hungry. And so Satan tempted him to turn the stones that were in the desert into bread.
Now, this was a test that is a little bit different to the sort of test that we ourselves might be tested with, in a sense, because Christ, being fully God as well as fully human, he had to make the choice not to use his divine power. He must take the place that we would take were we in the same situation. Obviously, we could not turn stones into bread by.
Yeah. Christ resisted that temptation. He chose that he was going to trust in God, trust in God to provide for his needs.
So that was the first temptation. Then, according to Matthew's gospel, the second temptation was that Jesus was taken to the top of the temple and told to cast himself down. That would have been an act of presumption.
God does not ask us to do things, crazy stunts and things like this, to test whether he will step in to save us. God does not promise to save us. He promises to keep us in all of our ways, which is ways of God's choosing, and not to be just drawing attention to ourselves as stunt workers.
So Jesus resisted that temptation. Then the final temptation. Let's have a look at that one.
So the gospels, the way that they're written, they're not always written in chronological order. So as you look at the account in Matthew and Luke, you'll see that there is a different order of the. You know, we sort of tend to think that the order in Matthew is the actual order.
But really, the key thing is that there were these three temptations. So in other events in Jesus'life, they're not always, as I say, recorded in chronological order, but there's reasons why things are recorded in different order. Sometimes it's recorded, like, thematically.
So, yeah, I mean, we don't really have time to go into that today, but, yeah. So in Matthew's gospel, this is recorded as the third temptation. In Luke's gospel, it's mentioned second, but the accounts can be reconciled when you understand that they're not necessarily chronological.
So let's just have a look at Luke, chapter four and verse five, which says that the devil taking him up into an high mountain showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. Matthew says in Matthew, chapter four, verse eight, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. Now, what was the significance of this temptation? Well, verse nine says in Matthew that Satan or the devil said to Christ, all these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
So when Christ came to earth, he came to save us. But his path lay through suffering. It lay through pain, it lay through the death of the cross.
And basically in this temptation, Satan was kind of appearing to offer Christ an easy way out. And he was sort of know, rather than suffering all of these terrible things, you just take the easy way out, just bow down and worship me, and I'll give you all of these things. Christ resisted this temptation, which was actually really only a part truth to say that Satan had complete control over the world.
But Satan often comes to us with the same temptation. And he sort of metaphorically, I guess, walks by our side and sort of says, look at all of these things. I can give you wealth, I can give you power just deny your conscience a little lie here or there won't hurt.
If you just steal a little bit of money, it won't hurt. Just a few unkind words. Doesn't really matter.
It's not really significant. But the truth is that it is significant. It put Christ on the cross and he was willing to walk that path.
For so, you know, Christ remained loyal to us despite our unfaithfulness to him and despite the fact that know wronged him and forsaken him so many times, he remained loyal to us. And so, yeah, that's such an inspiring thought for us to remain loyal to Christ during those times when Satan tempts us. So, yeah, that's really what this verse is talking about.
Looking again at the beginning of the second verse of our hymn, oh, let me feel thee near me the world is ever near I see the sights that dazzle the tempting sounds I hear sometimes it can be the things of this world can look pretty good. They can be pretty tempting. They can be pretty enticing.
And so, yeah, as a Christian, we might feel that pull of temptation, but we don't have to give in to it if we continue on with the words of this verse. My foes are ever near me, around me. And just as human beings, we're so much in the habit of sin, we just love sin.
And so our worst foe is ourself. Actually, but it says, jesus, draw thou nearer and shield my soul from sin. So despite that pull that we feel in our hearts, that pull that's tugging us towards just do this sin, I mean, irrespective of Satan himself, it actually says in Book of James that we're drawn away and we're enticed of our own lust.
So actually, even if Satan was not tempting know, we ourselves would just be lusting and longing after. So, but we can still overcome sin. Jesus, draw thou nearer and shield my soul from know.
Jesus became a human being. He did not rely on his divine power. Though he was still fully God, he did not rely on his divine power to overcome sin while he was here on earth.
And the victory that he gained in the wilderness can also be our victory. Luke, chapter four, verse eight, says, jesus answered and said unto him, that is the devil. Get thee behind me, Satan.
For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou servant. It says in Matthew's gospel that the devil left him. He just had no power to resist.
And. Yeah, so that's just such an encouraging thing. I'd like to read one other quote.
We've looked a lot at the book, spoken a fair bit about the book, the desire of ages, but from another book by the same author that, yes, one of my favourite books, the great controversy. This is from page 510. And it says there that Satan assailed Christ with his fiercest and most subtle temptations.
But he was repulsed in every conflict. Those battles were fought in our behalf. Those victories make it possible for us to conquer.
So that's just such a wonderful thought. We can conquer as Christ conquered. So let's have a look at the final verse of this hymn.
O Jesus, thou hast promised to all who follow thee that where thou art in glory, there shall thy servant be. Now, this comes from a verse in John, John, chapter twelve and verse 26. And Jesus is there speaking and he says, if any man serve me, let him follow me.
And where I am, there shall also my servant be. So, yeah, let's just look at the beginning of that verse. Actually.
If any man serve me, let him follow. Know when Jesus calls us and when we choose to follow Christ, he's not offering us a path that's free from know. We walk the same path of rejection and sorrow that Christ did when he was here on earth.
But Christ is by our side. So, yeah, I just love that where I am, there shall also my servant be. So that's what this song is saying.
Oh, Jesus, thou hast promised to all who follow thee, that where thou art in glory, there shall thy servant be. So if we share in the sufferings of Christ here on earth, we will share his glory. And so John chapter 14 and verses one to three says, jesus said, in my father's house and many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place, I will come back and receive you to myself. That where I am, there ye may be know we have that amazing promise that one day we will be with Christ in glory. So then the final lines of this song say, jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end.
Oh, give me grace to follow my master and my friend. So, yeah, the grace of Christ not only brings forgiveness, but it also, as Hebrews chapter four and verse 16 says, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When do we most need Christ help? It's when we're tempted and to resist temptation.
And so the grace of Christ helps us to resist and to overcome temptation. So let's listen now to the choir of Christ's college, Cambridge, singing this beautiful song. Oh, Jesus, I have promised only I shall be.
I love Jesus. I I. So, as we were saying before, Hebrews chapter four and verse 16 says, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
So let's conclude with a prayer. Let's approach the throne of grace and ask for Christ's help to stand true and loyal to him in the battle against sin and the battle against self and our own selfish desires. So, dear God, we're so grateful for the example of Christ and that in the wilderness of temptation, he withstood the test upon appetite, test upon presumption, the test upon the love of the world.
And these are tests that in various ways come to all of us at different times in our lives. And sometimes it can be just so daunting when we're in the middle of that battle. And we can be so tempted to give up our faith on Christ.
But help us to remember that Christ was tempted and he was victorious. Help us to trust that you can also give us the victory, dear God. So we claim that victory, and we pray that we can understand better this beautiful hymn.
Oh, Jesus, I have promised and really make that hymn our own through our own experience and through that, we can triumph over sin and Satan. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
So thank you much for joining me today. On heavenly harmonies. Join me again next time to discuss another beautiful hymn.
But until then, goodbye and God bless.
