Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness was a test of sonship … to receive His inheritance. What was His inheritance ... "the kingdoms of this world (nations, people and ethnic groups) which are embedded within the Kingdom of our God!" (see Matthew 4:8) Satan tried to sucker Jesus into going after His inheritance through a "well known to Him" method, worship! This would have been the "easier" way for Jesus to receive His inheritance, but not His Father's way!
"For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God." Let's breakdown down two words in this scripture:
♦ The word revealing means "unveiling." Creation (the earth) is moaning and groaning (is in travail) for Father's mature sons and daughters to rise up and receive their inheritance.
♦ The word in this passage for "sons" in the Greek is huios. This is the word used for a mature son! We must come to that place of maturity to receive our inheritance! We didn't give our son or daughter the keys to our car when they were 9 years old! Though they were maturing, they were not responsible enough at that age to steward their life, as well as the other lives on the highway.
Jesus was a son, but Father God needed to make sure Jesus was a “mature son.” His first son and daughter, Adam and Eve, had given away their inheritance. The second Adam had come to take it back!
Just as Elisha went through the test of “a mature son” to receive his inheritance, so Jesus went through the test of “a mature son” to receive His inheritance. We will also go through the test of “a mature son/daughter” to receive our inheritance, the nations!
Psalm 2:7 & 8 says, "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession."
Our inheritance is also the nations of this world. Wherever we are, we have nations all around us. I tell our church family often that the nation might be the Korean next door to you, the Muslim across the street from you, or the Hispanic in the grocery line in front of you. As mature sons we carry the Kingdom of God and can release it to those we encounter!
