Space/time box

So the idea is that in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve saw the supernatural realm naturally, we’ve already talked about that. And now because of the fall and sin we’re all stuck in the Matrix of this space/time box, which if the story ended there, would be fairly discouraging.

But we can fast forward and find the one other human being in all of Scripture who had a similar long-ranging conversation with the devil, just like Eve had. Jesus is the one who escaped the Matrix, and He showed us how to break free too.

We all know about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The whole back and forth conversation with the devil was basically a repeat of the Garden of Eden’s temptation. So that’s pretty interesting, but how could Jesus see satan so well? Nobody had seen into the spirit like that since Adam and Eve cut themselves off from the supernatural realm by choosing self and sin over the Spirit.

Who Jesus was waiting for

So we’ve gotta look at what happened right before Jesus and the devil’s interaction. What made it possible for Him to see into the spirit realm?

This is the cool part. Jesus had just been baptized by Holy Spirit (Mk. 1:9)! I was really excited when God showed me that it clearly says that as soon as Jesus was baptized by the Spirit, then He saw the heavens opening and He saw the Spirit (Mk. 1:10). This is the first time in any of the gospels we have a record of Jesus seeing anything come from heaven.

And not only was He seeing things from the spirit realm, He was now hearing them too. In verse 11 it says that Jesus “heard a voice come out of the heavens, ‘You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.’

Again this is the first time we have a record in any of the gospels of Jesus hearing His Father’s voice.

Supernatural night vision

It’s almost like those night vision goggles you can wear to see things you otherwise wouldn’t be able to see. That’s like what Holy Spirit’s baptism did for Jesus. It reversed what happened in Eden, where then their eyes had been open to the natural realm and closed to the spirit realm, now through the Holy Spirit the eyes of His heart were opened and He could see clearly into the supernatural world.

Jesus was not only hearing things in the spirit and seeing things in the spirit, but He was now able to be led by the Spirit too. The very next verse tells us He was compelled by the Spirit to go into the wilderness (v. 12).

And how do we know for sure that the supernatural world was now accessible and visible to Him? Because Jesus then proceeded to have His long-ranging back and forth conversation with the devil. And not only that, but then He was ministered to by the angels as well (v. 13).

So fallen angels, faithful angels, His Father’s voice, the heavens opening – Jesus was made aware of all of these things. It’s almost like a switch was flipped as the eyes of His heart were enlightened and He was now able to see clearly what had been there all along.

When did this happen? When Jesus was baptized by Holy Spirit.

Back to Eden

Of course we know that that’s what He was waiting on. Because immediately after that is when He finally, after 30 years of not doing much of anything we know of, now He’s ready for ministry. This is what He’d been waiting for. We’re back to the Garden of Eden! We’re connected to the spirit world again!

And what does He think? What does Jesus have to say about all this? The very next verses, 14 and 15, of Mark 1 let us know. Game on, guys! Seeing, hearing and living into the supernatural? That can only mean one thing…

“The Kingdom of God is at hand.”