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On March 8, 1971, Madison Square Garden in New York City was abuzz. People were crowding into the arena to witness what would later be called, "The Fight of the Century." Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, two undefeated boxing champions, would meet in the ring to determine who deserved to be called the world champion. While the hype preceding the fight was tremendous, the fight itself actually went over and above. The fight lasted the full 15 rounds, with Ali coming out strong in the early rounds and Frazier coming on near the end. Both fighters took a heavy beating. Ali's jaw was swollen and disfigured after the fight. But in the end, there could be only one winner. Frazier won by unanimous decision. The two would meet two more times, each fight one to remember.
While the first-century Judean wilderness would never be confused for New York City, the two locales share a common bond. They both witnessed a fight for the ages. In the wilderness, Satan, having already drawn God's creation into sin and death, now sought a greater prize: the Son of God himself. Weakened by a forty-day fast, Satan knew the time was ripe for his attack. While no fists flew, while no punches were dodged, this fight put the fight of the century to shame. Satan lashed out with temptation after temptation, trying to draw the Son of God into sin, forever tarnishing his nature and thwarting the plans of his Father. But Jesus kept blocking every blow, returning each one with words from the scriptures, his weapon of choice. While Satan threw everything at Jesus, in the end, he emerged triumphant in what was truly a fight for the ages.
While the first-century Judean wilderness would never be confused for New York City, the two locales share a common bond. They both witnessed a fight for the ages. In the wilderness, Satan, having already drawn God's creation into sin and death, now sought a greater prize: the Son of God himself. Weakened by a forty-day fast, Satan knew the time was ripe for his attack. While no fists flew, while no punches were dodged, this fight put the fight of the century to shame. Satan lashed out with temptation after temptation, trying to draw the Son of God into sin, forever tarnishing his nature and thwarting the plans of his Father. But Jesus kept blocking every blow, returning each one with words from the scriptures, his weapon of choice. While Satan threw everything at Jesus, in the end, he emerged triumphant in what was truly a fight for the ages.
