Laced With Grace – Christian Devotions

A season to prepare

By Ann Van Hine March 4, 2019 Devotion, Reflection, Scripture

I never realized until a few years ago that there aren’t actually forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. I never counted them. I had learned as a child that Ash Wednesday started the season of Lent, that you gave up something, that Lent is about Jesus’ time in wilderness when he was tempted by Satan and that Lent ended on Easter. So imagine my surprise when I learned Sundays weren’t counted in the forty days. To be honest I thought that was kind of cheating so you aren’t giving up chocolate, or television or coffee for forty days – only six days then you have some and then do another six days. To say I was missing the point was an understatement. I have come to understand that as Advent is a time of preparing for Christmas, Lent is a time of preparing for Easter. Jesus’ trip to the wilderness was a time to prepare for his ministry.

Jesus’ time in the wilderness is recorded in three of the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke.

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Matthew 4:1-11 NIV

 

“At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” Mark 1:12-13

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,  where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you carefully;
they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:1 -13 NIV

 

Jesus’ trip into the wilderness occurs right after his baptism by John and the words of affirmation and calling from His Heavenly Father – “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”’ Matthew 3:17. Mark 1:11 & Luke 3:22 NIV.  The Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness but it is Satan that tempts Jesus in three areas that are common to all people. Rick Warren explains it in his devotional ” 3 Temptations of Success… 3 Values for Standing Strong (August 8, 2017):

“An appeal to “the lust of the flesh” is an appeal to what feels good. An appeal to “the lust of the eyes” is an appeal to materialism. And an appeal to “the pride of life” is an appeal to arrogance. That’s what the world around us values. And it’s those three values that’ll take us down – valuing pleasure, prestige, and possessions. If you don’t think that can happen to you, you’re just fooling yourself.”

 

Jesus is tempted but he doesn’t sin. He makes the right choices each time. He uses the sword of the spirit (that is also available to us) to combat Satan’s claims.

Ash Wednesday is Wednesday March 6. How will you use this season of Lent to prepare for Easter? Will you give something up or add something on? Either way I pray the Lord will continue to direct your steps as we journey towards this season.

 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15,16 NIV

 

One more thought from Rick Warren:

“God wants us to be successful in ministry. He wants us to reach people with the Good News. He wants us to help move people closer to him. But the moment we forget for whom we’re working is the moment our greatest success has become our undoing. When success comes calling – and I pray it does for you – remember these three things: stay away from moral failure, give generously, and stay humble.”

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