02/26/23

First Sunday in Lent (Matthew 4:1-11)

Gospel Message from Pastor William

At Jesus’ baptism (3:13-17) God claims Jesus as Beloved Son. Immediately following this, the devil seeks to shake that identity by tempting Jesus. So too, the devil seeks to shake our identity as God’s child. “Buy this” we’re told. Listen to this, Watch this, Go here instead of church, Ignore your neighbor in need, Speak ill of others…the list goes on and on. Like for Jesus, our times of temptation should lead us to “Worship the Lord (our) God, and serve only him” (v10, where Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13).