sermon March 2nd, 2025

Preparing for Easter

Mark 1:12–13 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.

What is lent?

Lent was originally the time that new Christians would prepare themselves before their baptisms which would occur on Easter.

This eventually changed to a time for all Christians to prepare their hearts for Easter.

Lent is the 40 days, not counting Sundays, that we use as preparation for Eater.

Why 40 days? What are we preparing for?

40 days is how many days that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness following His baptism.

This was the time that He took away from everyone and everything to prepare himself for his ministry and what was to come for the next 3 years.

It makes sense that we too would use 40 days as a marker for our preparation.

So then the 2nd question then is was are we preparing for? I would like to answer that with another question. What important life event do you not prepare for?

When you were in school you would prepare for important tests.

When you were engaged you prepared for your wedding.

When you are expecting a child you prepare for their birth.

All through our lives we have big events, big moments, that we prepare for.

Why would we not prepare for Easter?

Easter is the most important day every year for Christians.

It is the day we celebrate. What do we celebrate? The resurrection of Jesus.

Friends I love Christmas. I love the lights and the decorations. I love the presents under the tree. I love the music and the magic of the season.

But can I tell you that we wouldn’t have Christmas with out Easter.

If there is no resurection of Jesus Christ we don’t celebrate the Virgin Birth. We don’t celebrate the babe in the manger. Without Easter, without the ressurection none of that stuff matters because Jesus wouldn’t have been who he said he was.

However, we do have a resurrection. We do have a risen Lord and Savior that we celebrate in a big way every year on Easter. So shouldn’t we prepare for that day?

The account of Jesus being lead into the wilderness following his baptism is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 Mark 1:12-13

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall 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 glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Mark 1:12–13 ESV

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Luke 4:1–13 ESV

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ” And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

John is the only Gospel that does not record Jesus’ trip to the wilderness.

So as we begin to prepare ourselves for Easter during this Lent season what can we learn from Jesus’ time in the wilderness.

1 —> The Spirit lead Jesus, and the Spirit should lead us too.

—> Are we asking the Spirit what we should do?

—> Are we following the leading of the Spirit even when its difficult?

—> Part of being a holiness people is being willing to be lead by the Spirit away from our own desires, into a life that looks for like Christ.

2 —> Jesus was tempted, and we will be too.

—> When we try to get closer to God, the devil does things to try to get in our way.

—> Sometimes those things are external, but more often than not they are internal.

—> a thought

—> a motive

—> a desire

—> The devil doesn’t care what else you have going on.

3 —> Jesus relied on scripture to see him through.

—> The best way to combat temptation is through the word of God because it is truth.

—> Temptation is a lie, the devil is a liar, the word of God is truth.