2025 Sun March 9

Luke 4:1-13. Jesus overcame temptation because his identity and purpose was settled.

Read one or more Scriptures about Christians’ identity:
Gen 1:27 – created in God’s image1
John 3:1 – a child of God
Jeremiah 31:3 – loved
1 Corinth 6:11 – a Saint
Ephesians 2:10 – a masterpiece
Ephesians 1:6 – accepted
Ephesians 1:3 – blessed
2 Corinth. 5:17 – a new creation
Galatians 3:13 – redeemed
1 Corinth. 4:20 – empowered
Romans 12:2 – transformed
Philippians 3:20 – citizen of heaven
Deut. 31:8 – never alone
Romans 8:9 – filled w/ the Holy Spirit
Psalm 139:14 – wonderfully made
1 Peter 4:10 – gifted
Rom 12:5 – part of the Body of Christ

“To grow up in Christ will make you settled. See Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. The devil makes three attempts to lure Jesus away from his identity and purpose. He even enlists Scripture to help his work of confusion and deception.

“But, in short order and with only a few words, Jesus fends off the attack, and the devil is rebuked. But, take note of the devil’s approach. Notice where he thought there might be an opening. Watch what word he begins each temptation with. The devil prefaces each temptation with the word “if.” “If you are the son of God,” do this or that. Remember, “If” denotes something conditional, something that needs to be proved or earned. The “if” is an attempt to surface and activate any latent doubts Jesus may be harboring about his identity and purpose.

“It doesn’t work because Jesus is clear. There is nothing unfinished or performative in his devotion. His identity is settled. He understands himself to be exactly who and what God said. Christian maturity for us means our primary identity and purpose is also settled. We are who God says we are: beloved, forgiven, gifted, growing and redeemed. No need to prove it, just be it. Doing flows from being. Jesus is immune to the devil’s efforts because he knows life is not a possession to be traded away for passing fancies. And, life need not be a consuming and exhausting quest for approval based on achievement.

The first pillar of Christian maturity is recognizing and accepting at increasing depth that we are followers of Jesus Christ, first and foremost. And, that this ultimate allegiance expressed practically day to day, is a response to the relationship God has initiated. Jesus’ purpose is our purpose expressed through our uniqueness. Settled

• Lent Is a 40 day Christian festival beginning Ash Wednesday and concluding on Easter (Sundays are not counted)
• The word “Lent” comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word lengten, which means “springtime,” named so for the time of the year in which it occurs. The days lengthen in light vs. darkness.From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, what was cold becomes warm. What was dormant awakens. Just as green shoots break through the winter earth, so the church stirs into action to proclaim the Easter mystery: in dying, God destroys death, and in rising, God delivers and proclaims newness of life.
• What we now call Lent was originally a period of fasting and study for catechumens who were to be baptized on the Saturday before Easter. The 40 day fast was said by Athanasius in 339 AD to be celebrated the world over. The 40 day fast of Jesus in the wilderness was responsible for the number 40 being chosen.
• The purpose of this extended fast was to practice self-denial and humility. This was to prepare oneself for receiving God’s grace and forgiveness in baptism, given on Easter Saturday or Easter Sunday.
• The liturgical color for Lent is purple, the color of repentance and sorrow for sin.
• Lent prepares us for the observance of Jesus Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for us. It is a season of repentance and sorrow for sin. Lent is a time of self-examination in light of the Ten Commandments; it is a time of giving up of sinful behavior, a time of personal housecleaning. It is a time of commitment to the new life of Christ begun in baptism. It is a time of disciplined study of Scripture and a time of growing in faith.
• In recent years Lent has become a time to remember our baptisms. It is a time to reflect on the impact of baptism on our lives, and to ask ourselves how we are doing. Most of all, it is a time of renewal and new beginnings, as we through faith apply the complete forgiveness won by Christ’s death to our lives. Lent heightens our awareness that we desperately need Jesus Christ.
• As someone has said: “Lent is the Church’s springtime. Out of the darkness of sin’s winter emerges a people the Church–reborn through baptism into their Lord’s death and resurrection from the grave.”
• Lent is an opportunity not an obligation. It is not commanded by our Lord, nor is it even mentioned in the Bible. Those Christians who observe it do so because they find it a helpful opportunity for repentance and renewal, for the strengthening of their faith. Christians are free to observe or not observe Lent.
• The beginning of what we call “Ash Wednesday,” is difficult to date with certainty, though it probably began around 600 A.D.
• How the interior of the church changes ? A. The church changes Vestments are changed to purple, a color associated with mourning. B. Ornate crosses and other adornments are veiled in the church and all floral decorations are removed. (Crucifixes are left uncovered.) C. The shout of praise “Alleluia” is eliminated from all acts of worship. D. The Eucharist begins with an acclamation that acknowledges our need for mercy. The Celebrant says, “Bless the Lord who forgiveth all our sins,” and the people respond, “His mercy endureth for ever.” E. The Gloria (“Glory be to God on high”) is neither sung nor said, and the service music changes to more penitential settings. F. The Decalogue (The Ten Commandments, see The Book of Common Prayer, page 317) is read or sung at the beginning of Sunday Eucharists. G. The priest’s final blessing over the congregation is replaced with a solemn prayer focusing on the Lenten journey.
• Ashes are applied to the forehead of Christians in the sign of the cross (throughout the Middle Ages ashes were sprinkled on the head) as a symbol of humility and repentance. The ashes are a reminder that we are “dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Thus, they are a reminder of our mortality cursed as it is by sin. Moreover, the ashes remind us of our limits, of what we are, and how greatly we need God’s mercy in Christ.

Lent is a 40 day Christian festival beginning Ash Wednesday and concluding on Easter (Sundays are not counted).  The 40 day fast of Jesus in the wilderness was responsible for the number 40 being chosen .  It was said by Athanasius in 339 AD to be celebrated the world over.

The word “Lent” comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word lengten, which means “springtime,” named so for the time of the year in which it occurs.   The five Lenten Sundays are followed by the Sunday of the Passion, Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week, when we relive the events of Jesus Christ’s suffering and death.

What we now call Lent was originally a period of fasting and study for catechumens who were to be baptized on the Saturday before Easter.  The purpose of this extended fast was to practice self-denial and humility. This was to prepare oneself for receiving God’s grace and forgiveness in baptism, given on Easter Saturday or Easter Sunday.

Lent is:

• A time for looking at the things we do that are wrong or that tempt us, asking God’s and other people’s forgiveness;
• A time for giving up things that keep us from being loving people;
• A time for doing extra things that will help us grow closer to God;
• A time to be more aware of what it means to love as God loves us;
• A time to ask God to help us to be more loving, remembering that God is always ready to strengthen us.
• A time to let go of our normal routine, try a new spiritual practice, to step out of our box, to reflect on ourselves, to reflect on a relationship with God. It can be a very creative time. At a later time these practices may help us endure trying of challenging times. Lent gives us a chance to practice facing our fears, journeying in the wilderness, confronting the dangers and difficulties we find there, and reaching out for Jesus’ hand the entire trip.
•”The forty days of Lent serve as a time for Christians to return to the Sacred Presence, to the God who has never left us, even though at times we have been far away. Lent is a time to renew classic disciplines of prayer and reflection, as well as ancient practices such as fasting and Bible study. All of this is designed to renew a right spirit within us and to prepare us for the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter.” ‐The Rev. Gary Jones, St. Stephens, Richmond

Two priests from All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick Maryland discuss the Ash Wednesday experience. (click the link below)