Today is the first Sunday of Lent…40 days of fasting (in some way or another) and prayer…mirroring Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. Jesus faced was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the Devil (Matt 4:1).
And then the 3 big temptations:
Temptation # 1: Eliminate Hunger - Success Matt 4:3-4
Temptation #2: Entertain Everyone - Popularity Matt 4:5-7
Temptation #3: Elected President - Power Matt 4:8-11
But after these temptations, Jesus was empowered by the Spirit (Lk 4:13-15)…Good news for those of us who face big temptations.