Messiah continues its observance of Lent with midweek Services of Prayer; identical services will be held on Wednesday, March 4th at 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. The 7:00 pm service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page.

We continue our Lenten sermon series, which is based on the ancient hymn “O Love, How Deep” (Lutheran Service Book 544), with the theme “Done for Us”:

For us baptized, for us He bore

His holy fast and hungered sore;

For us temptation sharp He knew;

For us the tempter overthrew.

God’s character, His nature, is self-giving love. Everything Jesus does, He does “for us.” This phrase is introduced this week in our series hymn, appearing again and again in stanzas 3 through 6. Jesus is baptized, fasts, is tempted, overcomes temptation, and, in doing so, begins His work of undoing the power of the devil (Mark 1:9–13). It is especially worth noting that because Jesus suffered when tempted, He can “help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). He not only helps us in our weakness, but His love for us extends all the way into the grave.