The Gospel opens our eyes to have faith in Christ. When God called Abram, he went not knowing where he was going, but in faith. Likewise, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, representing our blindness before coming to faith. Jesus tells Nicodemus one must be born again of the Spirit to see God's kingdom, and that God sent his Son so the world may be saved through him.

1. First Sunday in Lent: The Lord Jesus Christ
Is Our Champion against Satan
Genesis 3:1-21; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew
4:1-11; Psalm 32:1-7

2. FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
Genesis 3:1–21
Romans 5:12–19
Matthew 4:1–11
The Lord Jesus Christ Is Our Champion against Satan
Following His Baptism, Jesus is “led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil” (Matt. 4:1). As He takes upon Himself the curse of our sin and sets Himself against our
enemy, He trusts His Father‘s voice and waits upon His Father‘s hand for all things. The devil
questions His sonship, but the beloved and well-pleasing Son remains faithful and lives “by
every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Jesus patiently suffers hunger in
His mortal flesh and returns to the dust whence man was taken, and by His pain He brings forth
food for all the children of men (Gen. 3:18–19). By the sweat of His brow we eat the fruit of
His Cross, even as our nakedness is covered by His righteousness. Although all people live in
bondage to death through the trespass of the first man, Adam, all the more “have the grace of
God and the free gift by the grace of that one Man Jesus Christ abounded for many” (Rom.
5:15). His righteous obedience “leads to justification and life for all men” (Rom. 5:18).

3. •How does Satan
corner you?
•How does the Spirit
do battle within you,
for you?

4. 1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev'ry need
That hath us now o'ertaken.
The old evil foe
Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
3 Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us.
We tremble not, we fear no ill,
They shall not overpow'r us.
This world's prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none,
He's judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
2 With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the Valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is.
Of Sabaoth Lord,
And there's none other God;
He holds the field forever.
4 The Word they still shall let remain
Nor any thanks have for it;
He's by our side upon the plain
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Let these all be gone,
Our vict'ry has been won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.

5.  Use your prayer notes.
 Use a verse from the
bible to reflect on.
 Pray for justice and
protection.
 P raise
R epentance
A ppreciation
Y ou
E veryone
R esolve
Let us pray for the whole Church struggling to receive their daily
of God in Christ Jesus and for all bread with thanksgiving. Grant
people according to their needs. that all of Your people, in want or
in wealth, may look to You alone
O Lord, in the temptation of Your as the One who meets our every
Son, He forsook the trophies of need and who graciously provides
this world to cling steadfast to the all that we require to support this
one thing needful, the Word of
body and life…
God. Grant that, especially in an
affluent society, we may always Lord of the Church, You have
remember that where our treasures established the Office of the Holy
are, there will our hearts be also. Ministry to bring the gifts of the
By grace, may our greatest
Gospel to the people of God.
treasure always be Your gifts of Grant us a deep appreciation for
forgiveness and eternal salvation. the work of our pastors. Help us to
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our
see them as workers together in
prayer.
the same vineyard, as stewards of
the mysteries of God and as
O loving Father, there are many faithful shepherds of Your flock,
around us who are in desperate
that our pastors may rightly
need. We remember especially
deliver and Your people may
those who are unemployed,
joyfully receive all the gifts that
underemployed and who are
Christ freely gives in this place…

6. 



O Lord God, You have established us Christians to eat and to drink.
the kingdoms of this world to
Grant penitent hearts and steadfast
reward good and punish evil. Grant faith to all who receive the
us good government as part of our Sacrament at this altar this day, that
daily bread. Make our public
they may learn from this meal to
Use your prayer notes. servants faithful in all that they do, love God, to believe that only
Use a verse from the that we may lead a peaceful and Christ could make satisfaction for
bible to reflect on.
quiet life in all godliness…
our sins and to love their neighbors
as themselves…
Pray for justice and
O God, there are many around us
protection.
who have various needs,
Deliverer from death and the
P raise
[especially ______________]. Fix grave, receive this day our humble
R epentance
their eyes on You as the One who thanks for all Your children whom
A ppreciation
alone can rescue them from any
Your Spirit has kept in saving faith
Y ou
peril. Grant us daily prayer for
through the Word and who now
E veryone
those in need, whether in this
rest from their labors. Bring us to
R esolve
congregation, in the larger
share with them the joys of Your
communion of saints or throughout unending feast…
the world. Spare us, good Lord, for
You alone can fight for us…
Into Your hands, O Lord, we
commend all for whom we pray,
Heavenly Father, You have left us trusting in Your mercy, through
the body and blood of Your Son for Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

7. The Lord Jesus Christ Is Our Champion
against Satan
 Meet w/teams
3-5 min per box
 What are the major points of your text?
 How does your topic fit the pericope
theme?
 How does it connect to the other texts?
How is it unique?

8. Genesis 3:1-21
You will crawl on your belly
The Fall
and you will eat dust
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman,
―Did God really say, ‗You must not eat from any tree in the
between you and the woman,
garden‘?‖
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
2 The woman said to the serpent, ―We may eat fruit from the he will crush[b] your head,
trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‗You must not eat fruit
and you will strike his heel.‖
from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must 16 To the woman he said,
not touch it, or you will die.‘‖
―I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
4 ―You will not certainly die,‖ the serpent said to the
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
woman. 5 ―For God knows that when you eat from it your
Your desire will be for your husband,
eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and he will rule over you.‖
17 To Adam he said, ―Because you listened to your wife and
and evil.‖
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‗You
food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining must not eat from it,‘
wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her ―Cursed is the ground because of you;
husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of
through painful toil you will eat food from it
both of them were opened, and they realized they were
all the days of your life.
naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
for themselves.
and you will eat the plants of the field.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God 19 By the sweat of your brow
as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and
you will eat your food
they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the
until you return to the ground,
garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, ―Where are
since from it you were taken;
you?‖
for dust you are
10 He answered, ―I heard you in the garden, and I was
and to dust you will return.‖
20 Adam[c] named his wife Eve,[d] because she would become
afraid because I was naked; so I hid.‖
11 And he said, ―Who told you that you were naked? Have
the mother of all the living.
21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his
you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat
from?‖
wife and clothed them.
12 The man said, ―The woman you put here with me—she
gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.‖
13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, ―What is this you
have done?‖
The woman said, ―The serpent deceived me, and I ate.‖
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, ―Because you have
done this,
―Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!

9. Romans 5:12-19
many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be
Death Through Adam, Life
compared with the result of one
Through Christ
man‘s sin: The judgment followed
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the one sin and brought condemnation,
world through one man, and death but the gift followed many
through sin, and in this way death trespasses and brought
came to all people, because all
justification. 17 For if, by the
sinned—
trespass of the one man,
13 To be sure, sin was in the world
death reigned through that one man,
before the law was given, but sin is how much more will those who
not charged against anyone‘s
receive God‘s abundant provision of
account where there is no
grace and of the gift of
law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned righteousness reign in life through
from the time of Adam to the time the one man, Jesus Christ!
of Moses, even over those who did 18 Consequently, just as one trespass
not sin by breaking a command, as resulted in condemnation for all
did Adam, who is a pattern of the people, so also one righteous act
one to come.
resulted in justification and life for
15 But the gift is not like the
all people. 19 For just as through the
trespass. For if the many died by the disobedience of the one man the
trespass of the one man, how much many were made sinners, so also
more did God‘s grace and the gift through the obedience of the one
that came by the grace of the one man the many will be made
man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the righteous.

10. Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the
devil. 2 After fasting forty days and
forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The
tempter came to him and said, ―If you
are the Son of God, tell these stones to
become bread.‖
4 Jesus answered, ―It is written: ‗Man
shall not live on bread alone, but on
every word that comes from the mouth
of God.‘[b]‖
5 Then the devil took him to the holy
city and had him stand on the highest
point of the temple. 6 ―If you are the
Son of God,‖ he said, ―throw yourself
down. For it is written:
―‗He will command his angels
concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their
hands,
so that you will not strike your foot
against a stone.‘[c]‖
7 Jesus answered him, ―It is also written:
‗Do not put the Lord your God to the
test.‘[d]‖
8 Again, the devil took him to a very
high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their
splendor.9 ―All this I will give you,‖ he
said, ―if you will bow down and
worship me.‖
10 Jesus said to him, ―Away from me,
Satan! For it is written: ‗Worship the
Lord your God, and serve him only.‘[e]‖
11 Then the devil left him, and angels
came and attended him.

11. Psalm 32:1-7
you
Psalm 32
and did not cover up my iniquity.
Of David. A maskil.[a]
I said, ―I will confess
1 Blessed is the one
my transgressions to the LORD.‖
whose transgressions are
And you forgave
forgiven,
the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
to you
whose sin the LORD does not
while you may be found;
count against them
surely the rising of the mighty
and in whose spirit is no deceit. waters
3 When I kept silent,
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place;
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long. you will protect me from trouble
4 For day and night
and surround me with songs of
your hand was heavy on me;
deliverance.
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.[b]
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to

12.  1 Amazing grace--how sweet
His grace has brought me safe
thus far,
His grace will lead me home.
the sound-That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am
found,
 4 Yes, when this flesh and
Was blind, but now I see!
heart shall fail
And mortal life shall cease,
 2 The Lord has promised good Amazing grace shall then
to me,
prevail
His Word my hope secures;
In heaven's joy and peace.
He will my shield and portion
be
 5 When we‘ve been there ten
As long as life endures.
thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
 3 Through many dangers, toils We‘ve no less days to sing
and snares,
God‘s praise
I have already come;
Than when we‘d first begun.

13.  SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT
 The Word of the Gospel




Opens the Eyes of Faith and
Fixes Them on Christ Jesus
Genesis 12:1–9 The Call of
Abram
Romans 4:1–8, 13–17
Abraham Justified by Faith
John 3:1–17 Jesus Teacher
Nicodemus
Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to
the hills…

14. faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same born of the Spirit.‖[d]
9 ―How can this be?‖ Nicodemus asked.
thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to
10 ―You are Israel‘s teacher,‖ said Jesus,―and do you not
whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 ―Blessed are those
Genesis 12:1-9
understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak
The Call of Abram
whose transgressions are forgiven,
of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen,
12 The LORD had said to Abram, ―Go from your country,
whose sins are covered.
but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have
8 Blessed is the one
your people and your father‘s household to the land I will
spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe;
show you.
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.‖[b] how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly
2 ―I will make you into a great nation,
Romans 4:13-17
things?13 No one has ever gone into heavenexcept the one
13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his
and I will bless you;
who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as
I will make your name great,
offspring received the promise that he would be heir of Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of
and you will be a blessing.[a]
the world, but through the righteousness that comes by
Man must be lifted up,[f]15 that everyone who
3 I will bless those who bless you,
14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith believes may have eternal life in him.‖[g]
faith.
and whoever curses you I will curse;
means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
and all peoples on earth
law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish
will be blessed through you.‖[b]
transgression.
but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham‘s
through him.
out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai,his nephew Lot, offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to Psalm 121
all the possessions they had accumulated and the
those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for us all. 17 As it is written: ―I have made you a father of
[a] He is our father in the sight of God, in
the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
many nations.‖
where does my help come from?
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead
2 My help comes from the LORD,
great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the
and calls into being things that were not.
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
Canaaniteswere in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to
John 3:1-17
Abram and said, ―To your offspring[c] I will give this
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
land.‖ So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named
appeared to him.
Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling
will neither slumber nor sleep.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, ―Rabbi, we 5 The LORD watches over you—
pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the
know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were 6 the sun will not harm you by day,
name of the LORD.
not with him.‖
nor the moon by night.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
3 Jesus replied, ―Very truly I tell you, no one can see the
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
Romans 4:1-8
kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]‖
he will watch over your life;
4 ―How can someone be born when they are old?‖
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
Abraham Justified by Faith
4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather
Nicodemus asked. ―Surely they cannot enter a second
both now and forevermore.
according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in time into their mother‘s womb to be born!‖
fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something 5 Jesus answered, ―Very truly I tell you, no one can enter
to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the
say? ―Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives
as righteousness.‖[a]
birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying,
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a ‗You[c] must be born again.‘ 8 The wind blows wherever it
gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it
not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone
Genesis 12:1–9; Romans 4:1–8, 13–17; John 3:1–17;
Psalm 121