This Lenten banner prompts meditation on the temptations of Christ, and His use of God's Word to overcome the deceptions of the devil, the world, and the flesh. In the center we see, "Child of God in Christ." Just as Jesus was baptized by John, named Son of God, promised an eternal inheritance, and called to serve God only, we, who have been baptized into Christ are also declared God's child, promised forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and are called to fear, love, trust, and serve God only. The powerful words which Jesus clung to are from Matthew 3:4,7,and 10, and are depictied on the three baptismal shells on the banner.
In shocking red and pulsating pink, around the rim of the circle are listed some of the categories of temptations which try to lure the people of God into striving for their empty promises. They lead, however, into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice by ignoring/abandoning/disobeying God's Word: Fortune, Fame, and Freedom (in the sense of pursuing our own way); Security, Superiority, and Success; and Power, Possessions, and Pleasure. All these beckonging pursuits may conflict with the gift that God has given to us by His grace: a name as His child, and a relationship with Him which cannot be taken away, a forgiven past and future filled with His providence and promise, a calling to know Him, love, trust, and serve him alone.
Jesus lived this way, and even death could not separate Him from the love of His Heavenly Father, who raised Him from the grave and has now given us to Him as His fellow saints and heirs. He is our Head, and we, now, are His body in the world. called to follow Him and do God's will, as the Holy Spirit leads. banner design and article by Lois Prahlow
