Invocavit. The Sundays in Lent have traditional names that come from the day’s Introit. This Sunday is named Invocavit from the old Latin translation of Psalm 91:15, which the English Standard Version translates this way, “When he calls to me, I will answer him.” Who’s calling? Who’s answering?
Concordia Seminary teaches students to prepare and deliver sermons that are centered on Jesus Christ. As much as anyone on Concordia Seminary’s faculty, Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs focuses his sermons on Jesus. Yesterday he preached on Matthew 4:1-11, the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness. You’ll hear this read when you worship this Invocavit Sunday. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God….” That was the first of three times Satan tried but failed to get Jesus off His mission to save us.
Now my point, thank you Dr. Gibbs. The main point of Sunday’s Gospel is not how you and I can ward off temptation. Indeed, we do learn how, use Scripture when you’re tried, but the main point is Jesus Himself. Ancient Israel was in the wilderness forty years and often gave into temptation. You and I do too, all the time in many ways. Jesus is the Son of Man, Israel, you and I as we should be. Only through Baptism and faith in Jesus will you and I come alive out of the wilderness of this world’s temptation and arrive in our Promised Land where sin and Satan will be no more. But without Jesus, Satan has you now and will take you down for eternity.
Invocavit. “When he calls to me, I will answer him.” Jesus called upon His heavenly Father and God answered. Meditate upon Psalm 91 as a psalm about Jesus. Hear Sunday’s Gospel with your focus on Jesus. He wards off Satan for you; see your identity and life in Jesus.
“O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord.” Amen. (Collect for the First Sunday in Lent)
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