Week 1 — Into the Wilderness

Scripture: Mark 1:9–13

The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. 11 And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved;[a] with you I am well pleased.”

The Testing of Jesus
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, who entered the wilderness in obedience and trust, lead us through our own barren places. Quiet our hearts, steady our steps, and help us listen for Your voice. Amen.

Reflection:
Lent begins not with action but with emptiness. Jesus is driven into the wilderness—away from noise, away from certainty, away from comfort. Yet it is there that identity is clarified: You are my beloved. Our own wilderness moments can feel like absence, but they are often the spaces where God’s voice becomes clearest. Lent invites us to step back, slow down, and rediscover who we are in God’s sight.