Rainbows, Baptism, and the Lenten Wilderness Journey

Feb 22, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Covenant of Compassion and Mercy

The rainbow is far more than a beautiful natural phenomenon; it is a profound symbol of God's reoriented relationship with creation. It represents the laying down of a weapon of war, transforming a sign of fear into a promise of peace and preservation. This everlasting covenant is a testament to divine mercy, a commitment to all living creatures that God’s grief has been turned into compassion. It is a mutual call to remember this unbreakable bond of grace. [32:17]

“I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.” (Genesis 9:13-15 ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life or in the world around you do you most need to see and trust God’s promise of compassion over judgment? How might remembering the covenant symbolized by the rainbow change your perspective on that situation today?

Day 2: The Wilderness as a Place of Testing and Dependence

The way of following Jesus often leads directly into the wilderness, a place of peril, difficulty, and testing. This is not a quiet retreat but a challenging zone where one is confronted by trials and wild beasts. This journey requires purifying the self, shedding other crutches, and learning to rely solely on God. It is a fundamental part of the Christian walk, beginning with Jesus himself and extending to all who choose to follow him. [37:46]

“The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to him.” (Mark 1:12-13 ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific “wilderness” area in your own life where you are currently being challenged or tested? In what practical way can you choose to rely more deeply on God’s strength rather than your own in that area this week?

Day 3: Jesus Understands Our Temptations and Struggles

The story of Jesus’ temptation is ultimately one of encouragement, not merely warning. He faced and overcame every trial, stared down the wild beasts, and triumphed. Because he was tested in every way as we are, he possesses a deep and personal understanding of our struggles. He does not watch from a distance but walks with us in our times of testing, offering his presence and power to help us overcome. [44:21]

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 ESV)

Reflection: When you feel alone in a struggle or temptation, how might it change your approach to know that Jesus truly understands and empathizes with you? What is one fear or difficulty you can consciously bring to him today, trusting in his victorious help?

Day 4: The Challenge of Authentic Discipleship

Authentic discipleship is not easy and often involves confronting difficult compromises. The initial joy of faith can be challenged by the desire for popularity, the fear of causing discomfort, or doubts about costly obedience. It requires a willingness to be honest about the ways we may have compromised our walk to “go along to get along” or to avoid making waves. This is the work of confronting the wild beasts that seek to divert us from the path. [42:41]

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24 ESV)

Reflection: Can you identify one area in your life where you may have subtly compromised your discipleship to fit in or avoid difficulty? What would a small, faithful step toward reclaiming that ground look like for you?

Day 5: Remembering and Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness

The Lenten journey is a corporate call to remember—to remember God’s compassion, mercy, and the gift of a new covenant in Christ. This remembering is not passive; it compels a response. We are sent out to testify to God’s faithful promises, to follow God’s ways of love, and to proclaim the good news that the time is now to turn to God. Our lives become an extension of the steadfast love and faithfulness we have received. [33:54]

“All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10 ESV)

Reflection: As you reflect on God’s steadfast love this week, who is one person in your life that God might be inviting you to encourage by sharing a promise or testimony of His faithfulness? How could you gently and authentically do that?

Sermon Summary

The worship service frames the Lenten season around water, covenant, and testing. Scripture readings move from Noah’s flood and the rainbow as a covenantal sign to Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan and his immediate forty days in the wilderness. The rainbow receives fresh interpretation: the Hebrew word for “bow” evokes a weapon, and God’s placing the bow in the clouds signals a deliberate turning away from destruction toward protection, mercy, and inclusion. Water functions as both judgment and deliverance—floodwaters that destroy and baptismal waters that inaugurate a new covenant of spirit and life.

Mark’s gospel links baptism and testing tightly: the Spirit descends, names Jesus “beloved,” and immediately drives him into a wilderness where wild beasts, angels, and temptation appear. Forty days recall Israel’s and Moses’ formative trials and the flood’s duration, casting the wilderness as a crucible that shapes ministry and moral resolve. The narrative insists that following the beloved one entails exposure to peril, scrutiny, and moral trials; discipleship proves costly and clarifying rather than comfortable.

Practical examples of contemporary temptations illustrate how discipleship erodes into compromises: popularity-seeking, silence in the face of injustice, attachment to comforts, careerism, and unresolved doubts. Those temptations mirror the wilderness beasts and reveal how easily initial zeal can dissipate into complacency. Yet the liturgy frames these warnings as encouragement: the one who faced and overcame temptation stands ready to assist. Covenant faithfulness binds God to creation; confession and communal prayers renew commitment to paths of steadfast love and faithfulness. The service concludes by urging return to covenantal life through repentance, mutual care, and faithful giving, and by sending the community into the season with benediction and a call to testify to God’s enduring mercy.

Key Takeaways

1. Water as covenant and grace Water appears repeatedly as the medium of God’s action—destruction in the flood, saving promise in the rainbow, and new life in baptism. This triad insists that divine judgment and mercy belong together: waters can both unmake and make anew. Remembering water’s double work invites a disciplined humility that trusts God’s re-creating purposes even when accustomed securities wash away. Such remembering calls for steady obedience to a covenant that rescues and reshapes. [29:22]
2. Rainbow reorients wrath into mercy The “bow in the clouds” reads not as mere color but as God disarming divine weaponry, a symbolic cessation of punitive intent. This turn reframes God’s posture from destroyer to protector, demanding a corresponding ethical reorientation toward inclusion and care. Embracing that reorientation means living with an imagination trained toward mercy rather than retaliation. The covenant sign thus becomes a moral magnet for communities seeking faithful response. [30:28]
3. Wilderness refines faithful following The Spirit drives the beloved into a testing place where solitude, wild beasts, and temptation forge resolve rather than comfort. Wilderness seasons expose false securities and clarify what discipleship will cost, shaping integrity through trial. Approaching Lent as a deliberate wilderness invites honest trimming of crutches and renewed dependence on God’s sustaining presence. This discipline prepares the heart for ministry that endures opposition without losing compassion. [34:18]
4. Temptation reveals hidden compromises Concrete examples—seeking approval, silence over injustice, attachment to comforts, and unresolved doubts—show how devotion can decay into conformity. Naming these compromises surfaces vocational and ethical tensions that require honest repentance and concrete reorientation. Confronting such temptations opens the path for recommitment and for practices that cultivate courage, generosity, and truth-telling. Resistance to temptation becomes both a moral task and a spiritual formation. [40:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:29] - First Sunday of Lent / Call to Worship
[12:28] - Gathering Prayer: Storms and Rainbows
[16:47] - Official Welcome & Announcements
[17:57] - Special Music and Children’s Moment
[24:46] - Scripture Readings Introduced
[28:19] - Gospel: Baptism and Divine Voice
[30:28] - Rainbow as Covenant and Mercy
[34:18] - Spirit Drives Jesus into Wilderness
[38:41] - Discipleship Challenges and Examples
[44:03] - Christ’s Victory and Encouragement
[48:56] - Confession, Silent Prayer, Lord’s Prayer
[51:05] - Hymn: Great Is Thy Faithfulness
[55:05] - Benediction and Sending Forth

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Mark 1:9-15 (ESV)
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Observation questions

What three distinct events happen in rapid succession at the beginning of Jesus' ministry in this passage?
What is the immediate action the Spirit takes following Jesus' baptism and the declaration from heaven? [34:18]
According to the sermon, the "bow" in the clouds from the story of Noah was originally understood as a weapon. What does God's act of placing it in the sky signify? [30:28]
What are some of the "wild beasts" or challenges to discipleship that were named as examples? [40:16]

Interpretation questions

The passage tightly links Jesus' affirmation as the "beloved Son" with being driven into temptation. What does this connection suggest about the relationship between God's love and the reality of testing in the life of a believer?
Water is presented as a symbol of both judgment (the flood) and deliverance (baptism). How can one thing represent two seemingly opposite ideas, and what does this teach about God's nature? [29:22]
The wilderness is described as a place that "refines faithful following" and "shapes integrity through trial." Why is a difficult wilderness season often necessary for spiritual growth, rather than a comfortable, easy path? [34:18]
The story of Jesus' temptation is framed not just as a warning but as an encouragement. How does the fact that Jesus was tempted and overcame it provide encouragement for us in our own struggles? [43:42]

Application questions

The rainbow is a sign of God's reorientation from wrath to mercy, calling for a corresponding ethical reorientation in us toward inclusion and care. In what practical ways can your life better reflect this shift from a mindset of retaliation to one of mercy this week? [30:28]
The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to shed crutches and rely on God. What is one comfort or security you might intentionally "trim" during this Lenten season to cultivate a greater dependence on God's presence? [37:46]
Compromises like seeking popularity, remaining silent in the face of injustice, or attachment to comforts were named as modern "wild beasts." Which of these do you find yourself most susceptible to, and what is one step you can take to resist it? [40:16]
The initial joy and enthusiasm of a new faith can dissipate into complacency over time. What does your current spiritual journey feel like? What is one thing you can do to rekindle a sense of purposeful discipleship? [42:41]
Jesus' victory over temptation means he understands our struggles and is ready to help. When you face a specific temptation, what would it look like to actively ask for and receive his help, rather than trying to overcome it alone? [44:36]
The service ended with a call to "testify to God's faithful promises." Who is one person in your life you could encourage this week by reminding them of God's enduring covenant and mercy? [55:05]

Sermon Clips

28s

#GoodNewsHope

“This is the good news. God is faithful, merciful, and full of steadfast love. God remembers creation and the everlasting covenant of forgiveness. God has come in Jesus Christ, beloved son and savior of the world. Come back to God, for it is only here that we find true hope, true life, and true joy. Amen. Amen.”

28s

#CompassionateDefender

“The one who defeated the wild beasts who would seek to harm him and change him from his course knows firsthand what you are going through. There is no wild beast that you face that he has not faced and defeated. He will help you defeat them as well. Remember, the god of compassion, of love, and grace keeps the promise.”

21s

#JesusWalksWithUs

“How? Well, Jesus stood up to his temptations. Angels came and ministered to him, which is a bible way of saying that he resisted temptation. So let's remember that as we are trying to walk with Jesus, this story is a reminder that Jesus will walk with us.”

27s

#TestedForOurSake

“He who overcame temptation, who stared down the wild beasts and triumphed, will enable us to triumph as well. The letter to the Hebrews in chapter four verse 15 says of Christ that because he was tested and tempted in every way as we are, he understands us in our times of temptation, and he can help us.”

26s

#FromWarriorToProtector

“But it isn't really a feature of light and color. A bow is a weapon of war. God says, I am setting aside my weapon that I used to bring destruction to the people. I am shifting from a warrior god to a protector god. You see, ancient people thought the rainbow was god's weapon from which his lightning arrows were shot.”

24s

#RainbowOfDeliverance

“Because now, god has made the rainbow a symbol not of destruction, but of deliverance and of compassion. So this rainbow is more than simply crossing a method of destruction off some very long list of ways to destroy the world. It is instead a complete reorientation of the relationship between God and God's people.”

24s

#RainbowOfPeaceAndGrace

“The rainbow is a symbol of God's peace, which represents so much more than a lack of conflict. The rainbow represents God's grace and mercy, God's commitment to creation, and the turning of god's grief into compassion for all. The rainbow stands as a mutual call to remember.”

30s

#TurnSwordsToPlowshares

“Some translators aren't really sure how to translate it because the word that is attached to the word bow is a word that in other places is translated as plowshare, as if turning your weapons into plowshares. I wonder, is this god performing that act that later the prophet Isaiah calls upon all nations to perform, turning weapons of war into farming implements? Perhaps.”

28s

#BowInTheClouds

“The setting of my bow in the clouds. The beginning of Jesus' ministry with baptism, water again. And then immediately, he's out in the wilderness for forty days. By the way, that bow in the clouds, there's more to it than a pretty rainbow. God says, I have set my bow in the clouds. We read that as rainbow because that is the word we've created from this text.”

23s

#CovenantOfInclusion

“When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on earth, says verse 16. It is a symbol of covenant. It is a symbol of acceptance and inclusion. It is a symbol of gathering the community together under a common faith.”

33s

#WatersOfSalvation

“Well, we have floods and rainbows. We have baptism and temptation. We have Jesus in the wilderness for forty days with wild beasts and angels and Satan tempting him, and we have all the promises and compassion of God. The waters and the grace and of compassion flow through all of these scriptures, from God's deliverance of Noah and all the animals, from the waters of the flood, to the baptism of Jesus in the waters of the Jordan, to our own baptisms that bring us to salvation.”

26s

#MarkGospelUrgency

“you know, Mark is always in such a hurry. Immediately, big hurry, so urgent, drove him out into the wilderness. Mark ties Jesus' temptation directly to his baptism, Just like Israel began its life by first going into the wilderness after Egyptian enslavement so that Jesus is now thrust immediately into the wilderness after his baptism.”

30s

#FortyDaysOfTesting

“Forty days is also a linkage with the flood, and it's linked with Moses' time on Mount Sinai in Exodus. Important number 40. Mark indicates that Jesus did not go into the wilderness to be on some kind of silent contemplative retreat. Jesus is literally cast out, driven out into the wilderness by the spirit where he is put through trials and challenges.”

25s

#WildernessAndWildBeasts

“Isaiah thirty four eight to 14 says that wild animals and demons are in the wilderness. Perhaps Mark is making that connection. It's a really evocative image about Jesus' first days of ministry. One of the things that this story about Jesus' time of testing in the wilderness says to me is that early on, from the very beginning,”

18s

#WayOfPeril

“the way Jesus walked was a way of peril, a way of difficulty and testing. And by implication, if we are gonna follow the way of Jesus walking with him, well, then it's reasonable to expect peril, difficulty, and testing too.”

25s

#LentenPurification

“purifying the self, shedding other crutches, and relying for a time only on God. Here at the beginning of Lent, we have an opportunity to be honest about some of the trials and temptations of the Christian life, of the way of following Jesus, and the way that Jesus, victor over temptation, strengthens us in our times of testing.”

24s

#WildernessOfTesting

“The wilderness could be described as the challenges we all face. The pandemic season might feel like a wilderness, but it's a place, a zone, a time of testing. Jesus was driven, but he chose to let himself be driven. What would it mean for us and our people to see ourselves as driven into a time of testing,”

26s

#FaceYourWildBeasts

“Our own attempts to follow Jesus will surely have some of the same character of tempting and testing with which Jesus struggled at the beginning of his ministry. We all really have our own wild beasts to confront. So what are those wild things out there waiting in the dark to jump? Maybe the beasts we most fear are different for each one of us.”

22s

#LentWildernessJourney

“This is the first Sunday of Lent, and we're in the wilderness. Lent will end in the Garden Of Gethsemane, but even that garden was also a wilderness, a time of testing and struggle for Jesus. Now we all have our own challenges. We even have our own drive to prevail and conquer the wilderness.”

22s

#EncouragementInTesting

“These are all challenges. These are all wild beasts we deal with. But please note that this dark warning of a story that Mark tells us here at the beginning of Lent, the story of Jesus' temptations at the beginning of his ministries is not told just as a warning, but even more so, it is told as encouragement.”

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