Day 5: Matthew 4 | 2026 Lenten Reading Plan

Thank you for joining us for the fourth reading in our Lenten Reading Plan. Find all the resources you need below: Read Matthew 4 on Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204&version=ESV Listen to Matthew 4: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b04c1b06 Download your own Lenten Reading Plan Bookmark: https://higherthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HT_Lenten-Reading-Plan-Bookmark-2601-PRINT-at-home.pdf Download the 2026 Lenten Reading Plan Study Guide: https://higherthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HT_Lenten-Reading-Plan-Study-Guide-2511.pdf Matthew 4 is super-Lent content. Jesus is facing Satan in the wilderness after 40 days of fasting. How you read Jesus' temptation depends on whether you think He could've actually fallen. If yes, it's a hero story: memorize Scripture like Jesus and conquer Satan! But what if Jesus couldn't have fallen because He's, you know, God? What if this wasn't a fair fight like Captain America versus an ant? The devil is God's creation, not His equal. This isn't about trying harder or memorizing more Bible verses to conquer the devil. Look closer at how Satan operates: Every temptation starts with "if." This is the devil's favorite word. "If" equals uncertainty and doubt. But Jesus answers every "if" with the certainty of Scripture. It’s not just memorized verses, but the whole truth that God saves sinners. Every "if" gets answered with "because." Because Jesus died for you. Because Jesus defeated the devil. Because Jesus gives you His Word. When you face temptation, it's not a fair fight either. You have God, who's way bigger than the devil, fighting for you. The devil already lost. Your sins are forgiven. Next, Jesus settles in Capernaum, proclaiming "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand." God's kingdom is wherever His will is done, brought near through Word and sacrament. You're the fish caught by God freed from sin, suffering, and death. The resurrection isn't here yet, but it's still yours now. You belong to Christ. Because Jesus. No ifs. Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology. #higherthings #lcms #lutheran #lent If you have questions or topics that you'd like discussed on Higher Things, email them to content@higherthings.org Subscribe to our channel to get notifications when we go live: http://youtube.com/@HTgospel4all To support the work of Higher Things®, visit https://higherthings.org/morehi/giving/ For more information about Higher Things, go to http://higherthings.org ------ Join the conversation on Social Media: http://facebook.com/higherthings http://instagram.com/higherthings https://www.tiktok.com/@higherthings