Title: Lent: Journeying with John, the Baptism of Christ, and the Temptation in the Wilderness

As Lent begins, Christians around the world enter a period of reflection, repentance, and spiritual renewal. Lent is a time to journey with Jesus, to examine our hearts, and to prepare for the joy of Easter. Central to this journey are three powerful biblical moments: John the Baptist’s proclamation, the Baptism of Christ, and Jesus’ Temptation in the wilderness.

John Preaching in the Wilderness

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to repentance and a new way of living. His voice in the wilderness was both a challenge and an invitation—“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2). During Lent, we are invited to heed John’s call, turning away from old habits and opening ourselves to God’s transforming grace.

The Baptism of Christ

Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River marks the beginning of his public ministry. In this moment, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and the voice of God declares, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Lent invites us to remember our own baptism and identity as beloved children of God, called to follow Christ’s example.

The Temptation in the Wilderness

Immediately after his baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he faces temptation for forty days. He resists the devil’s enticements with faithfulness to God’s word. This story reminds us that Lent is also a season of testing and self-examination, a time to confront our own temptations and to rely on God’s strength.

A Lenten Reflection

As we walk through Lent, let us remember John’s bold preaching, Jesus’ affirmation at his baptism, and his victory over temptation. May these stories inspire us to repent, embrace our identity in Christ, and trust in God’s power to overcome the challenges we face. In doing so, we prepare our hearts for the resurrection joy that awaits us at Easter.

Image sourced from the Public Domain Image Archive / British Library

In 1816, William Roscoe — a Liverpudlian banker with an eye for art — wrote to Thomas William Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, in awe. The men had history. Forty years before, Coke inherited the library at Holkham Hall, which had been assembled, a century earlier, by his grand uncle Thomas Coke (1697–1759), whose family sent him abroad at fifteen to break a nasty cockfighting habit. It worked. By the time this elder Coke was twenty-one, he had plundered Padua, Lyons, Berlin, and most places in between, buying “enough manuscripts and early printed books to form one of the finest private libraries in England”. After inheriting the library in 1776, Thomas Coke found it in a sorry state, with priceless books mildewed and pockmarked by worms.…