Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church

Sin is not an end in itself for satan, it is a means to an end -- to your death. For that's what he wants. We heard of it in the first reading today, from Genesis, the account of the first sin. And this is why -- and how -- satan tempts you today. He can't make or force you to do anything. What he does is dangle things before you, things you think you want, things he promises will make your life better, and tempts you to jump -- away from God, away from His life, away from His gifts. Jump to your death. And we take the bait. So Jesus came. Into the wilderness into which we jumped. But there would be no jumping out of God's Word and promises for Jesus.