I invite you to turn with me to the morning text in Matthew chapter 3 verse 16.

Two weeks ago we saw the apostle Paul and the teachers in Antioch fasting together and how the Holy Spirit said,

set apart from me Saul and Barnabas to the work to which I'll call them.

And the course of history was changed because they fasted and worshipped.

And God spoke.

Last week we saw Jesus speaking a word about fasting and saying,

when the bridegroom, namely me, Jesus, is taken out of the way, back to heaven, my disciples are going to fast.

And today we get to see Jesus fasting.

Let's read it. Starting at 316 of Matthew and then going to chapter 4,

4. After being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the spirit of God descending as a dove and coming upon Him.

And behold, a voice of the heavens saying,

This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

Then Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he then became

hungry and the tempter came and said to him, If you're the son of God, command that these stones become bred. And he answered and said to him,

it is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Let's pray before we move on.

Lord, we believe and we are grateful that Jesus is right here, right now, by his spirit spirit alive from the dead speaking his own words to us through the

scriptures.

We cherish that reality. I pray Holy Spirit that you would press it home now.

That you put your energy behind this word and your miracle working, life-giving, soul, rescuing, mind-protecting, guiding,

maturing power behind this word and leave it not merely in the power of my flesh.

But grant that there would be an anointing upon this word for your great and holy life-changing

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