Fresh from his baptism, Jesus is sent by the Spirit of God into the desert to face the devil. What he heard from God at his baptism, his naming, the core of his identity, the love of God, the devil challenges immediately, “So, if you are God’s beloved, prove it.” Because he was beloved, he told the devil to, “Be gone!” We often live hoping that God will love us – such a lack of faith! We live not to be loved but as beloved. Etta Britt and Jon Coleman expressed the liberating power of God’s love in their song, You Don’t Have to Impress Jesus,
You don’t have to impress Jesus with diamonds or a Cadillac car You don’t have to impress Jesus He loves you just the way you are
No, he don’t care what you wear All that matters is in your heart Yes to him, is all you gotta say and its never too late to start
So come on down to the river Down to the river and pray. Walk on into the water child And let him wash your sins away
You don’ have to impress Jesus…No You can’t impress Jesus He loves you just the way you are…
The good news of the gospel is not just that we see the heart of God in Jesus, but that God’s heart is full of love for us. With God’s love we have nothing to prove but much to express.
