What
is Lent
Honoring the Sacrifice of Jesus
Sarah Phillips Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was
hungry.” (Matthew 4:1-2)
What is Lent - A Time Set Aside
Just as we set
aside time to spiritually prepare for Christmas Day, it makes sense to set
aside time to prepare for the two most important days of the Christian year.
Lent is a time that offers us an opportunity to come to terms with the
human condition we may spend the rest of the year running from and it brings
our need for a Savior to the forefront.
Like Advent, Lent is a time to open the doors of our hearts a little
wider and understand our Lord a little deeper, so that when Good Friday and eventually Easter comes, it is not
just another day at church but an opportunity to receive the overflowing of
graces God has to offer.
But unlike the childlike joy associated with the
season of Advent, with it's eager anticipation of the precious baby Jesus,
Lent is also an opportunity to contemplate what our Lord really did for
us on the Cross - and it wasn't pretty.
But ultimately, the purpose of Lent does not stop at sadness and despair
- it points us to the hope of the Resurrection and the day when every tear will
be dried (Revelation 21:4).
“And about three o'clock
Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God,
my God, why have you forsaken me?’" (Matthew 27:33-49)
Although the nature of suffering is not one that
offers itself to easy explanations or pat answers, the answers we seek seem to
make the most sense in light of the Cross.
There is nothing in the world - no religion, philosophy, or material
comfort - that offers such a powerful answer to life's toughest questions as
the two slabs of wood on which our Savior died.
Although I was drawn to Christianity in search of joy, it's the Cross
that keeps me coming back day after day, year after year.
When I look into the eyes of our suffering God, I'm
in awe - suddenly the complexity of our Lord, the love of our Lord, the
humanity of our Lord shows through.
I realize God is not just some nebulous energy source or a grandfather
sitting in the clouds - He is so much more.
The Cross is where our faith stands when all other faith's fail.
Christ's sacrifice and his subsequent resurrection are the true
"cruxes" of the Christian faith.
Without one there would be no salvation, without the other, no hope.
This is why Good Friday and the following Easter Sunday are the most
important dates on the Christian calendar - even more so than Christmas.
How Lent Started
So where does
Lent come from, and how do we "do" Lent?
The Lenten season developed as part of the historical Christian calendar
and is typically celebrated by Catholics and some mainline Protestant churches
that follow a liturgical calendar.
Although its format has varied throughout the centuries and
throughout
different cultures, the basic concept remains the same: to open our hearts to
God's refining grace through prayer, confession, fasting, and almsgiving as we
anticipate Holy Week.
Lent traditionally lasts forty days, modeled after Christ's forty day
fast in the desert, and ends on Good Friday.
In the Western Church, Lent officially begins with a reminder of our
mortality on Ash Wednesday (this year, falling on March 1st).
Practicing Lent Today
As with Advent,
you can benefit from celebrating Lent even if your church does not formally do
so.
Here are some of the key elements of the Lenten season, along with some
of the symbolism that comes with it.
Many of these practices can be celebrated both individually and as a
community:
Purple: Like Advent, the official color for Lent is purple.
Usually, churches that
celebrate Lent choose the deepest, darkest shade of purple for this special
season. They may also strip their churches bare of some of the usual
decorations adorning the walls.
Purple is the color of
repentance for sins and also symbolizes the state of our souls outside the
light of Christ.
During this time, pray for
those who do not know Christ and for those who have sinned gravely against Him.
Confession: As mentioned above, Lent is a penitential season, even more so than
Advent. The 40 days are set aside to really examine areas of recurring sin in
our lives that prevent us from being conformed to God's Will.
Keep in mind the
idea here is not to be overly scrupulous or to deceive yourself into thinking
you can earn heaven through your own goodness.
The goal is to
honestly examine your life in light of God's Word and to make a commitment to
change in any areas you have not submitted to the Lord.
A good way to start an examination of conscience is by praying Psalm
139, verse 23-24: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my
thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting."
Then, hold up
your life to the Ten Commandments.
Confess, perhaps
even to your pastor or an accountability partner, the ways you've sinned
against God, thank Him for His forgiveness, and ask Him for the grace to
change. (James 5:16)
Fasting and Prayer: Fasting is a practice that has really gone by the wayside in many
Christian circles. Yet, if done correctly, it can be a powerful time of
renewing your relationship with God.
Fasting can be found in
both the Old Testament and the New,
- with Moses (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy
9:9,18),
- Elijah (1 Kings 19:8),
and
- our Lord (Matthew 4:2)
all participating in 40-day fasts.
Fasting is a way of denying
ourselves the excesses of life so that we might be more attuned to the Lord's
voice.
It is also a way of
disciplining yourself, strengthening your "spiritual muscles" so to
speak, so that when temptations arise in life, you are already used to saying
"no" to your desires.
A word of caution: although fasting can be a wonderful spiritual
exercise, it is also an easy one to abuse. Make sure that when you fast, you do
not deprive yourself so much that you do harm to your body.
Fasting should
only be practiced by adults and mature teens.
Also, take into
account any medical conditions or nutritional needs when deciding what and how
much to abstain from (I recommend consulting with a doctor and/or spiritual
advisor before undertaking a serious fast).
On the spiritual
front, Jesus warns us to guard against pride while fasting (Matthew 6:1-6; 16-18).
Meditating on
Christ's Sacrifice for Mankind: In addition to periodic fasting and prayer, our scriptural meditations
typically turn to the salvation offered to us through Christ's suffering.
Read Old Testament
Scriptures prophesying the suffering of Christ and the New Testament Gospel
accounts.
Charity/Almsgiving: A very important element of the Lenten season is becoming aware of not
only the suffering and sacrifice of Christ but also to the suffering of others.
Between
now and Good Friday, choose one way you can increase your giving to those in
need.
It could be through extra
financial offerings, donating goods you no longer need or use to charity, or
increasing your
personal time commitment to a ministry or cause close to your
heart.
Lent is a time when Christians separate from the
world; when we find out our faith is not just a feel-good, self-help religion
but one that answers the deepest questions of life and eternity.
Those who journey through the Lenten season will enter the Easter season
with an increased appreciation for Who God is and what He has done for us.
And the joy of Resurrection, as well as the promises of eternity, will
not be soon forgotten.
Bible Verses for Lent
"I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power of his resurrection
and participate in his sufferings, becoming like him in death, and so, somehow,
attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10-11
"’Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate.’” Joel 2:12-14
"when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites...but when you
fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious
to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:16-18
.
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"Power in the Blood" Lewis Edgar Jones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4tsjUxAzMUGarmentofPraiseSESamonte
CLICK HERE . . . for the complete playlist
lyrics
1 Would you be
free from the burden of sin?There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood.
.
Chorus:
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power. wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power. wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
.
2 Would you be
free from your passion and pride?There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide;
There's wonderful power in the blood.
.
[Chorus]
.
3 Would you be
whiter, much whiter than snow?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow;
There's wonderful power in the blood.
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow;
There's wonderful power in the blood.
.
[Chorus]
.
4 Would you do
service for Jesus your King?There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There's wonderful power in the blood.
.
[Chorus]
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