As we approach the season of Lent, we are quite aware that Easter will soon arrive! Easter is the most important Christian celebration; and we anxiously look toward Easter with great anticipation.
Many Christians will take time prior to their Easter celebration to contemplate the importance of Easter, remembering WHO is the WHY we have Easter to celebrate. Therefore, leading up to our glorious celebration of Holy Easter, many Christians observe what is known as the Season of Lent. But why?
Repentance
Let us begin with a ‘flashback’ to Jesus’ baptism (via Matthew 3:11-17). John the Baptist was traveling around Judea (aka Judaea). As he moved from place to place, he preached about repentance, telling people to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2); and then baptized people as a sign of their repentance.
Is our repentance really that important? There are several places in scripture where we read about repenting, and our being directed to do so. For example, Ezekiel 18 speaks specifically to this topic. Some of the important statements provided to the prophet Ezekiel includes the following:
- “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ez 18:4)
- “… and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.” (from Ez 18:18)
- “… when the wicked man turneth away from the wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.” (from Ez 18:27)
- “Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” (from Ez 18:28)
- “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit…” (Ez 18:30-31)
- “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” (Ez 18:32)
- KJV used for the quoted scriptures contained within the above list.
The message of Ezekiel 18 is just one of the many we can locate in scripture regarding the importance of repenting. When we take the time to honestly look within ourselves (known as examining our conscience), we are able to recall those times when we sinned against God. We can use the Commandments which God passed down to us through Moses, read scripture to discover specific actions or behavior which have been blatantly spelled out for us, and ask God directly to show us the sins we have committed.
Go Into ‘The Desert’
After Jesus was baptized, he spent 40 days and nights in the desert. During this time, Jesus fasted and was tempted by the devil. We know that the devil made great efforts to tempt Jesus into sinning against God, encouraging him many times to turn away from God (see Matthew 4:1-11). If Jesus was brought through a time of trial and temptations, it only makes sense that Christians ought to also expect, and even welcome, a time for our own trials and temptations.
It is reality that, because we were created by God, simply living within the world, we are going to be tried and tempted by the devil (whether we are Christian or non-Christian). And, it is reality that we can choose any timeframe within the year to focus on the temptations which come against us, and repenting because we surrendered to them. And, it is reality that we ought to examine our conscience regularly, turn to God to repent of our sins, and restore our relationship with him.
So why do some Christians set aside a specific period of time to go into the proverbial desert? The quick answer is ‘because Jesus did’. Christians take direction from Jesus, our teacher; and what is good for the teacher is good for the students (as the saying goes). Jesus went into the desert for 40 days, during his final days of preparing for something big… that is… the beginning of his ministry. During his time of being tested and tempted by the devil, Jesus was provided hands-on knowledge and experience; which he was then able to utilize as a testimony to his followers.
When we read scripture, we may have an image in our mind of how things happened. However, it is when we place ourselves into the story, that we tend to have an experience which allows us to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel what took place. This is what observing Lent can help us to experience. When we place ourselves in ‘the desert’, allowing ourselves to be tried and tempted, there is a spiritual awakening which allows us to experience Jesus ever-so-close to us. The deeper we go into that ‘desert’, the deeper our experience will be, and the closer to Jesus we become.
Why Do All the ‘Stuff’?
Let’s look at what the prophet Joel wrote about God directing us to pray, fast, and repent; and shares with us how God’s mercy and grace will restore our relationship to him.
Some of the important statements in Joel 1 include:
- “Gird on sackcloth and lament, O priests, wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God!” (from Joel 1:13)
- “Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly.” (Joel 1:14)
- “For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty comes. Is not the food cut off before your eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?” (from Joel 1:15)
And from Joel 2 are the following:
- “Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;” (from Joel 2:12)
- “ “and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful…” (from Joel 2:13)
- “Who know whether he will not turn and repent…” (from Joel 2:14)
- “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly;” (Joel 2:15)
- “And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered;” (from Joel 2:32)
Although scripture does not specifically state that Jesus went away by himself to consider what God had said,
“And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matt 3:16-17)
… we can surmise that he was led to this desert by the Spirit so that he would make his final preparations prior to beginning his ministry; which includes being tempted by the devil (per Matthew 4:1).
Just as Jesus was in the desert for 40 days to pray, fast, and be tempted by the devil, we benefit by following in his footsteps to do the same. This is the purpose of observing Lent. These days are penitential days, meaning that we humble ourselves in order to take a good look within ourselves. During this time spent in the desert, we learn more about ourselves as a Christian, as a child of God, and our relationship to Holy Trinity. When we commit to observing Lent in a meaningful way, we intentionally choose to set aside time for more prayer, fasting, sacrificing, digging into the Word of God, and almsgiving; so that we will grow in faith, hope, and charity in union with Jesus.
It is during Lent when we will have a purpose-filled opportunity to walk through the valley of death with Jesus, dying to ourselves, so that we may thoroughly experience and enjoy the resurrection of Jesus Christ; renewing our HOPE in his promise of ETERNAL LIFE! We are reminded of God’s ultimate love for us through Jesus’ persecution and death; and ultimately, his defeat of sin and death, which he chose to experience so that we might have NEW LIFE… and be saved through our faith in Jesus because of God’s grace.
We Are Christ’s Disciples
Lent also provides to us a focused opportunity to renew our life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Some of us may believe we are too ‘small’, not equipped, or not called to be a disciple of Jesus. When we turn to scripture for direction, we find in many passages the fact that Jesus calls his followers disciples. In fact, after Jesus is resurrected from the dead, he spends time with eleven of his original disciples. In what is known now as ‘the great commissioning’, Jesus instructed those disciples to go out into all of the “nations” to baptize the people, teach them what he had already taught them, and ultimately making these people “disciples” (refer to Matthew 28:16-20.
Therefore, Christians are also called disciples. As we move through Lent, we will benefit from remembering what Jesus Christ did for us, and what that means for us as a disciple. We ought to turn to 2 Corinthians 5:14-15,17,20, where we learn from the apostle Paul, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
Lent Is A Tool of Spiritual Warfare
Paul clearly informs us that we are ambassadors for Christ. As such, we have inherited the enemies of Christ. Therefore, we are called into war against our enemies, namely those who are of the devil. We are not to fear because Jesus has promised that he is always with us. We have also been provided spiritual tools for the spiritual warfare we face. We ought to remember to daily put on the Armor of God, as instructed to us in Ephesians 6:10-20.
There are several scriptures we can look at for more information and details on the topic of spiritual warfare. For the benefit of your time in reading this, let’s jump right to the middle of the last book of the Bible, and read Revelation 12:12-17. For our purposes today, the key passages within this selection are:
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev 12:12-13,17).
We, the “inhibiters of the earth”, are in a spiritual battle. We can expect to experience spiritual warfare during our lifetime. This is a topic which is not always welcomed by Christians; it can be quite uncomfortable. Yet, it is our reality; and is mentioned several times in scripture, especially by Paul. Therefore, it is quite important for us to always be prepared. The topic of spiritual warfare is much too vast for us to do more than just touch on it in today’s article. Therefore, our takeaway for today is that we can expect for the devil to “make war” with us because we strive to “keep the commandments of God”, and have “the testimony of Jesus Christ”. We must remain vigilant. We must be ready at all times. I dare say that “the testimony of Jesus Christ” includes the 40 days and nights which he spent in the desert being tested and tempted by the devil; the same one which prowls the earth looking to draw Christians to himself by testing and tempting us. Jesus prepared for his ministry by spending those 40 days and nights in desolation; and we will greatly benefit by doing the same, on purpose, every year, by observing the Season of Lent.
Why Leading Up To Easter?
Jesus’ ministry was for the sole purpose of teaching God’s people about his kingdom; with a focus on what it takes to arrive there. Once Jesus completed his earthly mission, it was time for him to return to his Father, God. As we know, Jesus was handed over by one of his disciples, and was denied by another; he was mocked, stripped of his clothing, and scourged; he was hung on a cross; and he died so that we would live! Then, three days after he had died and was laid in the tomb, Jesus resurrected from the dead. This is the day of most importance in the Church… Jesus’ resurrection! This day is celebrated as a day of New Life, a new beginning within our spiritual life. And, yes, it is called Resurrection Sunday, as well as Easter Sunday.
The focus on why we observe Lent prior to Easter, is the fact that as we transition out of our time in ‘the desert’, we are renewed in our spirit… we have NEW LIFE within us… we tend to experience a new beginning. Many Christians have experienced healing of a wounded heart, have been able to forgive those whom they had struggled to forgive, renewed or strengthened their relationship with Holy Trinity, and more.
The reality is that we get out of Lent what we put into it. In the days to come, I will provide a few articles on some of the practices/regulations and examples of what we can do to get more out of our observing Lent.
You may be interested in this article, which gives insight into why Lent begins with Ash Wednesday.
I pray for you to have a richly blessed Lenten Season!
May God shine His light, love, mercy, grace, and peace upon you.
Quoted scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are using RSV: “Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
between sheep and their shepherd. Throughout the bible, there are many times when the word ‘shepherd’ is used, describing Jesus. King David understood the reality of the sheep and shepherd relationship; and with fluent imagery, David brought his poem to life.
Relationship of Sheep to Shepherd
When we consider the relationship between sheep and their shepherd, we know that sheep blindly turn to the shepherd for guidance, protection, and nourishment (or the assurance thereof). We can see that the very first verse of this psalm brings it all together in a concise, brief statement: “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
Having It All
The rest of Psalm 23 presents all the ways we desire to have ‘it all’. This is not the ‘having it all’ as we may think of through a worldly perspective. This poem is about ‘having it all’ in the areas of knowing we are protected, trusting we are being guided in the right direction, and being unconditionally loved, spiritually fed, and appropriately nurtured in living a good life.
David spent most of his young years living in the desert, taking care of his sheep. The desert environment leaves much to be desired in regards to protection from sand storms, scorching days under the hot sun, and cold nights under cloudless skies. The desert also lacks of flourishing food and water sources, leaving inhabitants to wander far in order to obtain proper nourishment. Because the desert area spans for miles and miles, there can be a sense of wandering, of being lost; a feeling of despair as the difficult landscape fights to hold us back. There can also be a sense of abandonment, as well as a fear of the unknown.
Yet, David provides us with an image of God as a provider and protector in Psalm 23:2-4:
“In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul. He guides me along right paths for the sake of his name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.”
The comfort we can take from this passage is that no matter how deep in the desert we find ourselves, God will lead us to a comfortable and safe place, which is abundant with life-giving nourishment and restoration (symbolized in “green pastures” and “still waters”). In this place, we experience a peace which cannot be given to us through the world; and we are spiritually fed.
The Shepherd Leads
The shepherd leads his sheep through the desert, experiencing rough terrain and steep grades, having to choose a safe passageway to come down a mountain. Therefore, Psalm 23 tells us that God leads us to the path (passageway) we are to take, which is a path of righteousness. It is of utmost importance for the sheep to trust the shepherd; having a blind trust. The path we are lead to may be foreign to us; and therefore, God asks us to trust Him. In general, he is asking for blind trust. In my research, I discovered a video presented by IsraelU which provides some educational points on the topic of Psalm 23. I encourage you to click here to watch it.
In visualizing the rod and staff, held in the shepherd’s mighty hand, we can take comfort in knowing that we do not need to fear physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual suffering (symbolized in “the valley of death” and “evil”); and we do not need to fear temptations from the enemy.
Our Cup Is Overflowing
The last two stances of Psalm 23 tells us that God is a welcoming, hospitable, and a giving provider:
“You set a table before me in front of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the Lord for endless days” (Psalm 23:5-6).
Our good shepherd sets a table where we will be abundantly nourished through spiritual food and drink (such as the Word of God, the sacred love of Christ, gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc.). And, he sets the table “in front of [our] enemies”. We can take great comfort knowing that we have been saved in and through Jesus Christ. In the desert, the heat of the sun can represent the enemy, which strives to torment, tear down, or harrass us; and we can take comfort in the fact that God heals us with an oil (think of a balm in gilead), which provides to us comfort, healing, restoration, and salvation.
Finally, we acknowledge that our cup is overflowing with all that God has given to us, and done for us. David wrote that “goodness and mercy will pursue [us]”. God is this goodness and mercy, and He does pursue us… always. He has blessed us with His undying love, mercy, and grace.
So, as sheep, we are to trust in God as He leads us through life. I encourage you to keep in mind that the life we live upon the earth includes ups and downs, hills and valleys, and the day and night. Because Adam and Eve made their choices by utilizing their God-given free will, we are not promised a life with no worries, illnesses, despair, etc. However, God did send to us His son, who won for us eternal life. All we need to do is trust and follow our good shepherd, Jesus Christ!
May God shine His light, love, mercy, grace, and peace upon you!