The Season of Lent

Romans 5:8 “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” It is truly amazing to know that God didn’t first put us on a 30-day trial period to see if we could “handle being a Christian” before he would save us.

In fact, he sent his Son, Jesus, to us with the risk knowing there was a good chance that he would be rejected and not one, single person would accept his offer of salvation. It was quite a sacrifice. It is what we focus on during the season of LENT.

LENT comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “Spring.” What happens in Spring? Well, for one, we “Minnesotans” are at least hoping the Winter snow melts away. But, most importantly, the earth comes back to life! Grass becomes green, trees bud and the leaves return, and flowers grow and bloom.

That is what Lent is about…about making sure we are spiritually and mentally prepared (ready) for the “coming back to life” of Jesus after he died on the cross! It is making sure we have made a conscious decision to acknowledge our sinfulness, to repent, reconcile our hearts with Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.

Lent is a 40 day period that starts on Ash Wednesday (March 6, 2019) and ends on the Saturday before Easter Sunday (April 20, 2019). We use this time to focus on the condition of our soul and the current depth of our relationship with God. We, like Spring, want our spiritual lives to “come back to life” now and after we die. So, we use the time of Lent to focus on our mortality and our sinfulness with special attention placed on self-denial, penance and prayer.

We use the time to learn about all the things Jesus went through…all the things he taught us…all the things he suffered so that, if we want to, we can be “born again” and begin to come alive spiritually with Jesus, and to anticipate living in his presence forever in heaven. Christ in us and the Holy Spirit empowering us, we can begin to live victorious lives each and every day as people of God.

If you are not sure where to start, I suggest getting the New Testament book of John, and begin making your way through chapters 11-19 to hear about the Lord’s passion and death…this will give us a better understanding and greater reason to celebrate and be joyful on Easter Sunday when we hear about how Jesus rose from the dead, defeated death, walked away from the grave and now lives again….forever!

So, for the time that remains in Lent, let us think about Jesus and all that he went through and offered up for us in order to die on the cross for us. Let us be mindful that we will not live forever in our human earthly bodies…but because of Jesus, just like the grass, trees, and flowers in Spring time…after we die, we’ll “come back to life” in Heaven with Jesus where we’ll live forever and never, ever die. That is very good news!

Tetelestai!

Just before Jesus gives up His spirit on the cross, He utters a very powerful word. The word that He cries out is “ tetelestai” (tih-tellis-tie). When literally translated, this word means, “It is finished.” It can also refer to something completed or accomplished. The word occurs in John 19:28 and 19:30 and these are the only two places in all of the New Testament where it is found. In the John19:28 passage, it is translated, “After this, when Jesus knew that all things were now completed , in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I thirst.’” Two verses later, he utters the word himself: “Then when he received the sour wine Jesus said, ‘ It is finished ,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Did you know that the word tetelestai was also written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show indicating that a bill had been paid in full? The Greek-English lexicon (by Moulton and Milligan) sa...

The 50-Days of Easter

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Not Rejected

I think we could spend hours, if not days, in just the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel. If there is one thing that is made clear in this writing is that God is passionately pursuing us and bidding us to have a relationship with Him that is restored by His Son, Jesus. There is one verse, in particular, that stands out to me. John 6:37 , “However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” Those that come to Jesus will never be rejected. If you come to Jesus, just as you are now, he will not turn you away. He gladly welcomes you to come to him. It is not God’s design or plan that we live separated from Him. He makes the way for that relationship to happen. He initiated the plan. He paid the price. He gives freely. He gives us free-will to choose or reject that offer of reconciliation through Jesus, His Son. God makes His intent clear: Ezekiel 33:11 , “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the ...

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