Year after year, Lent is nestled in the calendar at the end of winter when we’re tempted to believe the days will always be cold and the nights will always be long.
During this season, we also experience the joy of the first signs of Spring. We bask in the warmth of the sun we almost forgot, feeling a spark of hope rise like the first sprout of green emerging from the hard ground.
In this “in between” season, we prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. During Lent, we remember the death that stings and the sin that separates us from God. We come face to face with our brokenness and wonder, “Will this dark night last forever?”
On Good Friday, we see Jesus’ body broken, his blood poured out. We see ourselves at the foot of the cross, crying “Crucify him, Crucify him!” We remember Jesus, nailed to a criminal’s cross to pay the debt of our sin.
And then? We start counting to three.
The cross was meant to be the end. But praise God, Jesus didn’t stay dead. His death became victory through his resurrection. The end of Lent is Easter Sunday, where we gather to worship our God who is alive.
For the next seven weeks as a church, we’re observing this season of preparation.
- We’re looking back, remembering our sin that led to death.
- On Good Friday, we’ll gather to lament Jesus’ crucifixion.
- On Easter Sunday, we’ll gather to celebrate the victory of Jesus, rejoicing in the new life he gives to all who follow him.