Easter

What Exactly is Lent?

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They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount u with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 KJV

So, you might ask, “What exactly is Lent? Great question! Well, in general, Lent is the time from Ash Wednesday until either the Wednesday before Easter, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday depending on what tradition you follow. You also might wonder why, since there is no record of anyone in the Bible observing this 40-day period, why should we? For starters, it is never a bad idea to set aside special times for seeking God’s will and purpose. We call it, “Waiting on the Lord” and waiting comes with God’s promise of strength and renewal. Some people may choose to fast certain foods or commit to special acts of service during these weeks. However, you choose to honor the season, the most important thing of all is to focus on Jesus. For me personally it brings me back to the excitement of my first months of faith in Jesus (Which just happened to be on Easter Sunday!)

During this Lenten season we should come each morning with an open-heart and ask Jesus for a brand-new insight into His word and for His will for our day. During these weeks it is okay to slow down and live more quietly so that we can hear what God is saying. Just as the song tells us that Jesus lay silently in the grave, until Easter, we can practice a bit of that silence as with faith we joyfully look forward to that coming day. My prayer is that during these weeks ahead we may see with fresh eyes the Lord Jesus and fall in love with Him again as we remember His Last Supper, His Cross, His empty grave, and most of all our Risen Lord!

“An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.”
John Wesley

One Unexpected Morning

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Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). John 20:15-16 ESV

Mary Magdalene had not come to the tomb of Jesus because she thought that Jesus was alive, but to show respect for the dead. But then the most unexpected thing in all of history happened. Jesus came to meet her! And Mary’s story is the story of everyone who has ever put their faith in Jesus Christ. We all have this one thing in common. He has come unexpectedly. Just like Mary, this Easter. you may be wondering where Jesus went in your life. Or, maybe like the disciples, you are hiding out behind locked doors. But when Jesus comes, everything changes, not just because of our faith, but because of His grace. The most wonderful news of the universe is standing right in front of us. Jesus is alive and is calling our name. How will you answer Him? The most important step of faith anyone could ever take is to fall at His feet, just as Mary did, and simply believe. Though we may not have been expecting Him, He has been expecting us and He is waiting for you today!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you have risen from the grave, just as You said. I ask that you forgive my sins and I thank you for all you have done and thank you for your gift of eternal life!

A borrowed manger – a borrowed donkey – a borrowed tomb

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 “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” Luke 19:30-31 ESV

Lent is now over and some of us come to Palm Sunday and Easter as times when we need to be in church. We know those are especially important days to God, so we show up in church. But the next week, we may or may not come back. We have finished our vows for the 40 days of Lent and now God sort of releases us. But the story of Easter, isn’t about seven weeks or seven days. It actually begins in Bethlehem, in a borrowed manger. That manger wasn’t much more than just a worn wooden trough where the cows were fed, but Jesus needed to borrow it for a little while. Then when Palm Sunday came, Jesus sent two of His disciples into a village to borrow a donkey. That animal wasn’t much more than just a simple beast on which He chose to ride for an hour. But, just like the manger for that hour, Jesus needed that donkey. Though Jesus needed, the donkey and the manger, both of them were returned to their owners. But when Jesus looked at you and me, thank God He decided that He wanted to do more than just borrow us. Jesus wants us to become permanent members of His family, and He has no plans to ever return us! So, on Friday of Holy week, Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins and purchased us by HIs own precious blood. He did all the work. We have only to believe. When Joseph and Nicodemus, came at the end of the day, they pulled those terrible nails from the hands and feet of Jesus, wrapped Him in another kind of swaddling clothes and laid in in a borrowed tomb. That must have seemed an abrupt and sad ending to the loving life Jesus had lived, but the story wasn’t over. Jesus didn’t need the tomb for long. Very early on Sunday morning, when it was still dark, Mary and the other women came to the tomb looking for Jesus. But they were amazed by angels and they found the tomb empty. Jesus didn’t need that tomb any longer, because He had risen and He has come for you and for me. What will you do with the gift He has given? He has paid the price so you can belong to Him forever.