Lent

We are approaching the time in the church year known as Lent.  It seems as though the  Christmas season was just yesterday.  The birth of Jesus was a momentous event in history and a special time in the family of God as we hail the newborn King.  It also reveals to all of mankind the great Love that God has for all people.  I appreciate the speed at which we turn to the full purpose of the birth of the Son of God.  Lent brings to us the revelation that He was also true man.  Born to die, not for himself, but for us.  There is no greater love than die for another.

John 15:13  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Truer words have not been spoken, and they were spoken by Jesus who not only spoke them but fulfilled their realty.  Some things are much easier to say than to fulfill.  It is in this act of fulfilling his own words, that Jesus secured the eternal salvation of all that will believe.

Lent is a time of preparation and revelation, but not by whom you may think.  We often feel we need to be the ones preparing, where in fact it is God who does the preparing and revealing.  Lent points us to the Cross of Calvary and the Son dying for the sin of the world, our sin.  The truth of the consequence of sin is on full display, and it is not a comfortable revelation, death never is to our humanity.

Thanks be to God that the preparation and revelation don’t end there!  Jesus arose victorious over death, and destroyed the power of Satan for us.  It is in the power of His Resurrection that we too can live!  Jesus prepares and God reveals.  It is life giving, not just for the short time that we know as life here on earth, but God loves with an Eternal love.  He loves you!