Monday, February 27, 2006
Mark 1:14-15 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said, "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
LENT: TIME TO THINK AGAIN
The Greek word which is translated "Repent" in Mark 1:15 is made up of two Greek words smooshed together, roughly "after" + "think." Or as we'd say in English, "Think again."
The people who Jesus preached to were encouraged to consider their sins and "think again," and so are we.
On Wednesday of this week Lent will begin. Lent is the season in the church year when we consider our Savior's suffering and all of the events that brought Him to the cross.
When we really get to the heart of the matter we see that the true cause of our Savior's suffering and death was not the scribes and Pharisees. It wasn't the soldier who scourged Him or the soldier who drove the nails. Jesus' suffering and death was made necessary by our sins.
The events that brought Jesus to the cross were the events of your life and mine, events that are thoroughly laced with the dark deeds sin. The death of God the Son was necessary because of the evil that we have done, and the good we have failed to do.
Because of this, a seriousness and a sadness seem to descend on the season of Lent. But listen again to what Jesus preached "Repent and believe the good news!"
Sure, Jesus directs us to look inside ourselves to see our sin, but then He calls us to look back to Him and see our Savior.
Think God wants us to be sad during Lent? Think again.
It is during Lent that we are brought to see the dark depths of our sin, but it is also in Lent that the unfathomable depth of God's love for us is revealed and forgiveness shines on us with greatest intensity.
