Monday, March 13, 2006
Matthew 17:22 "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."
LENT: THE PASSION OF JESUS
We are now in the part of the church year called Lent. Do you know what Lent is all about? The season of Lent has been celebrated in the Christian church from the time of the apostles, though it has not always been called that. In fact, the word "Lent" is not a very good description about what our services during this time of the year are all about at all. "Lent" is an old English word which means "spring" -- pointing only to the time of the year when it is celebrated.
In reality Lent is much more than that. Lent is about the Passion of Jesus. It is about His suffering and death on the cross, which was made necessary because of our sins and in order to make the full sacrifice for our sins. During the time of the early church, this part of the church year which we now call Lent, was time set aside in preparation for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection on Easter. It was a time for repentant reflection on the passion of Jesus.
Many of you have heard or read the Passion history of the suffering and death of Jesus hundreds of times. But we are reminded that we shouldn't pass over the Lenten season like we've heard it a hundred times, nor should we miss the point of Christ's passion as the disciples of Jesus did. Instead we should ponder on the passion of Jesus with Spirit filled meditation, and pray that we will not despise the thought of Christ's suffering, but through faith, trust in His sacrifice for our sins, and through it gain eternal life. May the Holy Spirit bless our meditation on the Passion of Jesus during this Lenten season to that end!
Jesus, I will ponder now on Thy holy passion;
With Thy Spirit me endow for such meditation.
Grant that I in love and faith may the image cherish
Of Thy suffering, pain and death that I may not perish.
(TLH 140:1)
