The season of Lent is important for many reasons. One blessing it gives is a focus on Christ’s passion and death – the price of our sin. It brings us to the joy of Easter and the assurance of our salvation! Sometimes the commercialism of Easter has the potential to mask the real prize that God has in store for us. I’m sure you’ve noticed it too! Easter bunnies and Easter candy can easily eclipse the even sweeter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. Some even go from the wild excessive parties of Mardis Gras to a kind of austere self-denial during Lent. It makes you wonder if some believe that Lent is a time for us to make up for all the sins of the rest of the year by living a few days of sober behavior and personal sacrifice. As if we can atone, even in part, for our own sins.
Thankfully you and I have been given a clearer picture than that. For Lutheran Christians, Lent gives us yet another opportunity to remember – Christ crucified for me! Each Wednesday when we come to church, we have an opportunity to let God strengthen our faith through the message of Jesus suffering and death on our behalf. As the apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians chapter 1 – The message of Christ crucified is for us “the power of God and the wisdom of God”…a message of comfort that is backed up by the Spirit’s power.
