Lent

Have you ever wondered why Christmas always falls on the 25th of December and Easter moves around. It’s because Christmas is based on the solar calendar (just over 365 days), and Easter is observed based on the lunar calendar.  Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon, after the vernal equinox, a day in spring when night and day are of the same length.

Growing up I heard more about Ash Wednesday and lent from my catholic friends. Protestants don’t understand or appreciate the Liturgical Calendar (the cycle of seasons in the Christian church). Although the Liturgical calendar is not commanded by God and is not a religions obligation, it’s certainly a helpful tool to help us get out of the rut. Throughout human history God has used feasts, fasts and festivals to shape His people. Even though we can take this practice too far, I believe by completely alienating this practice we miss out on a time, a season, a rhythm that helps with our spiritual disciplines.

The early Christians observed lent by fasting a meal or two. By doing so they saved the money and the time it took to prepare the meals and dedicated the time to read, reflect, mediate on Christ’s death and resurrection, and shared the saved money with the poor and needy.

Why 40 days? 40 is a significant number in the Bible. It’s used for preparation.

• Jesus before he began his ministry spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting where he was tempted by Satan.
• Moses spent 40 days and nights in Mount Sinai with God and received the 10 commandments.
• Noah’s ark – It rained for 40 days and nights when Noah was in the arc.
• Jonah gave the people of Nineveh 40 days to repent.

Ash Wednesday – Symbol of ashes – Marks the first day of lent. The day is observed by a service where the priest places ashes (using the thumb) on the believer’s forehead saying, “From dust you came and to dust you will return.” The ashes are made from burning the previous year’s palm branches used for Palm Sunday (The Sunday before Easter).

Ash Wednesday symbolizes our own mortality and the weight of the brokenness of sin in our own lives and the eternal life that can only be found through the cross of Jesus. It reminds us that as humans we will all encounter death and are headed toward the grave. The smudge of ash on our forehead symbolizes our humanness and our need for a Saviour.

Holy Week – The 8 days leading upto Easter

Holy Week marks the last week of the Christian season of Lent – the week leading up to Easter.   All the four gospels have a narrative of the last week of Jesus’ life (Mathew 21-28; Mark 11-16; Luke 19-24 & John 12-21).

Palm Sunday (Sunday before Easter) – Commemorates, Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem where he was greeted with Palm branches.

Maundy Thursday – Commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, the last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples and the night of his arrest.

Good Friday – Commemorates Jesus’s trial before Pontius Pilate, his sentence to death, his torture, his crucifixion, and his death on Calvary. The same voices that greeted Jesus as Messiah and King just a few short days earlier (Palm Sunday) will shout ‘Crucify him!’ on Good Friday. It’s the most somber day for Christians, when the agony, death and burial of Jesus is remembered.

Holy Saturday – Commemorates Jesus’ body resting in the tomb.

Easter Sunday – Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and his victory over sin and death.