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Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter, also known as Resurrection Sunday. Lent is often described as a time of preparation and an opportunity to go deeper with God. It’s a time for personal reflection that prepares people’s hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. You may have noticed people with a smudged, black cross on their foreheads. Those are ashes from the Ash Wednesday service. The ashes symbolize grief for things done wrong and the resulting division of imperfect people from a perfect God.
Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday. It commemorates the night before Jesus died, when He shared the Passover meal with His closest friends and followers.
Good Friday is the day Christians remember Jesus’ death. The “Good” reflects how Jesus’ death was a sacrifice on behalf of all humanity so you can receive God’s forgiveness for your wrongs, or sins.
Easter Sunday is the joyful celebration of Jesus rising from the dead to give the opportunity of eternal life. While people still die, Jesus made the way for people to have a relationship with God in this life and to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
The three main things people focus on during Lent are prayer, fasting (abstaining from something to reduce distractions and focus more on God) and giving, or charity.
Prayer during Lent focuses on the need for God’s forgiveness. It’s also about repenting (turning away from our sins) and receiving God’s mercy and love.
Fasting, or giving something up, is a very common practice during Lent. The idea is that giving up something that’s a regular part of life, like eating dessert or scrolling social media, can be a reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice. That time can also be replaced with more time connecting with God.
Giving money or doing something good for others is a way to respond to God’s grace, generosity and love. For example, some people spend time volunteering or donate money they would normally use to buy something, like their morning coffee.
It’s important to note that doing these things can never earn Jesus’ sacrifice or a relationship with God. People are flawed and will never be good enough for a perfect God. Only Jesus has the power to rescue humanity.
Jesus sacrificed Himself on Good Friday to bear the punishment for all your wrongdoings and offer you forgiveness. He was raised from the dead on Easter Sunday to give you an opportunity to have a relationship with God for eternity.
Spending time during Lent praying, fasting and giving can make Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter even more meaningful to you.
In the Bible, Moses (Exodus 34:28), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8-9) and Jesus (Matthew 4:1-2) all went through intense fasting experiences for 40 days and 40 nights. By the time those experiences ended, they were ready for the next challenge they had to face. Adopting that pattern made sense to early Christians.
Interested in learning more about Lent? Do you want to observe it but need guidance? Check out Cru's free Lent devotional. Each day of Lent, the devotional will help you reflect and pray as you look forward to Easter.
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