Introduction

Lent: the 40 days before Easter. I don’t know what tradition you come from or what experience you have with Lent - maybe it was a time of somber reflection, a time of dull religious duty, or something totally foreign to your experience. The earliest records of Christians observing Lent go back to the 300’s as a time of preparation to celebrate Easter. The word Lent comes from the old english word for “lengthen,” because this is the time of year when the days get longer.

For many Christians, Lent is a time of fasting: saying no to something in order to say yes to more of God. In that same spirit, we get the opportunity to prepare our hearts to celebrate the incredible realities of both our desperate need for a savior, and the lengths God went to in order to save us. Regardless of your personal history or the tradition you’ve been in, you and I have a chance to set aside these 40 days to prepare our hearts to remember Jesus’ sin-atoning sacrifice on the cross, and victorious resurrection on the third day.

The devotional guide you have in your hands is an updated edition of what we’ve done as a church over the last couple of years. You will be led on a journey through the storyline of Scripture up until the cross and Saturday just before Easter. Each day will have a reference of where in the story of the Bible we find ourselves, followed by a reflection on that passage, a connection of that place in Scripture to Jesus, and finally a prayer and question to serve as a jumping off point for you. On Sundays we’ll walk through phrases in Jesus’ prayer in the garden on the night he was betrayed from Matthew 26. If you’ve walked with us through Lent before, you’ll recognize some of the entries here. You’ll also encounter some new authors from our church body.

We hope this helps grow your hunger for Jesus, your delight in the Bible, and your joy in the Gospel as we look toward celebrating Easter Sunday together.

Before you begin, take a moment and pray through these questions:

Father, What are you already stirring in me as I enter this season of Lent?

Are you asking me to give anything up these next 40 days to increase my appetite for you? 

Would you help me be devoted to meeting with you through the Word and prayer?

Father, please grow my awareness of my need for a savior, and joy at the saving work of Jesus.