Tag: Easter

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with the notion that God killed Jesus, as I had been led to believe. The teaching went something like this:

God loves you but is also angry with you because of your sin. Because God is just, he can’t simply forgive you. God’s justice must be satisfied. And so, because he loves you, he decided not to punish you but rather punish his Son. If you believe this, you no longer need to bear God’s wrath. The penalty of your sin was paid by Jesus. If you reject this, you still need to take the punishment of God’s anger with you as a sinner. God will put you in hell and torture you forever and ever. But, don’t forget, God loves you.

I believed it. I preached it. But then I sensed the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit to dig deeper and find out if this really is an accurate representation of the gospel, the good news. I don’t believe it is. I mean, what loving parent would punish their own child for the wrongdoing of another?

Is Justice Greater than God?

The doctrine I have described is called (theologically) the penal substitution atonement theory. It makes God somehow less than God. Notice how God loves you and wants to save you, but he can’t until His justice is satisfied. That makes justice greater than God. Justice is in charge here, and God becomes its servant.

Consider the gospel presented by Jesus in the Parable of the Loving Father (Luke 15:11-32). What if the father looked out for his Prodigal Son, saw him, ran to him, and then stopped and thought, “I can’t just accept him back. Someone else has to be punished first.” The father takes the older son, whips him, kills him, and then welcomes the prodigal home having “satisfied” his justice.” Somehow, I don’t think that parable would be so celebrated anymore!

But that’s not Jesus’ story. Instead, a loving father welcomes his sinful son with no questions asked. He’s not particularly interested in the son’s repentance speech. He is simply overjoyed the lost lad has returned. The father welcomes him with open arms, grants him access to the family finances (the ring), and throws a party. Of course, the older brother is miffed, just like some Christians will be with this blog. How could God be THAT good and grace be SO amazing?

Paul tells us that “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” (2 Cor. 5:19). With that background in mind, let me offer you what I believe to be more valid reasons why Jesus died on the cross. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Extravagant Love

Jesus’ death on the cross was an undisputed act of extravagant, gracious love. Today we have lost much of the horror of first-century crucifixion. People wear crosses around their necks and display pictures of the cross on walls in their homes. But in Jesus’ time, it was an awful symbol of Roman tyranny and cruelty. In the light of this, the first-century church transformed the meaning of this symbol by speaking of the cross as proof of God’s love, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). In Greek Mythology, Cupid, the god of desire and love, is seen as shooting an arrow to pierce a human heart. We still use this symbol today to denote when a person falls in love. Jesus was pierced not with arrows but with nails to show how much God has fallen in love with you!

Empathy

“If there’s a loving God, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world”? The answer to the question is the Cross.

Jesus, the God-Man, experienced human suffering at its most extreme. During a crucifixion, the victim felt some of the most intense pain that a person could feel. He also experienced intense shame. The world of Jesus’ Day valued personal honour, as eastern cultures still do today. Men were crucified naked (women weren’t crucified) in public places, so victims were subjected to as much shame as possible. Rome reserved crucifixion for the worst criminals, especially those who stirred up a rebellion against the state. Pilate’s sign above Jesus on the cross – “The King of the Jews” – revealed that he was considered a rebel and a threat to Rome. There was to be no king but Caesar.

In experiencing suffering and shame, Jesus empathised with the entire human race. God could have remained in the safety and comfort of heaven, but because of his great love for us, he was born into the human family to experience life as we do. We have a high priest who can empathise with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). He understands; he sympathises.

Freedom

Jesus’ final meal with his disciples before the crucifixion was celebrated at The Passover. They thanked God for Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt and prayed for him to liberate them again – this time from Roman oppression. It was at this meal that Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24), a statement that would have seemed quite shocking to Jesus’ hearers. The Passover was always about God and what he had done, but here Jesus makes it all about himself – “My body … My Blood.” In this statement, Jesus declared himself to be the God-Man making a New Covenant with people. And just like the Old Covenant between God and Israel had been ratified with blood (Exodus 24:7-8), the New Covenant would be confirmed with blood; the blood of a sinless man to set them free.

Death, Sin, & Satan

Jesus’ death gained freedom from death, sin, and Satan. Consider Hebrews 2:14, “by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Several of the church fathers described the cross as a fish hook. Rufinus wrote: “[The purpose of the incarnation] was that the divine virtue of the Son of God might be like a kind of hook hidden beneath the form of human flesh…to lure on the prince of this world to a contest; that the Son might offer him his human flesh as bait and that the divinity which lay underneath might catch him and hold him fast with its hook.”

Rufinus’ contemporary Gregory of Nyssa said that the devil, “like a greedy fish…swallow[ed] the Godhead like a fish-hook along with the flesh which was the bait.” Jesus’ body is the bait, but inside him is the divine nature which is the hook. Once the devil swallows God, he is in real trouble. He cannot digest or defeat God’s eternal life. What a powerful picture.

As we approach Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to think about these life-changing truths. Jesus visited death and returned. He’s become the ultimate tour guide through this life and into the next. My prayer is that you open yourself to God’s love and grace and receive all that Jesus has done for you.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event that is so important it’s mentioned in all four gospels.[1]

It’s five days before Jesus’ crucifixion. A few days previously, Lazarus was raised from the dead. The day before the first Palm Sunday, Jesus had a meal with Lazarus, Martha and Mary to celebrate Lazarus’ resurrection. During the dinner, Mary anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. The house became filled with a beautiful aroma and some stinking attitudes! Jesus’ popularity was at an all-time high because of Lazarus. The religious leaders, jealous of Jesus’ popularity, hated him more than ever and desired to kill him. They wanted to kill Lazarus, too, “for, on account of him, many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.”

Stop that Donkey!

Early on Palm Sunday morning, Jesus commissioned two disciples to go to a nearby village to commandeer a donkey and its colt. Both animals were later returned to their owner. Jesus would be the first person to ever ride the colt.

Officials rode donkeys for civil, not military, parades, while an army procession would use horses & chariots. Jesus rode on a donkey’s colt, a young male donkey less than four years old.

Unrealistic Expectations

Palm Sunday occurs five days before Passover, the Jewish Feast that celebrates God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The crowd’s expectation was for Jesus to lead them against the Romans and bring salvation to Israel as Moses did.

By spreading garments and waving and scattering palm branches, the people paid royal homage to King Jesus. And they sang words from The Great Hallel, Psalms of praise (111-118) that were used extensively at Passover.

Hosanna!

Lord, grant us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

From the house of the Lord we bless you.

The Lord is God,

and he has made his light shine on us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar. (Psalm 118:25-27)

Hosanna means “save now” or “save, I beg you.” The people were proclaiming Jesus as king and trying to force his hand to overthrow Rome and establish the kingdom of God.

Another Kingdom

Jesus had already taught the people that His kingdom was not of this world. Salvation at that time was not to be with military might, political power, or geographical location. Salvation was to be internal – freedom from the inside out. That was Jesus’ mission right from the start, to preach good news to the poor, proclaim liberty for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, release the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. (Luke 4:18-19).

Many in Israel missed the Messiah because He came in an unlikely way with an unexpected message. Some people today overlook the Messiah as well because Jesus is not what they’re expecting. They have misguided expectations:

  • A Saviour who will deliver from all suffering.
  • A Leader who will immediately meet every need.
  • A Messiah who backs a particular political party.
  • A Defender who supports MY opinion on every subject.
  • A Champion who has nothing to do with certain types of people.

If you’re looking to Jesus to be any of these things, you will be sorely disappointed!

I encourage you this Palm Sunday to revisit this remarkable story with fresh eyes. And don’t miss the Messiah because you’re looking for Jesus to be something he is not.

 

[1] Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38; John 12:12-15.

On Friday evening, Christie received a text letting us know that a Bayside Church member had just collapsed and was being rushed to the hospital. It was Craig weir, husband of Onida Weir (Bayside Church’s children’s ministry leader). By Sunday afternoon Craig had passed away. He was 47.

Over my 35 years in pastoral ministry, I have been with many people when they’ve died. I’ve conducted dozens of funerals, I’ve walked the journey of grief with lots of people. Death is always sad, although the death of a person ripe in years or someone who’s suffered pain from a terminal illness is often merciful. But the passing of one so young seems unfathomable.

I’m writing this blog as my tribute to Craig Lyndon Weir ((13/06/1973 – 14/02/2021). He and I used to joke about our yearly breakfast catch-up. “Hey, Rob,” he’d say in his South African accent. “It must be nearly time for our annual breaky.” Our last one was early March last year, just before the first lockdown. It crossed my mind a week or two ago that we were about due for another catch-up. Sadly, that is not to be.

Craig was a gentle man with a great sense of humour renowned for his dad jokes, much like my own! He loved his wife and kids, his family and friends. And it’s that which I’d like to focus on here. Even in death, he gave the gift of life to others.

In discussion with Christie, Onida and the kids decided on the weekend to donate Craig’s organs. Amid their grief, they decided that Craig would want to be as generous in death as he was in life.

Having said their goodbyes, they left Craig in the caring hands of skilled surgeons and DonateLife Victoria. Over the next couple of days, Craig’s body gave life to a man who would have died if it were not for Craig’s healthy heart being made available to him. I am told that this man and his family are rejoicing.

Two people received his corneas and the gift of improved eyesight and the resulting quality of life. One of his kidneys, as well as his liver, was also donated. His pancreas was given for diabetes research, as were his lungs, some bone marrow, and blood.

Bayside Church’s Vision includes the words, “To courageously love.” To me, the act of generosity displayed by Onida and her family powerfully typify courageous love. Onida shared with me yesterday how she had powerfully experienced the presence of God. And that in grief, she had discovered the truth of these words: “For I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow” (Jeremiah 31:13).

I’ve been pondering how in life joy and sadness; happiness and grief are often so intertwined. At most funerals, there are things said in a eulogy that make people laugh and cry. A few days ago, a grieving family made decisions that brought great joy to others. And isn’t that a stunning picture of the Christian gospel? The life and death of the man Jesus has brought so much life and joy to millions over two millennia.

A decade ago, I made the decision to become an organ donor. It was around this time of year in the season of Lent. Lent is about giving up something, so others don’t have to. In the past, I’d gone without coffee for 40 days and donated that money to our Forever Home for boys in South Africa. Organ donation is the gift you decide in life so that your death reflects the generosity by which you’ve lived.

In this Lenten season, why not register to become an organ donor? It’s so simple Donate Life today.

Organ donation gives another chance at life to those people who would otherwise die. Jesus taught the Golden Rule, “in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). If I – or Christie or our kids – was dying and an organ transplant could save a life, I would be so grateful if a donor was available. If I would want others to do that for me, why wouldn’t I reciprocate? Organ donation is one of the few acts for which people will remember you. We will certainly remember Craig Weir for this and a whole lot more!

Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting, is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity. It occurs 40 days before Easter (excluding Sundays) and is observed by many Christians.

Lent had its origins in Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert, where he overcame three key areas of temptation (Matthew 4:1-11); denying Himself instant gratification, the approval of people and a shortcut to the plan of God. John the Apostle summarised these temptations as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Jesus’ fast was in preparation of the ministry He was on earth to complete – the salvation of all. The purpose of Lent is to fast for 40 days as preparation for Easter. Sunday’s are not included because Sunday is seen as a commemoration of the Day of Christ’s resurrection and so it should be a feast day and not a fast day!

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Both of these statements are vital truths in the Christian faith, in which we are reminded of our sinfulness and mortality, and thus our need for a Saviour. The simple good news is that through Jesus’ death and resurrection there is forgiveness for all sins, all guilt and all punishment.

Ash Wednesday was originally called “the day of ashes.” It is first mentioned in the earliest copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary and probably dates back to at least the 8th Century. One of the earliest descriptions of Ash Wednesday is found in the writings of the Anglo-Saxon abbot Aelfric (955-1020). In his “Lives of the Saints” he writes, “We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast.”

Sackcloth and ashes (or dirt/dust) are mentioned 23 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and four times in the New Testament. As Aelfric suggests, the pouring of ashes on one’s body (and dressing in sackcloth, a very rough material made from goats’ hair) was an ancient practise as an outer manifestation of inner repentance or mourning. In the New Testament, Jesus mentions the practise in Matthew 11:21: “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

The practise of the Ash Wednesday tradition – or the season of Lent – is meaningless, even hypocritical, unless there is a corresponding inner repentance and change of behaviour. This is made clear in Isaiah 58:5-7 when God says,

“Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter– when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

The true fasting that God requires is that His people would go without something in order to give to others who have little or nothing. Fasting is not just self-denial but rather a way of bringing equality into a world where the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider.

With that in mind, I encourage you at this time of year to remember what Jesus has done for each one of us. He has paid the death penalty on the cross; He took the punishment for our wrongdoing upon Himself; He rose again – defeating death, giving eternal life and offering a full pardon to all who place their faith in Him. During Lent you can draw close to Jesus and look for ways in which you – by denying yourself – can bring some life and joy into the lives of others and provide for those who are doing it tough. As Jesus said, “when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters [the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the prisoner, the foreigner] you were doing it to me!”

Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting, is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity.  It occurs 40 days before Easter (excluding Sundays).  Ash Wednesday is observed by many Christians.

Lent had its origins in Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert, where he overcame three key areas of temptation (Matt 4:1-11): denying Himself with instant gratification, the approval of people and a shortcut to the plan of God.  John the apostle summarizsed these temptations as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).  Jesus’ fast was in preparation of the ministry He was on earth to complete – the salvation of all.  The purpose of Lent is to fast for 40 days as preparation for Easter.  Sundays are not included because Sunday is seen as a commemoration of the Day of Christ’s resurrection and so it should be a feast day and not a fast day.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday, and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  Both of these statements are vital truths in the Christian faith in which we are reminded of our sinfulness and mortality, and thus our need to repent and get right with God before it is too late.  The simple good news is that through Jesus’ death and resurrection there is forgiveness for all sins, all guilt and all punishment.

Ash Wednesday was originally called “the day of ashes”.  It is first mentioned in the earliest copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary and probably dates back to at least the 8th Century.  One of the earliest descriptions of Ash Wednesday is found in the writings of the Anglo-Saxon abbot Aelfric (955-1020).  In his “Lives of the Saints” he writes, “We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth.  Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast.”

Sackcloth and ashes (or dirt/dust) are mentioned 23 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and four times in the New Testament.  As Aelfric suggests, the pouring of ashes on one’s body (and dressing in sackcloth, a very rough material made from goats’ hair) was an ancient practice as an outer manifestation of inner repentance or mourning.  In the New Testament, Jesus mentions the practice in Matthew 11:21: “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

The practice of the Ash Wednesday tradition – or the season of Lent – is meaningless, even hypocritical, unless there is a corresponding inner repentance and change of behavior. This is made clear in Isaiah 58:5-7 when God says,

“Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter– when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

The true fasting that God requires is that His people would go without something in order to give to others who have little or nothing.  Fasting is not just self-denial but rather a way of bringing equality into a world where the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider.

And so with that in mind I encourage you at this time of year to remember what Jesus has done for each one of us.  He has paid the death penalty on the cross; He took the punishment for our wrongdoing upon Himself; He rose again – defeating death, giving eternal life and offering a full pardon to all who place their faith in Him.

During this 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting draw close to Jesus and look for ways in which you – by denying yourself – can bring some life and joy into the lives of others and provide for those who are doing it tough.  As Jesus said, “when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters [the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the prisoner, the foreigner] you were doing it to me!’ (Matt 25 :40)

I love the perspective that children have on things.  Check out these comments from some kids when they were asked what happened on Good Friday?  And why did Jesus have to die?

“Jesus had to die because the Prime Minister didn’t like him. He didn’t like him because everybody liked Jesus and nobody liked the Prime Minister. At Easter, we have eggs because chickens are born at Easter time” (Bella, 7).

“We have chocolate eggs to celebrate Easter because the tomb was empty and most eggs are hollow, except when they have chocolate buttons in them” (Piers, 8).

“Jesus died because of God’s love and at Easter time we have eggs because they are a sign of new life. They’re made of chocolate because chocolate is really nice and Jesus was a really kind person” (Molly, 8).

What did happen on Good Friday?  And why did Jesus have to die? If Jesus died on this day then why is it called GOOD?

It’s important to know that it was, in fact, religion that killed Jesus.  The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were jealous of the support and following that Jesus had and so they plotted a way to get rid of him – and they succeeded (for three days!)  Not much has changed; religion is still trying to kill Jesus today.  In fact, some religious institutions kill Jesus every week – some kill him every year.

This is highlighted in a response to a blog I wrote over a year ago.  Speaking of Good Friday the person wrote:“This is the day of the year that I wish would end quickly for it is a day of mourning and grief. Every minute of this day I am constantly thinking about His suffering. We call this day good only because of ourselves. We are to die with Him on this day … on this day of remembrance, mourning, and grief, are we not going to remember, mourn, and grieve? Sadly, for most people they will not remember, they will not mourn, and they will not grieve … on this day of sadness, I hope the Lord keeps me a little more subdued and a little more humble. For Christ died on this day of darkness and I am grieving a bit now…”

But what does the Bible say about Jesus sacrifice?
Hebrews 7:27, “Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”

Hebrews 9:26, “Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

Hebrews 9:28, “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Hebrews 10:10, “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Get the message?

Jesus doesn’t need to die again every week or every year.  His death on the cross two thousand years ago was enough.  On the cross, Jesus took the punishment that belonged to us.  We are the ones who have broken God’s Law.  We deserved to be punished.  But in his love and mercy, Jesus bore our punishment for us. The sacrifice he made was enough and to prove that is was, three days later God raised Jesus from the dead – and he didn’t die again.  That’s why Good Friday is GOOD!

My prayer for you this Easter is that you will come to know, appreciate and experience the power and value of the sacrifice Jesus has made for you on the cross.

Some years ago, a 14-foot bronze crucifix was stolen from Calvary Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas. It had stood at the entrance to that cemetery for more than 50 years. The cross was put there in 1930 by a Catholic bishop and had been valued at the time at $10,000. The thieves apparently cut it off at its base and hauled it off in a pick-up. Police speculate that they cut it into small pieces and sold it for scrap for about $450.  They obviously didn’t realize the value of that cross.  May we not be so blind!

 

Ash Wednesday, originally called dies cinerum (day of ashes) is mentioned in the earliest copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary, and probably dates from at least the 8th Century. One of the earliest descriptions of Ash Wednesday is found in the writings of the Anglo-Saxon abbot Aelfric (955-1020). In his Lives of the Saints, he writes, “We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast.” This quotation confirms what we know from other sources, that throughout the Middle Ages ashes were sprinkled on the head, rather than anointed on the forehead as in our day.

As Aelfric suggests, the pouring of ashes on one’s body (and dressing in sackcloth, a very rough material) as an outer manifestation of inner repentance or mourning is an ancient practice. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. What is probably the earliest occurrence is found at the very end of the book of Job. Job, having been rebuked by God, confesses, “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Other examples are found in 2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1,3, Isaiah 61:3, Jeremiah 6:26, Ezekiel 27:30, and Daniel 9:3. In the New Testament, Jesus alludes to the practice in Matthew 11:21: “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

In the typical Ash Wednesday observance, Christians are invited to the altar to receive the imposition of ashes, prior to receiving the holy Supper. The Pastor applies ashes in the shape of the cross on the forehead of each, while speaking the words, “For dust you are and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). This is of course what God spoke to Adam and Eve after they eaten of the forbidden fruit and fallen into sin. These words indicated to our first parents the bitterest fruit of their sin, namely death. In the context of the Ash Wednesday imposition of ashes, they remind each penitent of their sinfulness and mortality, and, thus, their need to repent and get right with God before it is too late. The cross reminds each penitent of the good news that through Jesus Christ crucified there is forgiveness for all sins, all guilt, and all punishment.

Ash Wednesday, like the season of Lent, is never mentioned in Scripture and is not commanded by God. Christians are free to either observe or not observe it. It also should be obvious that the imposition of ashes, like similar external practices, is meaningless, even hypocritical, unless there is a corresponding inner repentance and change of behaviour. This is made clear in Isaiah 58:5-7 when God says,

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter– when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Yesterday 36 people were killed and thousands were injured in North India as an estimated 100 million people seeked to wash their sins in the holy river before the sun and moon changed – they only have 12 days every 10 years to do this.  It is expected that thousands will die as people fight to get a place – they are so desperate. With this in mind, let the 40-Days of Prayer & Fasting be a wonderful time for repentance and spiritual renewal by reminding ourselves of what has been achieved on our behalf by Jesus’ sacrifice.  It is only by Jesus’ death and resurrection that we are cleansed from sin, guilt and shame, and have the confidence of being right with God.  Let this time be a time of great rejoicing in that truth ~ and a time of prayer for others, like those in India, who need to know Jesus’ love and grace.

I’ve heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!” 

But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. They know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks – the other set coming out – the possum will enter and not be afraid.

And that’s the message of Easter. It’s because of Jesus we can enter the grave – we don’t have to fear death because there are tracks leading out of the tomb.

The apostle Paul preached the proclamation of Easter: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?”Everywhere God has hidden the message of His Gospel in creation.  From the humble possum we can learn this message.  Jesus entered the tomb on the first Good Friday – and three days later he walked out. Jesus has risen.  And because of Him we shall rise too!

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.  Sundays are skipped when counting the 40 days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection.  This year Lent begins on 9 March and ends on 23 April, which is the day before Easter.  At Bayside Church we finish the fast on Palm Sunday – the weekend before Easter.

In many countries, the last day before Lent (called Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, or Fasching) has become a last fling before the solemnity of Lent.  For centuries, it was customary to fast by abstaining from meat during Lent, which is why some people call the festival Carnival, which is Latin for farewell to meat.

Many churches today do not celebrate Lent.  The reason for this is that in the 16th century, many Calvinists and Anabaptists discarded all Christian holy days, on the theory that they were Roman Catholic innovations.  This we now know not to be the case.  In the late 19th century, ancient Christian documents came to light.  The Didache from the first century, the Apostolic Constitutions from the third century, and the diaries of Egeria of the fourth century all give evidence of the Christian calendar and holy days. The Didache and the Apostolic Constitutions were written in the east, which denies it ever recognized the institution of the papacy. Egeria was a Spanish nun, but her writings also describe practices in the east.  All of these documents came to light 300 years after some Protestant groups had already discarded Christian holy days.

The Anabaptists gave rise to or influenced the Amish, the Mennonites, the Baptists, and the Plymouth Brethren. The Puritans, who were Calvinists, had similar views on worship, which is why they made Christmas illegal in Massachusetts at one time.

Gradually, the holy days have returned to the churches that had lost them.  The restoration quickly began with Easter.  Christmas followed in the 19th century, and Advent and Holy Week became widespread among churches in the 20th century.  Lent is mounting a comeback in the 21st century.

I believe the season of Lent is about two things – others and ourselves.  Personally it’s a time to give up something, especially something that is holding us back or hindering the freedom Jesus has gained for us.  It might be a particular food or drink, a habit, or something that is taking up too much time.  Lent is a time to rededicate our life to Jesus Christ and to spend more time praying, as well as reading and studying God’s Word.  It’s a time to enjoy a greater intimacy with our creator.

In Philippians 2:4 the apostle Paul taught, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  I believe that is true of Lent.  It shouldn’t just be a time for us but also a time for others – to pray for family and friends and to look for ways to be generous – to perform random acts of kindness.

I encourage you to get involved in Lent this year. You’ll reap great personal benefits and be a blessing to those around you.

Here’s a humorous and powerful story from Florida where an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognised days.

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,”Case dismissed!”

The lawyer immediately stood, objecting to the ruling saying, “Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case?  The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my Client and all other atheists have no such holidays.”

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, “But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant.” The lawyer said, “Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.”

The judge said, “The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’ Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned!

To our Christian friends, Happy Easter!  To our Jewish friends, Happy Passover!  To our atheist friends, good luck!