What is Lent? Why It Still Matters Today

Today we begin a short series entitled: From Wilderness to Resurrection – A Biblical Journey Through Lent & Easter.

I am hoping that we will all learn a lot or at the very least be reminded of some very important events in biblical history.

But most of all, I pray that we will all be drawn closer to Jesus as we remember His great gift to us and His ultimate sacrifice for us.

Today, we look at the topic:What is Lent, and why does it still matter today? 

The overarching teaching is captioned From Wilderness to Resurrection.

Today Monday 14th April begins Holy Week, which is the last week of the 40 weeks of Lent leading up to the Easter season. 

This I do not believe is a coincidence. God is an on time God. So while some may say oh we should have started this series prior to Lent so people could prepare for the observation, there are those who would welcome the teaching because it would be a good refresher or perhaps it would be the first time they would be so in tune with this particular topic.

So we are not too late to get into it. God's timing is always perfect.

I believe it is important for us to understand that we’re not just in the season, ending a season and entering into another season; through this study, we’re entering a sacred space where God calls us to return, reflect, and be renewed. 

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”

Someone mentioned on this radio the other day that they did not even remember that it was the Lenten season. And someone else mentioned to me in private that they were surprised to hear that. 

Can I tell you? In my nearly 60 years on earth, I have never been immersed in the solemnity of what is the Lenten and Easter seasons. Yes I knew about Easter and the holiday and special church services and how the world observes it with the eggs because I have bought and enjoyed the chocolate.

So I don't want anyone to run with that in alarm or to judge or condemn. For those of you who have been exposed to this and who have observed it in earnest God bless you. But there are those of us who would be eager as we grow spiritually to get into the study for the next two weeks and I pray that all of us will listen, share, and become more rooted and grounded in our God.

So what is Lent?

Lent is a 40-day journey of preparation that mirrors the time Jesus spent in the wilderness. It’s a season marked by fasting, prayer, and repentance—not for tradition’s sake, but for transformation. And it is deeply biblical.

Let’s start with the words of the prophet Joel:

Joel 2:12–13 (NIV) “Even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”

One of the things many Christians and people in general have to understand is that God is not after performance. He is after the heart. 

All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23.

So the season of Lent Family calls us back into alignment with that reality. Not just with our words, but with our lives. When we strip away distractions, we can hear the Voice of Jesus again. And that’s what makes this season powerful.

Lent is not about what we give up but about who we’re turning back to - our God.

And it’s no small thing that we are starting this journey today, April 14th, the first day of Holy Week. We’re stepping in at the most sacred moment of the Lenten season—when Jesus is heading toward the cross. 

Palm Sunday was just yesterday, and churches still do it today as in Bible days, crowds waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!”

But the difference with us today is that we know what’s coming. Betrayal. Crucifixion. And then…hallelujah, resurrection!

This week, Holy Week, will be heavy with divine intention. If we haven’t already gotten immersed in it, it’s not too late to begin this journey. 

In fact, this may be the most powerful place to start. We are walking directly into the heart of God’s redemptive plan.

Matthew 21:10–11 (NLT) captures the atmosphere of that entry into Jerusalem:

“The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. ‘Who is this?’ they asked. And the crowds replied, ‘It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’”

They thought He was a prophet. He came as a King. But not the kind of king they expected. 

As we enter Holy Week, Lent takes on deeper meaning—because we aren’t just preparing for Easter; we’re witnessing the climax of the entire gospel narrative.

Jesus understood the need for preparation. Mark’s Gospel says in Mark 1:12–13 (ESV)

“The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.”

The wilderness for Jesus, we understand now, wasn’t a punishment—it was preparation. And that is such a powerful lesson for us today. Whatever dry, dark valley you find yourselves in, don’t give up, be strong, lean on God, and learn the lessons, so that when you rise out of that wilderness situation you can help somebody else.

We see in the Bible where Jesus, full of the Spirit, fasted for 40 days. There, His identity was tested but also affirmed. Through the tests and trials Family, we must come out on the other side victorious, knowing whose we are and feeling protected by His love. 

There are some people we know, and maybe you are one of them too, who just always have to be on the go. They say never a dull moment, they say I did this for this person and I did that for that person. But really it is never a quiet moment, never a pause to breathe, never a still small voice moment, never a Selah in sight, never a sacred stillness, never time to become a better person for themselves.

Many times God leads us into quiet places and we resist, but we have to understand that this is not to punish us, but to purify us.

Lent, as I am understanding it, is that kind of space. A wilderness. A place of testing. But also of clarity. Of re-centering, refocusing. When we fast, we realign. When we pray, we reconnect. When we repent, we are restored.

Isaiah 58:6 (NKJV) says: “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?”

God is not looking for empty sacrifice. He’s calling us into a fast that results in freedom. For ourselves and for others. Lent should remind us that when we return to God, we don’t just get recharged; we get realigned with His mission.

The Apostle Paul echoes this in Romans 12:1–2 (NLT):

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

That’s what Lent is—it’s an invitation into transformation. It’s more than reflection; it’s reformation of the heart and mind.

And perhaps one of the most vulnerable prayers in Scripture is what we need to carry with us through this week:

Psalm 139:23–24 (CSB) Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

We repeat this a lot, but this isn’t a casual prayer. It’s a bold, open surrender to the refining work of the Holy Spirit. And that’s what Lent calls us into. Not religion, but relationship. Not performance, but into the presence of God.

As we begin this journey today, during the final, most sacred stretch of Lent, let us be fully present. Let’s not rush to the resurrection before sitting with the weight of the cross. There is power in starting here. This is holy ground. Jesus is preparing for sacrifice. And we’re being invited to follow Him, step by step.

So for those of us who might feel like we missed Lent, or didn’t “do it right,” know this: it’s not too late. We’re not behind. We are right on time. The wilderness is where preparation happens. And resurrection is coming.

Let our prayer today be this: “Lord, don’t just change my habits. Change my heart. Lead me into the wilderness if that’s where You are, because I want to rise with You, but I also want to walk with You through the valley.”

Lent still matters Family because the cross still matters. And today, we begin, not just with knowledge, but with holy expectation.

aub - 14Apr25

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