Lent is one of the five major seasons observed historically in many liturgical Christian traditions. It derives its name from both the Latin (meaning “40”) and the Old English (referencing the season of Spring). Over time, Lent has become a season of intentional personal examination and reflection for Christians, oftentimes demonstrated in various acts of self-denial, fasting and penitence, leading up to Holy Week, and with it, the looming Cross of Good Friday. It is at the Cross where God’s pure, perfect, and One and Only Son and the far-reaching effects of human sin come crashing into one another, where Jesus willingly offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to satisfy God’s wrath against sin. Jesus’ death atones for sin once and for all, while making holy and acceptable those who claim God’s offer of forgiveness and justification (right-standing) through faith.
The significance of “40” is evident throughout the Scriptures, typically a time representing trial, testing and/or preparation – the forty days of rain endured by Noah on the ark during the great flood; Moses’ forty years in the wilderness shepherding flocks in preparation for the Exodus, and Israel’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and preparation for the Promised Land. But it is often Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness, which concluded with Satan’s temptation(s) of Jesus – all prior to the beginning of his public ministry, which would culminate some three years later with the passion events commemorated during Holy Week – that seems to best reflect the overall purpose behind the season. Hence the additional significance behind the 40-day observance of Lent.
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong;and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Isaiah 58:8-11
A Season of Self-Denial
Regardless of church or faith background, many are familiar with Lent as a time generally associated with fasting, or abstaining, from something. Fasting, by the way, is the general act of voluntarily abstaining from something for a period of time for some particular benefit – spiritual or physical. While fasting has its benefits, despite the reasons, there is a particular means of fasting described in God’s Word that not only provides benefit for ourselves, but for others, while glorifying God.
God’s formula for fasting in Isaiah 58, can be summarized this way. Gospel-centered fasting…
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…contributes to the proclamation and working-out of God’s justice and righteousness in the world (Isaiah 58:6)
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…results in loving, merciful care for others (v 7)
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…opens our eyes and moves us to take missional responsibility for needs around us (v 9-10)
While guarding from a quid pro quo faith (i.e: if I do something for God, he should do something proportionally in return), there are at least four promises we can hope to experience, from Isaiah 8-11:
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God’s continued Guidance
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God’s Healing
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God’s Protective Escort
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God’s Satisfaction
