Lent Devotional 2020

Reclaiming the Truth 

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20.25-28

Redeeming the Time

Redemption is the purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom.  The Greek word so rendered is apolutrosis, a word occurring nine times in Scripture and always with the idea of a ransom or price paid.

Christ’s suffering is our ransom. Christ Himself became our ransom, and in Him we have redemption. We have been redeemed by Christ’s shed blood on the cross. Our debt because of sin is not just canceled, but it is fully paid. Every sin of the past, every sin of the future, every sin of the present is redeemed, “paid in full.”

Many of us in Lenten seasons past wallowed in our ashes and have been tempted to work harder, or try better, or be less sinful in order to earn our redemption. How crazy is that? That’s a spiritual cul-de-sac at its best! 

“Christ saves us neither by the mere exercise of power, nor by his doctrine, nor by his example, nor by the moral influence which he exerted, nor by any subjective influence on his people, whether natural or mystical, but as a satisfaction to divine justice, as an expiation for sin, and as a ransom from the curse and authority of the law, thus reconciling us to God by making it consistent with his perfection to exercise mercy toward sinners.” – Charles Hodge.

Reflection

• Describe a time when you were tempted to try and earn your redemption.
• In your own words, define the totality of Christ’s redemption.
• What would change in your home if you fully received and lived in His redemptive work? 

Resting in His Redemption 

David declares the goodness and grace of our God in Psalm 103. Rest in His redemption today. Rest and Receive.

“Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion…” Psalm 103.1-4

Reclaiming the Truth

“ ‘And yet even now,’ says the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart…’” Joel 2.12

Redeeming the Time 

The cry the prophet speaks conveys the deep heart of our God. “And yet even now.” Just as you are, right where you are, in this very moment, our God invites you to return to Him. Notice the invitation. He’s not waiting for you to figure it out. He’s not waiting for you to get it all together. He’s not waiting for you to even come to Him. He’s coming to you with this incredible invitation, “Return to me.” 

Traditionally, Ash Wednesday is a day of returning. It often times has the overtone of confession and repentance. Ash Wednesday reminds us that from dust we are made and from dust we will return. All of that is true, and all of that has its place, even for us, especially for us. 

This year, in this season, in this moment, we want to invite you to look at Ash Wednesday differently. We want to invite you to see this day differently, to approach this day differently, to respond in this day differently. If confession and repentance are needed, please engage in those responses, but this Ash Wednesday we want to invite you to “redeem the time.” We want to invite you not to give up something, but to reclaim what has already been given. To reclaim our identity as beloved children of the Most High God. 

Reflection 

• Where are the places in your own life where you feel distant from God?
• What has distracted you from cultivating your relationship with God more intentionally?
• How might you begin to believe and receive in the goodness and grace of His redemptive work? 

Resting in His Redemption 

In his prayer book, “Guerillas of Grace”, Ted Loder offers this prayer entitled, “My Heart in My Mouth.” Allow it to be your prayer. Rest in His redemption today. Rest and Receive.

“O God of such truth as sweeps away all lies,

of such grace as shrivels all excuses, 

come now to find us

for we have lost our selves 

in a shuffle of disguises

and in the rattle of empty words.

We have been careless

of our days,

our loves,

our gifts, 

our chances…

Our prayer is to change, O God, 

not out of despair of self

but for love of you, 

and for the selves we long to become

before we simply waste away.

Let your mercy move in and through us now…Amen.”

I want to welcome you to this Lenten season. Today is Ash Wednesday – the beginning of the Church’s observance of the Lenten season. Traditionally, this season is a space for us to stop whatever we are doing, no matter how important it might be, and enter more intentionally into the disciplines of prayer, self-examination and repentance. 

This year, I want to invite you to approach this Lenten season with a different posture. Instead of the focus being on self-sacrifice and the emptying of ourselves, I want us to engage this season by receiving what has already been done for us. I want us to fully recover redemption. To rest and receive in His redemptive work that has already been accomplished for us. I want us to revel in His redemptive work and sing and celebrate the Great Song of Redemption. 

To help us journey through this season together, we’ve prepared a daily devotional. The devotional will follow along with the Lenten sermon series, “Recovering Redemption.” If you’d like to participate in this daily devotional, simply connect to the Sanctuary app or our website. Devotionals will be updated daily. 

Each devotional will include a portion of Scripture, a short reflection on the text, a few questions for reflection, and a prayer offered to bring rest. Devotionals on Saturdays and Sundays will look slightly different and will encourage another way to celebrate our Good God. I trust each of these devotionals will be another way of being transformed by the Gospel to live and love like Jesus. 

Honored to celebrate this season with you. “May it begin in me. Right here, Jesus. Right now, Jesus.”

 cb