As we come into this time of year, heading towards Easter, the hearts of Christians are turned to reflect what the season truly means.
Throughout Christendom many of the denominations of Christianity celebrate Lent. The lent season is one of preparation and repentance, before Easter. Forty week days from Ash Wednesday, until Easter; these days represent the forty day Jesus spent in the wilderness before His temptation. Mathew 4 verse 1 and 2.
The traditional purpose of lent is the preparation of the believers – through prayer, repentance, giving and self denial. The second purpose is highlighted in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, which recalls the event of the crucifixion of Jesus on the Friday {Passion of Christ} and culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the resurrection of Christ.
Lent or the period leading up to Easter, is a very important and purposeful and reflective time for all Christians, whether you are Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Ecclesiastical, or any other denomination, as we remember The God who created everything which includes all human beings, came to die, as one of His created human beings, to Redeem all who would accept Him, from the curse of sin {wrongdoings}.
Romans 6 verse 6. The season is a time to reflect that we are created in the image of God to have companionship with Him. God created human beings, who rebelled against Him, and were cut off from a relationship with Him. Jesus Christ who was God and who is God, came to pay the price for that separation of relationship with Him and The Father and The Holy Spirit.
If Jesus Christ was not God, it would have been pointless for Him to die on the Cross. How can just any man or woman pay the price for another man or woman. God needed to pay the price Himself,
I remember a little poem that has help me understand the Trinity of God. Three in One and One in Three and the One in the middle died for me, died for us all, so the relationship to commune with Him could be resorted.
This season of the year is a time of reflection into the Goodness of God’s Grace. Romans 5 verse 8:
” But God proves His own love for us {all} in that while we were sinners Christ died for us.”
A time to reflect on the fullness of Romans 6 verse 6 and Galatians 2 verse 19 & 20
Romans 6 verse 6 “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be ENSLAVED TO SIN.”
Galatians 2 verse 19 and 20: “For through the law I have died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; V20 and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
Let the season leading up to Easter, and the celebration of Easter truly reflect in our lives, that others who may come to know the Salvation and Grace offered in Christ Jesus dying for us {ALL}.
God Bless.
O F J.
My Lord, My Friend 
Every Easter I think about the great irony of Jesus.
Perhaps he didn’t die for humans as payment for their sins, the greatest being mostly the result of often-unchecked testosterone rushes; rather, Christ was brutally murdered because of humans’ seriously flawed sinful nature. Jesus was viciously killed because he did not in the least behave in accordance to corrupted human conduct and expectation — and in particular because he was nowhere near to being the vengeful, wrathful behemoth so many people seemingly wanted or needed their savior to be and therefore believed he’d have to be. Maybe Christ died in large part because people subconsciously wanted their creator to be a reflection of them, and their patriarchy?
The people insisted on a messiah whose nature is of the unambiguously fire-and-brimstone angry-God condemnation kind of creator that’s quite befitting of the Old Testament, Torah and Quran. And, of course, Jesus also offended some high priests, money changers and Romans in-charge.
All that rejection, regardless of his unmistakable miracles — inexplicably healing crippling ailments, the lifelong blind, and most notably defying death with Lazarus — that were quite unlike many contemporary fraudster faith healers.
Maybe God became incarnate to prove to people that there really was hope for the many — especially for young people living in today’s physical, mental and spiritual turmoil — seeing hopelessness in a fire-and-brimstone angry-God-condemnation creator requiring literal pain-filled penance for Man’s sinful thus corrupted behavior (rather like an angry father spanking his child, really)? He became incarnate to show humankind what Messiah ought to and has to be.
Thanks for taking the time to write OFJ {Old Fellow John}
You’re quite welcome, and thanks for allowing me the space.