Lent & Easter
Lent is the traditional period for emphasizing self-denial and prayer. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (the seventh Wednesday before Easter). Excluding Sundays, which are days of celebration and joy, there are forty days between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). Many churches will find this to be a natural and convenient time to focus the hearts of their members on spiritual deepening and faith-sharing. It all takes sacrifice. It is all for Jesus and His Kingdom!
What better time to embrace
new converts and celebrate their new life
in Jesus Christ?
LENT means, “spring” and it is during the spring season of the year that we celebrate the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior. So, spring into life for Jesus all throughout the Lenten season and beyond.
EASTER is the greatest day of celebration for Christians. It signifies the crushing of death’s power by Jesus Christ, making possible eternal life for all who believe in Jesus’ name.
A little history...
...never hurt anyone! Don’t take for granted that people understand what Easter truly means. The same is true of other terms and dates, like Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Be intentional about sharing what and why Christians observe these times. Make it personal and share ways to help others make this an important and meaningful part of their spiritual journey during this season of life.
What are Palm Sunday and Good Friday?
On Palm Sunday Christians celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, one week before his execution by crucifixion. Palm Sunday, often referred to as “Passion Sunday,” marks the beginning of Holy Week, which concludes on Easter Sunday.
The Bible reveals that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds greeted Him by covering his path with palm branches. Immediately following this great time of celebration in the ministry of Jesus, He begins His journey to the cross.
The biblical account of Palm Sunday can be found in Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19.
Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day Christians commemorate the Passion, or suffering, and death on the cross of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Many Christians spend this day in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ’s crucifixion on the Cross .
The biblical account of Jesus’ death on the cross, or crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection, or raising from the dead, can be found in the following passages of Scripture: Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.
