This Wednesday is two different holidays. One of them I’m excited about and the other one is literally my least favorite holiday. Every year, Ash Wednesday signals the start of the Lenten season which ends on Easter Sunday when we celebrate the resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ. Easter remains important in Protestant churches but I have noticed a declining interest in Ash Wednesday and Lent. Many people associate these two observances with Catholicism. While Catholics give up the same thing every year and all of them do it, Lent should be a deeply personal experience. When we willingly fast from something that either brings us joy or brings us harm, we take this thing and give it to God. Instead of needing and relying on that for 46 days, we decide to rely more on God.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”
Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Matthew 4:1-11, NLT
Jesus was human. He got hungry and thirsty but he still fasted. He was tempted while he was hungry and thirsty. The HALT acronym that deals with temptation stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. Satan knew this and chose to tempt Jesus when he was hungry, alone, and had been sleeping in the wilderness. But Jesus, who was fully human, did not give in to sin. Jesus offers this to us through sanctification and I believe fasting is a tool that can be used for our sanctification.
By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.
Genesis 3:19, NLT
We observe Ash Wednesday to reflect on how human we are. Our mortality shouldn’t scare us, it should only make us more reliant on the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus denied himself in the wilderness and denied himself on the cross. We should model our lives after him and deny ourselves during this time of year. To be more like Jesus, we must be less of ourselves. Jesus came to give, not to take. What luxury can you go without for a month and a half?
What are you willing to give up to have more of Jesus?
Moments with Emmanuel 