This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. While not all churches will make an emphasis on Lent, your children may question how others celebrate it. They may see ashes on the foreheads of some people who embrace the day and celebrate it within their churches.
For those who may not know about Lent, and Ash Wednesday, let me take a moment to explain it. These explanations are from Google and Wikipedia.
Lent is the period preceding Easter that in the Christian Church is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness. In the Western Church it runs from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (day between Good Friday and Easter) and so includes forty weekdays.People who celebrate Lent will often give up something in order to focus more on the things of God.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and some people will put some ash on their forehead. From the United Methodists website, “During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins.” Think of how people in Biblical times would put on sackcloth and ashes as a time to mourn or repent.
That brings us to the verse to focus on for the week. Matthew 4:17 (CSB)
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Some background. John the Baptist was born prior to Jesus and his purpose to to proclaim the coming Messiah. In John chapter 3 we see that his message was “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”
We then see that Jesus came to John to be baptized!
After that, In John chapter 4 we see Jesus go into the desert where He was tempted by Satan. Jesus then heard that John had been arrested and this is when we see Jesus begin to preach and continue the message of John the Baptist.
Jesus had been tempted. He knew the stronghold that sin has on people and how hard it could be to resist temptation, but that it could be done. He knew that people needed to repent – to turn from their sins.
It is a message that we still preach today. We need to repent of our sins and we wait in hope, and anticipation, of the Kingdom of heaven, when Jesus returns again.
When we realize what Jesus did for us, dying on the cross for our sins, then we should repent and begin to follow Him.
Whether you chose to participate in Lent or not is not important. What is important is that we know Jesus and seek to follow Him daily. That means that when we fail, and we will, that we seek God for forgiveness. When we do, then He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin (1 John 1:9).
This week emphasize that we need to turn from the things that displease God and do our best to serve Him.
Discussion Questions
- What does the word repent mean?
In simple terminology it is to turn around. To stop doing things one way, and begin doing it the opposite. To stop disobeying God, to begin to follow Him. One is generally contrite and sorrowful at the wrong they have done. One should be truly sorry for their sin (disobedience to God) when they repent and seek to follow Him. - If your child has professed faith in Christ, then ask how they have changed, turned around, since they began to follow Jesus
- Why is it still important to preach repentance?
Because people need to know Jesus, and when they do they will choose to stop disobeying Him and begin to follow him. - What was Jesus’ urgency in telling people about the Kingdom of God?
He was talking about Himself coming to save the world from their sin.
- How did Jesus save the world from their sin?
Dying on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for our sin.
End in prayer asking God to help you turn from the bad things you do and follow Jesus better.
(We all still sin and should always be growing in Him).
