lent & holy week readings

 Sally Lloyd-Jones / Storybook Bible Lent Readings link here.

Gospel Coalition holy week readings here.

Faith Gateway Holy Week readings here.

Risen Motherhood Lent & Easter resources page here.

Before the beginning of time God had a wonderful plan. He knew things would go wrong with his perfect world. He knew his children would run from him and break his world and his heart. Even though it was never meant to be this way. He knew, when his children ran from him, sin would come into his perfect world— and sickness and tears and dying would come. But God had a plan. He would come down and rescue his children. He would send his Great Rescuer, Jesus. And together they would pull off the greatest Rescue the world has ever known.

But just before Jesus began his Great Rescue operation where did he go?

To a university to get trained? To important leaders to get their help? To a spa to get some rest? To shop to buy some things?

No. He went out into the desert.
That seems like a bit of an odd place to go. Why did he go there?

“Jesus needed to get away by himself and be somewhere quiet and lonely. He needed to be with his heavenly Father to get ready for his new life.

In the desert, Jesus thought about the Secret Rescue Plan he had made with God. Before the foundation of the world, they both knew what would have to happen. To rescue God’s children, Jesus would have to die. There was no other way. It was the reason he had come.”

“Lent” is the time we remember this Secret Rescue Plan as well. And we make room for time with our Heavenly Father, too. As we read the stories of God’s Great Rescue we remember important things. We remember why we needed Jesus to come. That we can’t rescue ourselves. How much he loves us.

“Lent” is the time just before Easter. It’s a strange word. But it comes from an old English word meaning “Spring.”

Think about spring for a minute. Just before spring arrives, when it’s still winter, what does it look like?

Not good.

The trees have no leaves. The flowers have all disappeared. The ground is hard as stone and the water is frozen. Most of the animals and birds have gone away. It looks like everything is dead. But spring is coming. And when it does—flowers, blossoms, rivers, leaves, life!

As we read this Great Rescue Story together, God wants us to remember: however we are feeling today, wherever we are today, whatever is happening in our lives today—however it looks, even if it looks like there is no hope at all—spring is coming. It may look like nothing is happening. It may even look like everything has died.

But...
Spring is coming!
Easter is coming!
Jesus dies —yes, but he comes alive again!

And one day death and sickness and tears—they will be no more. Because God is making the story end happily for his world—and for his children!

~ Sally Lloyd-Jones