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Lent—Why Bother? To Lead us to Christ
White Horse Inn Blog ^ | Feb.22, 2012 | Michael Horton

Posted on 02/22/2012 8:21:05 AM PST by Gamecock

While Israel’s neighbors celebrated the cycle of seasons as shadows of the realm of the gods, Israel celebrated the interventions of God in historical events of judgment and deliverance. The major feasts include Passover, Firstfruits (Pentecost), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Tabernacles (Sukkot). In commanding these feasts, God was incorporating them into his unfolding drama, anchored in his promises and their future fulfillment in Christ.

Unlike the Old Testament, however, the New Testament does not prescribe a church calendar. Furthermore, Lent became associated in the medieval church with all sorts of rules and superstitions. For the most part, the Protestant Reformers continued to celebrate Lent, but in a more evangelical way. They inveighed against the connection between fasting and penance “as a work of merit or a form of divine worship,” as Calvin put it. Lent is still celebrated today in Lutheran, Anglican, and many Reformed churches.

However, many of the English Puritans and Scottish Presbyterians went further, arguing that such observances fostered superstition, constrained the conscience where God had left it free, and undermined the Christian Sabbath as God’s appointed holy day. (At the same time, the Puritans did call for special days of thanksgiving and fasting, by order of Parliament!)

In my view, these special days are valuable chiefly as a teaching opportunity. To be sure, every Lord’s Day is a celebration of Christ’s saving work. Paul seems to have allowed freedom to celebrate old covenant feasts, but upbraided those who bound Christian consciences on the matter, especially with fasts and abstinence.

I believe an evangelical celebration of Lent affords an opportunity to reinforce rather than undermine the significance of Christ’s person and work.

Lent is a 40-day preparation for the observance of Christ’s passion and Easter. It gives us an annual opportunity to trace the history of redemption. We learn that the number 40 is associated with a trial, a preparation, even an ordeal that leads either to blessing or curse in the stories of Noah, Moses, and Jonah. Recapitulating Adam’s trial and Israel’s 40 years of testing, Jesus was taken by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days, fasting instead of following Adam and the wilderness generation of Israelites in demanding the food they craved (Matt. 4:1-4). Resisting Satan’s temptation with God’s Word, Jesus was the Last Adam and Faithful Israel who fulfilled the trial not only for himself but also for us, as well as bearing the curse for our covenant-breaking.

New disciples in the ancient church were instructed daily in Christian doctrine and practice for the 40 days of Lent, leading to their baptism on Easter Eve. They realized that they were quite literally wrestling with demons from their pagan heritage. Isn’t our culture just as toxic? Are we really making disciples, or just superficial converts?

When unburdened by superstitious rites, Lent still holds tremendous promise if we will recover its evangelical purpose; namely, leading us and our children to Christ by his Word. Hopefully we can all agree that this goal remains the central mission of the church every Lord’s Day.


TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; General Discusssion; Mainline Protestant
KEYWORDS: calvinismisdead; lent
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To: Gamecock

I suggest that we should all give up superstitious Papist traditions for Lent. We should also remember to eat red meat on Fridays in honor of the season.


21 posted on 02/22/2012 4:56:56 PM PST by PAR35
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To: PAR35

Sounds like a winner to me!


22 posted on 02/22/2012 5:01:31 PM PST by Gamecock (I am so thankful for [the] active obedience of Christ. No hope without it. JGM)
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To: irishtenor; Gamecock; PAR35
I guess it is in me a remnant of growing up in a Lutheran home, but I have always loved the Lenten season. Not for giving anything up, which is not required, but for adding to. The midweek Lenten services and reflections on Jesus were somber and moving. In a time when religious services are bereft of emotion, I now like to sit with my old Missouri Synod Lutheran Hymnal and ponder what was done for me.
23 posted on 02/22/2012 5:20:06 PM PST by suzyjaruki (God is already in my tomorrow, waiting for me.)
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To: Gamecock
So what I’m getting from Dr. Horton is that Lent should be focused on Christ and leading us to Him,

I'm with the Scots on this one. I see no reason to do anything different during Lent as at any other time. To eat a fat jellyroll on Tuesday just so you can fast on Wednesday is so silly. Some people we know are "selectively" fasting; that is choosing particular things they will not eat. It's nothing more than mumbo-jumbo.

Our pastor gave out devotional guides for Lent. All I could think of is why aren't the people already doing devotionals.

24 posted on 02/22/2012 5:40:45 PM PST by HarleyD
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To: Gamecock

Lent gave us the debauchery that is Mardi Gras .
It isn’t biblical


25 posted on 02/23/2012 5:10:38 PM PST by Lera
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To: Gamecock

Lent is not Biblical and ashes on the forehead is a Romanist practice to show off how pious one is.

Resist the pull back to Rome.


26 posted on 02/24/2012 1:17:41 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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