March 31st, 2026

Dear Friends,

“I’m forgiven because you were forsaken.

I’m accepted; you were condemned. …

Amazing love, how can it be that you my King should die for me?”

March is over. Lent is almost over. How do you feel? If you’re like many, you can’t wait to end this “fast” that you’ve been observing, can’t wait to get back to that thing you’ve given up for these forty days. You can’t wait to celebrate!

If you’re one of the ones who fought this battle for these six weeks and won, it’s natural that you should think of celebration. It’s even more natural to think ‘celebration’ and wed it to the greatest day on the calendar of the church year — the day when eternity became a possibility forever and for all. It’s natural — but it may be an adventure in missing the point.

Holy Week (from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday) may begin well (possibly, depending on your point of view) and it may end well but, in the days between beginning and end, we see only encroaching darkness, humanity at its rawest and worst. There is denial, betrayal, corruption, capitulation, suicide, political intrigue and a caving in to do that which is expedient. Jesus walked purposefully through it all, carried the weight of it all, felt the weight of it all. What was written about Abraham could be more accurately describing him: “He did not waiver in unbelief.”

Why do we fast and mourn when we know that the story ends well? Why be so morbid when there is so much reason for joy? Surely the answer lies in that one word theme from the book of Deuteronomy: “Remember.” But what is it we are trying to remember? A number of biblical phrases come to mind.

 “Remember that you are but dust.” “Remember that you were slaves.” “God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant …” “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, …” “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” “…remember the poor …” “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, …”

Remembering grounds us. Remembering warns us. It keeps important things or events or people before our minds. Remembering gives us reason to hope.

It’s great that you have fasted, if you have. It’s great that you have entered more into this season than before, if you have. But it’s not about you or me. This is all about what God did in Christ and by the power of his Spirit. It is about God re-creating a defiled universe. It is about God redeeming all slaves to sin. It is about Jesus exercising perfect obedience in the place where you or I would fail. An inestimable price has been paid, far beyond what your fast may have cost you. Remember this! It will make your celebration much greater next Sunday. 

Blessings!

Doug