The 40 days before Easter are observed by many Christians as the Season of Lent. The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday where we are reminded of our fallen, sinful human mortality and our inevitable death. “From dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return” (Genesis 3:19).

The Season of Lent was not instituted in the Bible but was established by the early Christian church around 325 AD as a time for preparation of Christ’s resurrection on Easter.

During the Season of Lent, and indeed throughout the entire church year, we are to examine ourselves and reflect on the fact that we are all sinners who have broken God’s Law but at the same time rejoice in the knowledge that God himself came down to earth and bore our sins on the cross out of his unfailing love for us.

The Bible is very clear that we are all sinners. We have all broken God’s Law “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ” (Romans 3:23). “If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and his Word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). “Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5).

The consequence of sin is death. We have all sinned and we will all die. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

We have all broken God’s Law and deserve death.

Fortunately, however, this is not the end of God’s Word. In the Old Testament, God promised that he would send a Redeemer to crush the devil and defeat sin and death. That promise was fulfilled by the Good News of Jesus in the Gospel. God himself came down to earth and took our sins upon himself to the cross.

“For even the Son of Man came not be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us–for it is written “cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

“Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

“He, Himself, bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

“For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17).

God loves you. God wants you to be saved.

The only ones who are not worthy to be saved are those who reject God’s Word.

If you have fallen away from God’s Word — or if you have never known God’s Word — the Season of Lent is a good time to attend church and learn more of God’s love for you and his promise of eternal life to all who believe.

R. Timothy Eades is a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fredonia.