The goal of Lent is to refocus on the nature of the gospel, remembering the deep sacrifice, the sorrow, and the heaviness leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus.
Daily, we are tempted to move away from the cross. Lent has a beautiful way of putting us in our place—a place where we remember the unavoidable necessity of the cross. We am hopeless and helpless without the cross.
Author John Stott said, “The cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled but we have to get near enough to it for its sparks to fall on us.”
Here’s a roundup of resources designed to help you remember, contemplate, and repent.
May you draw near to Jesus and may the blazing fire of the cross engulf your life this Easter season.
- God Is on the Cross: Reflections on Lent and Easter by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Passages from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s letters and sermons provide special encouragement as readers prepare themselves spiritually for Holy Week and Easter Sunday. - Journey to the Cross
Each day consists of Scripture readings, meditations, reflection questions, and prayers—all aimed toward directing your heart to God and deepening your understanding of the events that led to Easter. - Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin Jr.
The meditations in Reliving the Passion follow the story as given in the gospel of Mark—from the moment when the chief priests plot to kill Jesus to the Resurrection. - Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter
Grouped around such themes as temptation, crucifixion, resurrection, and new life, Bread and Wine can be dipped into at leisure or used as a guide to daily devotions–and returned to at any time year for spiritual revitalization.
If you’re new to the practice of Lent, or you’re looking for a shorter reading plan, try these Easter and Lent Bible Reading Plans:
- Love To The Uttermost: Devotional Readings For Holy Week by John Piper
Kindle version available free of charge at www.desiringGod.org/uttermost
Do you use a reading plan for Lent? How do you focus on Christ and the cross in this season?
