A LENTEN ADVENTURE for 2024: Monday February 19

 

Who then, is this JESUS, the center of all that exists? Let’s continue to discover Him today and in the next few days in the three remaining gospels of Mark, Luke and John – each one giving us a portrait with a unique face:

 

2. The Gospel of Mark: Christ, The Suffering Servant

• in Mark’s understanding, it was central to see Jesus as a servant, suffering a death by crucifixion for the sins of His people – a Jesus who, after speaking of His own cross, would state: “… Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) – there is no authentic faith or Christian living unless the cross is central

 

3. The Gospel of Luke: Christ, The Saviour of the World

• Luke was a doctor (Colossians 4:14) – educated, cultured and compassionate
• Luke was a historian (Luke 1:1-4) – writing “the certainty of the things”

a) The message of Luke: “good news” of salvation

• on the one hand, the removal of guilt through the forgiveness of sin; and on the other hand, the gift of the Holy Spirit through a new spiritual birth – forgiveness cleanses our past, and the Spirit transforms our future

b) The message of Luke: “good news” of salvation in Jesus Christ

• in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (also written by Luke), in chapter 4 verses 11 and 12, we read: “Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

c) The message of Luke: “good news” of salvation in Jesus Christ for the whole world

• Luke 3:6 says: “And all people will see God’s salvation.”
• And Acts 2:17 says: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

 

4. The Gospel of John: Christ, The Word Made Flesh

• John 1:1 and 14 begin: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, filled with grace and truth.”
• the God of the universe did not simply visit this world, He became incarnate as a human being and lived among human beings - ¡what a paradox! the Creator of all taking on the human weakness of His creatures – the Eternal entering time – the Almighty making Himself vulnerable – the Immortal dying for us

 

JESUS: central to all that exists. Described by four evangelists, in four gospels, in four portraits, telling four versions of the same story. The most significant, the most transcendental story of a life ever lived. The story that brings reason and purpose to our lives. The story of our salvation from sin and death. The story of our eternal reconciliation with our Creator. The story of JESUS.

 

That is why we are preparing ourselves spiritually for the commemoration of Holy Week. That is why we are practicing Lent.

 

Dear friends: what gospel will you choose to read in these days in order to draw nearer to Jesus? On which aspect of His being and His life do you want to focus?

• On Jesus: The Fulfillment of the Scriptures?
• On Jesus: The Suffering Servant?
• On Jesus: The Saviour of the World?
• On Jesus: The Word Made Flesh?

Whichever gospel you do choose to read in these days during Lent, my hope and my prayer is that we might all know and love the incomparable Christ eversomuch more deeply.

+ REFLECTIONS