Lent: Jesus' Sacrifice for Us
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
2 Like a young plant or a root that sprouts in dry ground, the servant grew up obeying the . He wasn't some handsome king. Nothing about the way he looked made him attractive to us. 3 He was hated and rejected; his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering. No one wanted to look at him. We despised him and said, “He is a nobody!” 4 He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. 5 He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well. 6 All of us were like sheep that had wandered off. We had each gone our own way, but the gave him the punishment we deserved.
Isaiah 53:2b-6
9 God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. 10 Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.
1 John 4:9-11
Memory Verse
Isaiah 1:18
18 I, the Lord, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool.
Why did Jesus have to die? That’s one of the big questions you may have during Lent. And it’s a good question! After all, Jesus was perfect. He never did anything wrong. He loved everyone and obeyed God all the time. Why would Jesus have to suffer through people making fun of him and torturing him? Why did he have to suffer such a terrible, painful death on the cross?
During the Old Testament, God’s people sacrificed animals as a way to make atonement, or payment, for their sins. They would give an animal, like a lamb, as their offering to God to show they remembered their broken promises, turned away from their sins, and followed God. God’s people took great care when they picked an animal to sacrifice. They wouldn’t use one that was blemished or dirty; they chose flawless animals.
But God had a great rescue plan that wouldn’t just pay for the sins of one or two people; it would pay for the sins of the whole world. The world was so broken, so stained by sin, that only the perfect Son of God, Jesus, could fix it. Jesus sacrificed himself because he was perfect. We have all sinned and chosen to go our way instead of God’s. But Jesus took the punishment we deserved so we could be made right with God. We couldn’t fix our broken relationship with God, so God fixed it for us with Jesus’ self-sacrificing love.
Because Jesus died on the cross, the stain of our sin is washed away. We are clean and new again! And the good news is that the Easter story didn’t end on the cross; Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all. God raised Jesus from the dead. He is alive! Because Jesus is alive, we have hope that we will be with him forever and ever in a world without sin, sickness, or death. When you remember what Jesus did on the cross, thank Jesus for his incredible sacrifice.
Prayer
Dear God, I know I have chosen to go my way instead of yours. Thank you that Jesus paid the price for my sins and gave me a new life through him. Help me to remember his sacrifice and share the good news of his love. Amen.Related Resources
Areo Keller-Donahue
As soon as Areo could pick up a popsicle stick, she was making puppets and putting on plays that shared her faith with her neighbors. Areo grew up with a strong interest in musical theatre and earned her BFA at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Areo was led to use artistic gifts to share the gospel with young ones, and she became involved in ministry. She has worked in children's ministry at Redeemer Upper West Side and North Way Christian Community and is currently developing a musical live-action series that celebrates faith and fun. Areo and her husband live in Pittsburgh, where they enjoy spending time with their families and adorable cat, Daisy.