Entering Lent with Joy

As we walk into Lent this year, I find myself drawn to the theme of joy, which, like a divine soundtrack, is woven throughout the Gospels. It is a beautiful song, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, but always present, even when we meet Christ in the wilderness.

My reading for today, Ash Wednesday, was the Christmas story from Luke 2. As I read it, I was struck by the realization that the Gospel of Luke begins and ends with “great joy." The angel tells the shepherds that there is “good news of great joy” because the Savior has been born. It is the joy of new life, of hope being born, of God visiting His people; it is the joy of the shepherds.

Luke ends his gospel with the disciples’ great joy. “And they worshipped Him (Jesus) and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:52). It is the joy of completion—Jesus has finished the task for which He was sent, the salvation of all who call on Him. It is the joy of resurrection because death could not hold Him! It is the joy of a new purpose and new life for the disciples who will soon receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, Lent is a time of solemness, repentance, and reflection. Let us embrace it and spend time contemplating the sacrifice Jesus made for us. But at the same time, I want to listen carefully because underneath it all is the quiet music of joy. Jesus tells His disciples at the Last Supper, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).

May this season be a time when we hear God quietly reminding us that because of Jesus—because He met us in the wilderness and redeemed us from sin—we can always live with “great joy.”