After many failures, the Wright brothers were finally successful in getting their flying machine off the ground. In December of 1903, they telegraphed the good news to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.”

Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper, showing him the message she had received. He quickly glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news–a human being had taken flight!

It is all too easy for us to “miss the point” of things. I think that happens to a lot of folks as far as Lent is concerned. The season of Lent is designed to help us remember that Jesus died. Not only that, but that He died because of what we have done. His very real death was to pay the very real penalty our sins deserve. That is why He chose to die in our place.

Celebrating Easter without remembering that Jesus died and why He died is missing the point. There would have been no Resurrection if there had been no crucifixion. Remembering the death of Jesus enables us to celebrate His victory over death in the proper context.

His death was our death for sin. He then gives us His resurrection as our victory over death. Faith grabs hold of what He did for you. Baptism is an extra added assurance that we have been joined to what Jesus did.

Romans 6:3–5 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Remember and reflect on the life and death of Jesus during this season of Lent.