According to Thom Turner, a Strategic Partnerships Research Manager at International Justice Mission (IJM), Christians may have got the wrong idea about Lent and Easter as being two separate events.
The writer for “The Curator” and “The Englewood Review of Books” goes on to say that most Christians view the cross as being the final part of Jesus’ mission here on earth because He died to save us from our sins. However, Turner believes Christians may be missing the point of Christ’s death, his resurrection back to life, and victory over death.
The blogger posted an op-ed on everydayliturgy.com stating that because Lent and Easter fall on separate dates — Lent beginning in the 40 days prior to Easter — most Christians focus on the cross and Jesus’ death.
Lent is a time when most Christians focus on things like darkness, suffering, temptation, repentance and death, while Easter is a time to remember joy, celebration, fish breakfasts and the resurrection of Christ. Turner believes this may be an incorrect way of thinking in our theology.
Turner says that we should combine our thoughts on Lent and Easter in order for us to be able to see the big picture. He adds that if we bring these two separate occasions together, we can see where the culmination of the story is not Jesus dying on the cross, but His resurrection back to life.
The Triduum “is the name given to the three days that encompass the death, burial and resurrection of Christ that happen on Maundy Thursday (Last Supper), Good Friday (Death), Holy Saturday (Burial) and Easter Morning (Resurrection), continues Turner.
However, some believe that Christ was crucified on either Wednesday or Thursday, in order for Him to be in the grave for three days and three nights so as to fulfill Scripture.
The graduate of Rutgers and Cairn University goes on to say that Christ overcame sin by His death and he overcame death by His resurrection, as it tells us in John 16. He adds that in order to fully comprehend the magnificence of the work that Christ performed and His amazing sacrifice, we should cling to both the cross and the resurrection.
