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At Easter, Jesus' resurrection demonstrates the great gift of salvation given to us by God.  Lent is the time before Easter during which we are asked to reflect on our own weaknesses and selfishness and prepare ourselves to celebrate Jesus' gift. 

Lent was not started by Jesus, but instead was created by the early Church as a way to prepare for Easter. The church decided that the preparation time for Easter should be 40 days, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter.  The Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell a story about Jesus going into the desert for 40 days and being tempted by the devil.  Jesus did not give in to the devil and the angels helped him celebrate that victory in the desert. In the same way, after the 40 days of Lent, all Christians can celebrate Jesus' gift of victory over death with Him on Easter.

Lent is not a time to feel bad about yourself.  It is a time to think about the great gift of salvation and to honor that gift by working on becoming a better person.  Many people give up something they really like for Lent as a way to reflect Jesus' sacrifice in every day life.  However, Lent is not just another time for "New Year's Resolutions" or to make temporary changes.  Lent is a time to become more humble about the gifts given us by a gracious God.

By spending time during Lent thinking about how hard it is to become a better person - and how generous God has been to us - on Easter morning we can really understand and celebrate Jesus' resurrection and our own salvation with joyful hearts.