Let’s start with a matching quiz.

Can you match these forthcoming dates with their significant events which follow? They are not in order here. Well, the dates are, just not the events. Chuckle.

March 2

March 5

March 9

April 13

April 18

April 20

Easter Sunday

Good Friday

Palm Sunday

Time Change Sunday (“Spring Forward” “Lose an hour”)

Ash Wednesday

Transfiguration Sunday

You’re smart. You figured it out right away. The Events are in reverse order to the dates.

So, mark your calendars.

March 2, this Sunday, is Transfiguration Sunday, which marks the event in the Bible where Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to the mountain and is “trans-figured” before them. What that means is that his “figure,” his face and clothes no longer looks like his earthly appearance, but instead are changed into his heavenly appearance, bright and shining with the brilliance of his heavenly stature.

Not only that, both also Moses and Elijah appear to give their affirmation that Jesus was indeed the Son of God sent down from heaven. The marking of this glorious and significant event brings to a conclusion the liturgical season of Epiphany, which started right after Christmas with the arrival of the wisemen giving their gifts to Jesus, affirming his true nature as The King of Kings. Throughout Epiphany the Church ponders the times and ways Jesus revealed his true heavenly nature.

March 5, this coming Wednesday, is Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent. Ash Wednesday is forty days before Easter, not counting the Sundays. Forty is a significant and important number in the Bible representing complete-ness, that something has been fully accomplished. Here are a few examples: for the flood it rained 40 days and 40 nights to completely cover the earth, the Children of Israel wondered in the wilderness for 40 years to cleanse them before entering the promised land, Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days to completely withstand the devil’s temptations.

Ash Wednesday is a day of solemn repentance. In many, many churches special worship services are held for “confession and forgiveness” and an ash cross is drawn upon the foreheads of worshippers, with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These words are the reminder that left to ourselves, we would only die and perish, but with the forgiveness due to the cross of Jesus, we have all our sins forgiven and in his resurrection we have eternal life.

March 9 is Time Change Sunday. Spring forward. I only mention this so you’ll mark your calendars and get up an hour early and get to church and Sunday School on time. I guarantee you all pastors will set two alarms to make sure they show up in the pulpit on time.

April 13 is Palm Sunday, one week before Easter. This day marks Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. As he rode in on a donkey, showing his true servant humility, the people greeted him with waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” These were expressions shouted to royalty as the people received him as their king, which, of course, was one of the earthly reasons he was crucified later that week.

April 18 is Good Friday. It was a terrible day because of the brutal crucifixion of Jesus, but to all sinners, which is all of us, it is a good day because the death of Jesus on that cross was the final sacrifice ever needed to take away the sin of the world. Churches will have special services to remember this solemn, yet “good” day in the history of all mankind. Watch for the scheduling of these services.

April 20 is Easter Sunday, the Festival of The Resurrection, the “Queen of all Feasts” in the life of the Church. This is the central event in all of Christian Faith. Without the resurrection of the crucified Christ, we have no unique and compelling faith to offer to the world. The beauty and majesty of every Easter service in every church proclaims that this is the best of all events in the history of the entire world. For sure, mark your calendars.

Yes, mark your calendars. Make these important dates priorities in your busy modern schedules. Say “Yes” to these. Say “No” to anything else that might keep you from being a part of these life-giving and life-changing events.

My calendar is set. I pray yours is, as well.

“These are the days the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in them.” And so we shall. Amen!