Lent is the 40-day season before Easter when many Christians prepare their hearts through repentance, prayer, fasting, and generosity, recalling Jesus’ 40 desert days and his road to the cross. The prophet Joel calls, “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting” (Joel 2:12, ESV). In 2027, Lent runs from Ash Wednesday, February 10, to Easter, March 28.
Key Takeaways
- Lent is 40 days (Sundays aren’t counted) from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
- The word Lent comes from an Old English word for spring.
- Lent isn’t commanded in the Bible, but its practices are deeply biblical.
- It recalls Jesus’ 40-day fast (Matthew 4:1-11), Moses, Elijah, and Israel’s 40 years.
- The goal isn’t earning God’s favor but turning toward Christ, who already won it for us.
Lent 2027 Dates
| Day | Date (2027) |
|---|---|
| Ash Wednesday (Lent begins) | Wednesday, February 10 |
| Palm Sunday | Sunday, March 21 |
| Maundy Thursday | Thursday, March 25 |
| Good Friday | Friday, March 26 |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday, March 28 |
Where Did Lent Come From?
Early Christians prepared new believers for baptism at Easter with a time of teaching, prayer, and fasting. By the fourth century, many churches kept a 40-day season. Today Lent is observed by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and many other churches, and a growing number of evangelicals use it as a helpful rhythm, while others don’t observe it at all. Christians have freedom here (Romans 14:5-6).
Is Lent in the Bible?
The word and the season aren’t in Scripture. But the practices are: – Repentance: God calls his people to come back to him wholeheartedly, with fasting and tears, and to tear their hearts rather than their clothes (Joel 2:12-13). – Fasting: Jesus said when you fast, not if (Matthew 6:16-18). – Prayer and giving: taught in the same passage (Matthew 6:1-15). – The number 40: Moses on Sinai (Exodus 34:28), Elijah’s journey (1 Kings 19:8), Israel in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2), and Jesus’ fast (Matthew 4:2).
What Is Ash Wednesday?
On Ash Wednesday, many churches mark worshipers’ foreheads with ashes in the sign of a cross, often reminding them that we came from dust and will return to it (from Genesis 3:19). Ashes were a biblical sign of mourning and repentance (Job 42:6; Daniel 9:3). The cross shape points to the hope that answers our mortality.
How to Observe Lent (With the Right Heart)
- Give something up. Many fast from a food, social media, or a habit. Use the time you save to pray.
- Add something. Read a Gospel, pray daily, serve, or give generously.
- Repent specifically. Ask God to show you sin to turn from (Psalm 139:23-24).
- Read toward the cross. Follow Jesus’ last week in the Gospels.
- Keep it quiet. Jesus warned against fasting to be seen (Matthew 6:16-18).
A warning: Lent can become a self-improvement project or a way to earn God’s favor. It isn’t. We are saved by grace through faith, not by anything we do (Ephesians 2:8-9). Lent is about making room for Jesus, not proving yourself to him.
The Gospel Focus
Lent leads to Good Friday and Easter. Our repentance doesn’t pay for sin; Jesus’ death does. Our fasting doesn’t make us righteous; his obedience does. Lent simply turns our eyes to Jesus, who starts and completes our faith, and who bore the cross because of the joy ahead of him (Hebrews 12:2).
Related Bible studies
- Gospel Bible Studies: Free Gospel Bible studies on the life and teaching of Jesus: the Sermon on the Mount, the parables, His miracles, and the Great Commission, explained passage by passage.
- What Is Advent? Meaning, 2026 Dates and Traditions: What Advent is: the four weeks before Christmas when Christians remember Jesus’ first coming and wait for his return.
- Holy Week Timeline: A Holy Week timeline, day by day from Palm Sunday to Easter, with Scripture references from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
- Ash Wednesday Devotional: An Ash Wednesday devotional on Joel 2:12-13: rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to a gracious, merciful God.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lent and why do Christians observe it?
Lent is a 40-day season of preparation for Easter marked by repentance, prayer, fasting, and generosity. Christians observe it to remember Jesus’ 40 desert days and his road to the cross, and to return to God wholeheartedly (Joel 2:12). It’s a voluntary practice, not a requirement.
When does Lent start in 2027?
Lent 2027 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027, and ends at Easter on Sunday, March 28, 2027. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on March 21. Sundays aren’t counted in the 40 days because each Sunday celebrates the resurrection.
Is Lent biblical?
The season itself isn’t commanded in Scripture; it developed in the early church. But its practices are biblical: Jesus taught about fasting, prayer, and giving (Matthew 6:1-18, ESV), and the 40 days echo his fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). Christians are free to observe it or not (Romans 14:5-6).
Why are Sundays not counted in Lent?
Every Sunday is a little Easter, a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on a Sunday (John 20:1). So the 40 days of Lent are counted from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, skipping the six Sundays, which makes the season 46 calendar days long.
What should I give up for Lent?
Choose something that will help you depend on God, such as a favorite food, social media, or entertainment, and replace it with prayer, Scripture, or service. Jesus said fasting should be done for the Father, who sees what is hidden (Matthew 6:18). The point is drawing near to God, not self-improvement.
A Prayer for Lent
Lord, I return to you with all my heart. Show me the sin I need to turn from, and make room in my life for you. As I walk toward the cross this season, help me see Jesus more clearly and love him more dearly. Thank you that my hope rests not on my efforts but on his finished work. Amen.
Related: read: Devotional on Idolatry
Related: read: Lent Devotional
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.