The days leading to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (the Lenten season) are some of the most significant of the year for many Christians in a variety of theological traditions. Whereas the Advent season is celebrated as a time of joyful anticipation, Lent is traditionally practiced with a sense of sober observance, characterized by repentance, self-denial, and an awareness of our sinful humanity that led to Christ’s atonement of our sins. While it is right and good for Christians to enter into a time of somber reflection as we look to the Cross, we don’t want to forget that this is a road with a joyful conclusion—the resurrection of Christ.
For this Easter and Lenten season, we will begin a journey down The Road to Joy.
The imagery of a road can evoke visions of sun-drenched stretches through the desert, tree-lined paths through the woods, or lonely highways traveling through the middle of nowhere. As we journey onward, we are met with numerous challenges as we get closer to our desired destination, but we press on courageously, convinced that it will have been worth it when we reach the end.
In some ways, this echoes our salvation stories, where we experience the sobering yet sanctifying reality of Christ’s death in our lives while never losing sight of the hopeful joy that his resurrecting power provides as we draw nearer to him, our desired destination. I pray that as you spend time reading and meditating on these hopeful reflections, your heart will be freshly renewed as you remember the one who endured the Cross, for the joy that was set before him.
Ronnie Martin is Director of Leader Care & Renewal for Harbor Network, and Pastor-In-Residence at Redeemer Community Church in Bloomington, IN. He has written several books, including In the Morning You Hear My Voice (B&H, 2025), and co-hosts The Heart of Pastoring podcast with Jared C. Wilson.
