Lent began on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, and concludes on Holy Saturday, April 4, 2026, leading to the celebration of Easter on April 5, 2026. Throughout these forty days, we will provide daily devotionals—including Scripture, meditation, and prayer—to help you walk more intentionally with Christ. May this sacred season deepen your hunger for God and your desire to be conformed to the image of His Son. These devotionals came from one of our many resources, Once a day, 40 Days to Easter. You can find this book on our website at www.kenboa.org. In the 40 days of Lent, Sundays are not included so there will no devotionals on these days.
Day 23 (March 16)
John 15:1-17
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last -- and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”
Meditation
The Promised Land had been filled with grape vines, branches everywhere, weighed down by enormous bunches fruit. The grapevine had become a symbol of the people of Israel, and gold clusters of grapes hung over the temple gate. Those listening to Jesus knew that Israel was the vine that God took from Egypt and planted in the Promised Land. They knew from the Psalms, from Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel that the vine had been a disappointment when it failed to produce fruit. It was a symbol of their intended purpose, but it was also a reminder of their failure. Leaves and fruit on a grapevine were good, but branches that did not produce were not strong enough to build anything with; their only use was as firewood, and God had told them this. So when Jesus opened his mouth to speak of a vine on this day, they may have been holding their breath. Or they may have noticed that he said he was the “true” vine, and that may have stung a little. But if they listened closely, they would see that Jesus was giving them another chance. By no good of their own doing (v. 16), they had been chosen by Jesus to receive a second chance and a source of strength. Branches which produce fruit must come from a reliable vine. Here stood that reliable source with an opportunity for them to overcome failure, to live to glorify God again. If they would remain in loving union with him, find their life purpose, their strength and their deepest pleasure in him, they could produce something that would last forever and be truly significant. If they understood what he was saying, they would see that this was an offer as gigantic as a six-pound bunch of grapes. And if we are wise, it is ours to see it this way too.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the True Vine, and without you I can do nothing of lasting value. As a branch derives its life from the vine, may I abide in you and draw upon your resources rather than attempting to live in my own power. I know that it is only as I maintain this connection with you that I will be able to bear fruit that will endure and glorify your name forever. Teach me the joy of living in utter dependence upon you, seeing you as the conduit of real life. It is only from you that I draw the nourishment necessary to be sustained in this dry and weary land. Grant that I may know you in a personal way, and may that growing knowledge create in me a thirst to share you with others. As I grow in my love for you, may I also grow in my obedience to you so that I will be known as your true disciple. In your life-giving name I pray. Amen.
Day 24 (March 17)
John 13:1-17
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
Meditation
Jesus of Nazareth had gained quite a following. People were looking for him to do something great, lead an uprising, fight for a new kingdom, a new position, more power. But he rejected the popular idea of greatness in order to introduce God’s idea of it. No one, before or since, has ever embodied this virtue better than Jesus did, and there is no time he more clearly modeled it than on the night prior to his crucifixion. You might remember that the disciples got into a little scuffle after dinner about which one of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). Apparently, the lesson Jesus had doled out to the Pharisees six months before about sitting in the lowest positions, rather than elbowing their way to the top, had been forgotten (Luke 14:7). Luke gives us a straightforward account of Jesus’ verbal response to those disciples: “The least among you will be the greatest.” But here we have his visual response, a parable about service, performed by the greatest man who ever lived. When no servant was available to wash their feet, Jesus assumed the role. The Master became a servant. The Most High got down on his knees. Jesus horrified his own disciples by demonstrating to them the divine perspective, which turned their entire social order upside down. And then he commanded them to do the same. In one stunning act, Jesus demonstrated that, in the kingdom of God, service is not the path to greatness; service is greatness.
Prayer
Lord God, just as your beloved Son came into the world to serve others and not be served himself, I, too, want to be a servant. The more I grasp my true identity and the dignity of my station as your beloved child, the more free I become to serve others even when they do not reciprocate, and the less I am in the bondage of being defined by the opinions and expectations others have of me. I want you to define me so I can be liberated. I want to know who I am in Christ so I have nothing to prove. I invite your Holy Spirit to make it possible for me to live an other-centered lifestyle. Teach me how to develop a vision for what you are doing in the lives of others, and give me the joy of helping them mature and reach their potential. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.
Day 25 (March 18)
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Luke 19:29-31
As [Jesus] approached Bethpage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
Matthew 21:4-5
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Luke 19:32-39
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Matthew 21:10-11
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Luke 19:39-40
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Meditation
The Gospels never record Jesus riding anything until now; he walked everywhere. So it seems that this day, he is making a point: He really is the Messiah that Zechariah had promised. It is a little humorous to think about him on this tiny animal, not a donkey (the sign of a king who comes in peace), but a donkey’s foal. Jesus uses the most extreme example he can to show people how serious he is about fulfilling this prophecy. But, like so many of us, people then saw what they want to see. They cheer. but what they are cheering is not the real Messiah. They are hailing a king they hope will set them free from Roman oppression when he wants to free them from all oppression. They hail him with date palm branches that signify Jewish nationalism and so try to hang on him their own political aspirations. Sound familiar? Even if you had not read this story, you might be able to guess what happens next. What always happens when we try to make God accomplish our aspirations? He refuses. Jesus rides his donkey through the eastern entrance to Jerusalem straight toward the temple, and then does nothing. And when Jesus failed to do what they wished him to do, they turned on him. And soon, instead of singing, “Blessed is the king!,” they shouted “crucify!” because it was blasphemy for this man who would not fulfill their desires to be called king. And so he went to the cross, not defeated, but to do exactly as he had planned all along.
Prayer
Lord of glory and wisdom, your sovereign plans and purposes cannot be thwarted by the sinful choices of humanity. All that you have planned in your perfect wisdom will be fully accomplished, and resistance is, indeed, futile and foolish. Though will and ways are lofty and unattainable by human comprehension, you have revealed to me everything I need to grow in intimacy with you. You give me the dignity of being a moral agent whose decisions will matter, so I ask that the choices I make would be in conformity with your good and acceptable. Please clarify your desires for me through the burdens and aspirations you plant within my heart. May I seek your guidance and power in transforming these burdens and aspirations into action so that I will honor your name by accomplishing your will in my lifetime. I only want to cooperate with you as you order my steps. In your holy name I pray. Amen.
Day 26 (March 19)
Jeremiah 31:31, 33
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,” when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.... This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Ezekiel 36:26-27
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Luke 22:19
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Matthew 26:27-29
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
1 Corinthians 11:26
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Acts 2:41-42, 46-47
Those who accepted [Peter’s] message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Meditation
God did not give the Israelites the 10 Commandments so they would obey and be saved. He saved them and then gave them the Law so they would know how to live as his people. But God knew they would not be able to keep the Law. He knew his people had a sin nature that would inevitably override their desire to be obedient. In fact, it was always his plan to use the Law to tutor them along, restraining them externally until the time was right. Then God would do something really astonishing. He would put his Spirit inside of his people, and they would begin being transformed from within. But there was much debate over when that day would come. When would this new covenant take effect? What were the conditions necessary for God to implement the fullness of his plan? Oddly enough, the pathway to life for humans required the death of the Son of God. And so it was that Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took up two simple elements: bread and wine. He blessed them and distributed them to his friends, saying, “The time has come. The new covenant will be ratified by my blood and my blood alone.” The bread would represent his broken body, and the wine is his blood. He will do it all. Our task is to simply remember, and as often as we do this, we proclaim the benefits of his death until his return.
Prayer
Lord God, by the power of your Holy Spirit at work within me, teach me to desire you more than anything else, to will what you command, to hope in your promises, to trust in you and to wait for your timing in all things. I confess that it is often easy to overlook the voice of your Spirit in the constant noise and bustle of this world. And yet I know that it is impossible for me to live the Christian life without his presence and power. He produces the life of Christ within me, and I will only bear the fruit of the Spirit as I yield to his guidance. Thank you for instituting this new covenant. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. May I never grieve or quench his work in my life. May I walk in utter dependence upon his comfort and counsel. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Day 27 (March 20)
Luke 23:4-12
Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.” On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends -- before this they had been enemies.
Matthew 12:38-41
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.”
Luke 16:29-31
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Meditation
Herod had power. It was limited by the Romans, to be sure, but it was there. He knew what it felt like to wave his hand or utter a word and see his will done. Powerful men are often fascinated by other powerful men, and Herod had heard all about Jesus’ astonishing abilities. It had been said that Jesus could heal sick people, feed large crowds, even walk on water. So, Herod was actually excited to see Jesus. He wants nothing more that to see Jesus perform one of those magic tricks. But Jesus disappoints. He refuses to play along. And this is something we do not readily admit very often: he does the same with us. Jesus is many things. Loving. Wise. Patient. Humble. The perfect embodiment of both grace and truth. And, if we are honest we are forced to add that Jesus is frustrating. He refuses to cooperate with our plans for him. He has his own agenda, and he will not be swayed from it. Of course, if Herod had just waited he would receive the greatest sign imaginable. In three days, Jesus would come back to life. But that was not the kind of sign Herod wanted. He wanted a coin trick or a card trick or something slightly amusing. He did not want something that might actually have implications for how he ought to live. Strange as it seems, Herod was actually alive and probably in town when Jesus came out of the tomb. But he was not convinced even though someone rose from the dead. Some people are like that.
Prayer
Loving Savior, I live in a time of doubt and skepticism. But the Gospels proclaim the many amazing things you did in your lifetime. You demonstrated your authority over nature, demons and disease. And then you conquered death. But you did all of this on your own timetable, refusing to be manipulated by humans. You never bent to our agenda. Instead, you ask us to bend to yours. Teach me to look beyond what you may be able to do for me and see you for who you are. Show me the wisdom of seeking your face and the joy of knowing your presence. And remind me that the greatest sign of all is not a little more food or a quieted storm but the promise of life beyond the grave, reveling in all of eternity with you. In your strong and mighty name I pray. Amen.
Day 28 (March 21)
Genesis 2:16-17
And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Genesis 3:6-7
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Romans 5:12, 15-19
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned –
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Meditation
The record of human history can be viewed as the story of the conflict between the power of sin and the power of God’s grace. God graciously begins by planting a garden and placing a man named Adam and his wife there. Through Adam’s sin, evil invades and corrupts their place of blessing, forcing them away from God’s presence and alienating them from one another. Grace responds by promising to ultimately destroy the power of evil. Sin retaliates by bringing violence and bloodshed into the world and multiplying it throughout the generations. Grace offers a childless couple a baby. Sin enslaves the children of Abraham in Egypt. Grace delivers them through the Red Sea. On and on the story goes. Sin and grace wrestle to see which side will have the upper hand. But little by little it becomes clear that grace is establishing its position, gaining the upper hand, preparing to land its decisive and crushing blow. Grace takes on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Sin lashes out trying to kill the child. Grace finds a safe place for him in Egypt. Sin tempts Jesus. Grace defeats temptation. The blind see. The lame walk. Demons shriek. Sin musters its strength for one final battle, but grace wins in the most astonishing turn of events. There is One over whom sin has no power and over whom death has no hold. Only he is able to release those held hostage to the sin Adam allowed into the world.
Prayer
Almighty Father, I give you praise and honor that in Jesus Christ you have given me so much more than forgiveness and instruction. You saw my deepest need and have sent your Son to set me free from the law of sin and death. I thank you that his grace is greater than the power of sin. And now, because his grace reigns in my life, I can live victoriously, triumphing in my struggle with sin and secure in my final destination. When my faith grows weak, remind me that sin is no longer my master. Sustain me in my struggle and protect me from the lies of the enemy. Thank you that your grace has brought me through many dangers, toils and snares. Thank you that your grace will lead me to my final home with you. I pray all of this through the power and strength of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.