Ash Wednesday

2 days ago
3 min read

It’s Ash Wednesday and we have begun this commemorative journey, of our Saviour’s forty days and forty nights disciplined time, as He made His way to be the Ultimate Sacrifice for you and for me. Indeed, Jesus not only gave His life for sinners, but He became our perfect, sufficient and eternally efficient High Priest.

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9: 12 – 15.

Ash Wednesday is always the first day, of the beginning of Lent. The word, ash, which precedes the word, Wednesday carries momentous significance for Christians of many different denominations. Whatever the tradition may be, one thing we all must agree upon is that ash comes from something which has been burnt. For example, when Christian believers, on this Ash Wednesday, receive the marking of ashes on their foreheads, a sign of penitence, these are never the ashes of Jesus. It is not, for example, as what obtains at the Lord’s Supper, where believers receive the broken Body of Jesus, in the bread or wafers given to them.

The ashes believers receive on Ash Wednesday, are ashes which have been prepared by the burning of palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations. The sign, marked in ashes on the heads or foreheads of worshippers, is always made in the sign of a cross. The Cross signifies the pain, suffering and death of Jesus on a crude, cruel cross of wood. The cross of ashes on the foreheads of those who have received them, is very personal and solemn, for, among other things, it makes these public declarations.

Denial of self – As Jesus gave up Himself to do His Heavenly Father’s Will.

Denouncement of worldly ways – As Jesus denounced the ways of the world in big and small things, to finish the work that was set before Him.

Decision to accept a disciplined Lenten walk – As Jesus was disciplined and resolutely walked this entire journey, and won, though sorely tempted by the devil.

Dedication to a higher calling – As Jesus learned obedience, even the death on the cross, so He glorified His Father and victoriously conquered, sin, death, hell and the grave.

Whether or not you have been marked with ashes on your heads, we all need to be marked with ashes in our hearts, if we are to victoriously walk this most personally privileged, fearfully frightening, demandingly disciplined, and courageously conquered walk with Jesus. How is this to be done, the marking and receiving of ashes in the heart?

We will receive this tomorrow, the second day of our forty days and forty nights, Lenten walk with Jesus.