What is the significance of Ash Wednesday?
While most Christians know that Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, some of the deeper meaning of the day may be unfamiliar to you. Our son Darrin once explained it this way, “Ash Wednesday is about a guy—It’s about Jesus. Ash Wednesday, like Christmas, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter all point to Jesus.”

Why 40 days?
In Matthew, we read, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Matthew 4:1-3 (NIV)

When Jesus taught the disciples what we call the Lord’s Prayer, he included the phrase, “Lead us not into temptation.” Jesus knew temptation from the beginning of his ministry to his death on the cross. At any time, he could have said, “Enough is enough,” and yielded to temptation, but he resisted temptation and became the offering for our transgressions.

The Lenten season can be a period of meditation and reflection. It can be a time when we make decisions to resist things that can pull us away from our relationship with God. In this effort, we can learn from how Jesus chose to resist the devil; he relied on prayer, and he turned to the Word of God. Jesus said to him, “Away from me Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” Matthew 4:10

Why ashes?
Ashes remind us of our mortality. “Then Abraham said, “I am only dust and ashes. Yet I have been brave to speak to the Lord. Genesis 18:27 (ICB)
Ashes represent humility and repentance. “I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” Job 42:6 (NLT)

Ashes represent mourning. They cry aloud over you and weep bitterly. They throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes. Ezekiel 27:30

Traditionally the ashes used on Ash Wednesday are the burned palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. The burned palm branches remind us of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, followed on Good Friday by his death on the cross. We mourn in remembrance.

But our grief is turned to gladness as we reflect on the words of the Apostle Paul, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55.

We look forward to Easter and our celebration of the resurrection.

Jesus said to her [Mary, the sister of Lazarus], “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;” John 11:25 (NIV)

Blessings,
Don & Bonnie Sennott
Graphic courtesy of Cambraza.blogspot.com