Ash Wednesday: A Brief Introduction

Hello Friends,

A few days ago, the Church entered into a new season (although it is observed annually). Do you know what season I am talking about? No, it’s not Advent or Christmas. It is part of Easter. The season the Church entered is known as Lent. Lent marks the beginning of the Easter season; and it began a few days ago on what we call Ash Wednesday. So, I thought it would be wise to share with you a little bit about Lent and why it is so important to observe.

What is Lent? Lent is all about preparation. We prepare our hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter, those days that mark Christ’s passion–his death on the cross–and then his victory over death–rising from the tomb on the third day. We experience the significance of these two days during what is known as Holy Week, and it’s during Holy Week–which begins on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter–by which we prepare ourselves by retracing Christ’s journey to the cross. The season of Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter, lasting for 40 days (not counting Sundays). Each day of Lent symbolizes one of the 40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness before Satan tempted him. During Lent, Christians fast from something that can pull our minds way from Christ (TV, social media, chocolate, etc.). The goal is to fill the void with an invigorated prayer life and increased reflection on God’s holiness, our sin, and Christ’s perfect obedience even unto death. Essentially, it’s a span of time in which we seek to open ourselves up to Christ so that we can be made new by doing something that gets us closer to Christ.

What is Ash Wednesday? On Ash Wednesday, we acknowledge that no one gets out of this world alive, as strange as that may sound. Those who gather around the world for Ash Wednesday services receive a sign of the cross on their foreheads or on their hands from ashes (usually made from the palms used on Palm Sunday the previous year). This mark is a reminder of our mortality–we are all going to die–and a call for repentance. The person who gives the draws the cross says over you, “Dust you are, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19b).

Dust you are, and to dust you will return: This phrase comes from God’s response to Adam (Genesis 3:19). God reminds Adam of the effects of sin and of humanity’s dependence on God. Read Genesis 2:4–9. Adam and Eve turned away from God when they ate from the tree of knowledge. When we mark our foreheads or hands with ashes at the beginning of Lent, we are indicating that we are turning back to God. We have received God’s mark of protection as we find ways to return to Him.

Repent and Believe in the Gospel: Wearing ashes on our foreheads or hands is a tradition of repentance that comes from the Old Testament. There are several stories that mention ashes, but one that is easy for children to understand is the story of Jonah. When Jonah preached repentance to Nineveh, the king covered himself in sackcloth and ashes and ordered the people to do the same (Jonah 3:6–9). Ashes and scratchy clothes were a way for people to be humble before God and show that they were willing to make a big change in their lives. We are marked with ashes for the same reason: to show that we are willing to change. The physical symbol—ashes—is for our benefit. God knows what is in our hearts; the ashes remind us to turn our hearts toward God.

Conclusion: The Church gives us Lent as a time to change, to become a better version of ourselves, and to become more like Jesus. The ashes we receive on Ash Wednesday–marking the beginning of Lent and the Easter Season–remind us of our call to repent and believe in the Gospel. The disciplines of Lent—prayer, fasting, and (alms)giving—help us prepare for Christ’s victory on Easter.

During the Lenten Season, we are called to be changed: to set aside the old and put on the new, to seek forgiveness of our sins, and to spend time following Christ to the cross by getting rid of things that distract us from his message.

What are you going to give up for Lent? What are you going to do to better your walk with Christ?

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!