Lent & Ash Wednesday

Ashley Brown
2 days ago
4 min read

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent.

So, what is Lent?

Lent is a 40-day season of preparation, reflection, prayer, and repentance leading up to Easter in Christian traditions.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalms 51:10 (NKJV)

The 40 days of Lent mirror the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, which helped prepare Him for His public ministry, as well as mirroring Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness from the Exodus of Egypt. Israel failed to obey in honoring God’s commandments and succumbed to temptation. Where Israel failed through disobedience, Jesus succeeded through faithfulness.

Before Jesus preached a single sermon or performed any miracles, He retreated into the wilderness. The fast was a time of spiritual preparation and strengthening. Jesus was focusing and aligning His earthly mission with the will of God, our Father. In those 40 days, Satan tried tempting Jesus, while Jesus rebuked Satan’s every offer. Jesus prayed and sought God’s glory, purpose, and grace. He prepared for a spiritual battle that would ultimately be His ministry, His trial, His execution, and His resurrection.

What were the temptations that Jesus faced?

The Gospels reveal that Jesus faced three major temptations from Satan. Each temptation represents a core human struggle.

Temptation #1: Hunger in the physical form.

Jesus was tempted to satisfy the human pangs of his body by turning stones into bread.

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Matthew 4:3&4 (NKJV)

Temptation #2: Pride & Self-Validation.

Jesus was tempted to prove Himself in the supernatural, to demand supernatural intercession, rescuing Himself from self-injury or human-suicidal ideology.

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city,

set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him,

“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

Jesus said to him,

“It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

Matthew 4:5-7 (NKJV)

Temptation #3: Selfish Ambition, Power & Control.

Jesus was asked to make a shortcut in His glory, to compromise God’s will and act in His own authority. Jesus stood firm. Glory belongs to God alone.

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain,

and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him,

“All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan!

For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God,

and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Matthew 4:8-11 (NKJV)

By experiencing hunger, loneliness, vulnerability, and the temptation of selfish ambition, Jesus fully accepted the human condition. His fasting period shows us that He understands the struggles we face because He too endured them Himself. Jesus demonstrated through fasting that dependence on God is our only lifeline.

Jesus corrected our defiance and disobedience and demonstrated His love for us in His mission here on Earth.

Why Ashes?

This day gets its name from the practice of marking a cross on the forehead with ashes. In the Old Testament, people rubbed ashes onto themselves not only in mourning but as a sign of humility before God. The ashes symbolize two truths: as humans, we are mortal, and as children of God, we are extended the gift of repentance.

When observing this holiday, we are invited to reflect on our lives, our choices, our purpose, and what direction our lives and our decisions will lead us in. Are we following Christ, are we subjecting ourselves to the cross, and seeking His guidance?

We are invited to confess our sins, to seek renewal and redemption in turning our directions from selfish ambitions to Christ’s intentions.

How can we be intentional in our reverence for this holiday?

We can begin in reflection, meditation, prayer, fasting, and honoring God’s ministry that He has set before us. We can recenter our focus, realign our heart-posture toward God, looking forward to the Hope that Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross and rising from the mortal death has gifted us.

We are Dust – But God is Merciful!