Shadows of the Cross: Ashes and Dust

Joel 2:12-13 “12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

It would seem like a strange ritual to you and me: tearing your clothing, putting on sackcloth, fasting, weeping loudly, covering yourself with dust and ashes. But it was normal to the people of the Old Testament. We can study the fine details of the cultural differences; we can try to tease out its origins; we can lament the fact that we don’t have those kind of generally recognized rituals in our day to express the most difficult feelings that we have to deal with. But it’s more than sufficient tonight to simply say that, for them, it was a sign of grief, of mourning, of repentance. And it was a shadow of the cross.

There is a lot to be said for it. Especially compared to our ways of dealing with grief, mourning, or deep repentance. In our day we often deal with them by not dealing with them. Instead, you and I distract ourselves with devices, try to numb ourselves with entertainment, or we quickly move on to other things.

Worse yet, when it comes to acts of repentance, you and I are even worse at it. We complain about ‘cancel culture’, but do we handle repentance any better in the church?

If you or I are the ones who have been wronged, we say that we forgive, like we know we’re supposed to do, but there’s no mechanism for reconciliation. The relationship is restored, at best, only grudgingly. On the other hand, when you or I are the ones who wronged someone else, a simple “I’m sorry,” is supposed to make everything better. Rarely do we even try to minimize the harm that was done by our actions, let alone show genuine contrition. And we won’t even get into the question of being sorry for what you’ve done as opposed to being sorry that you got caught.

And, regardless of what time frame you’re talking about, there’s the constant tension between the words and the heart. As the prophet Joel puts it, “return to [God] with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2:12-13a). Don’t just go through the motions. Even in this holy season of Lent, that temptation clings to us. If someone fasts in our day, it’s most likely with the rationale that, “I need to drop a few pounds, anyway.” There’s certainly no weeping or mourning related to it. Even if we still had the practice of tearing clothing as a sign of repentance, Joel’s warning would still resonate: “Rend your hearts and not your garments” (Joel 2:13). Jesus’ warnings are also timeless: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).

It’s really amazing how crafty and subtle and persistent Satan is, isn’t it? He doesn’t allow you even an inch of freedom from his schemes. Even in repentance he won’t just let you be. Even your repentance is not immune to his lies and deception.

That’s why these signs of repentance like tearing your clothing, putting on sackcloth, and sitting in dust and ashes are only a shadow of the cross. Because, there in Jesus, you see true repentance.

I doubt you’ve ever thought of Jesus going to the cross as an act of repentance, but it was. For your sake God made Him to be sin who knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21). He not only took your sin upon Himself to pay for it, He took it upon Himself so that He could repent of it for you.

What great lengths you and I go to in order to hide your guilt. And yet, bearing the full weight of your guilt, He willingly gave Himself over in your place. He had walked right through several crowds who were trying to kill Him. He could have called down legions of angels to defend Him.

Without fail, when you’re caught you have an explanation for what you did. He simply stood silent and accepted the punishment that your sins were due. As one false accusation after another was thrown at Him, He did not respond. He did not respond, in part, because He was no longer innocent. To be more precise, He was no more innocent than you are. And He claimed no mitigating factors, He didn’t justify any of those sins. Because they aren’t justifiable.

You and I put on a show of piety and repentance, trying to convince others that you really have changed, that you deserve a second chance. He accepting the scorn and mocking that your sin deserved to the point that David, centuries before, writes of His suffering: “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads...” (Psalm 22:6-7).

He didn’t tear His clothes because the one Old Testament exception to that practice was the robes of the High Priest. His robes were not to be torn. And so God saw to it that, as Christ offered Himself as the great sacrifice for sin, even His captors did not tear His tunic, but cast lots for it, instead. He didn’t get to put on sackcloth. Instead, He was stripped and clothed with the far less comfortable robe of your sins. But His strength was dried up like a potsherd and He was laid in the dust of death.

Seeing all of this, the Father rewarded Him richly. He did not let His Holy One see corruption and, instead, He raised Him on the third day, then crowned Him with glory and honor because of the suffering of death (Heb. 2:9), and seated Him at His right hand where He upholds the universe by the word of His power.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, especially during this penitential season of Lent, He invites you: “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13).

Return to the Lord your God in the knowledge that He sends His Holy Spirit to repent you; to give you, not only the perfect robe of Christ’s righteousness— which is a priestly robe, by the way!— but also the gift of Christ’s perfect repentance.

Return to the Lord your God in the expectation that the angels rejoice each time you repent.

Return to the Lord your God in the confidence that, even after you have returned to the dust from which you came, you will see God with your own eyes and the expectation that He has laid up for you the crown of righteousness, which He, the Righteous Judge, will award to you on that day.

Return to the Lord your God and discover, there, the possibility of reconciliation with one another. Discover the grace to forgive those who have sinned against you. Discover the true humility and repentance to show genuine contrition to those you’ve wronged.

“12 'Yet even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.’” Even our repentance is only a shadow of the cross.