Since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19‑22 ESV)
Today is a day of promises. It’s Valentine’s Day. Across our country, men and women of all ages are exchanging cards and gifts, going out to do something special, and expressing their love for each other. Those who are married have made a special promise to love and be faithful to the other until death parts them.
For Christians, today is a day of promises for another reason. Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. The season of Lent is a time when the promises God has made to you come into sharp focus in the direct accounts of Jesus’ arrest, suffering, and death. He promised those events would happen because of his grace. Because of our sins, we could never dream of living with him forever in heaven, where no sinful creatures belong. But in the events of Holy Week and Easter, God has shown us that our salvation has been accomplished by his Son. He has promised that our sins have been forgiven.
Because God’s loving, gracious promises to send our Savior have been fulfilled, the inspired writer tells us that we can draw near to God in a “new and living way” with our “hearts sprinkled clean” and our “bodies washed with pure water.”
Baptism is connected with the promises of Lent. Only because of the merciful promises of our Savior can we be certain of the promises that Baptism will cleanse us of our sins and convey the blessings of salvation to us. In Acts chapter 2 we hear specifically about Baptism: “The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (verse 39 ESV).
It’s coincidental that Valentine’s Day falls on the same day as Ash Wednesday; the last time this happened was in 1945!* Yet how meaningful, for today is a day when we begin our Lenten journey of God’s love—his fulfilled promises in Christ that are connected to Baptism.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the loving promises to which Baptism is connected. Bless us in the days ahead as we recount these fulfilled promises during Lent. Amen.
*This devotion was originally written and published in 2018, making 2024 the second time since 1945 that Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day have fallen on the same day.
This devotion was originally published in Meditations: Daily Devotional® Vol. 61, No. 1. (2018) All rights reserved.
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