Devotion 3 – Ash Wednesday: From Dust to Glory
Luke 9:28 About eight days after he said these words, Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 Just then, two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him! 31 They appeared in glory and were talking about his departure,[c] which he was going to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and those with him were weighed down with sleep, but when they were completely awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not realize what he was saying.
34 While he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them. They were afraid as they went into the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love.[d] Listen to him!” 36 After the voice had spoken, they found Jesus alone. They kept this secret and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
This past Sunday, we saw Jesus shine with uncreated light. His face is altered. His clothes flash like lightning. Moses and Elijah stand beside Him in splendor, and the disciples glimpse what had been veiled. They see glory. Yet in the middle of that radiance, Luke tells us that Jesus speaks of His departure, His exodus, which He is about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Even at the height of this glorious vision, the cross is in view. Glory and suffering meet on the mountain.
Ash Wednesday calls us into that meeting place.
We hear again that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. The words humble us. They steady our illusions of control. Genesis 2:7 reminds us that the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life. Our lives are a gift, not a possession. Psalm 103:14 reminds us, “For he knows how we were formed. He remembers that we are dust.” Ash is not meant to shame us but to tell the truth about us. We are fragile. We are dependent. We are mortal.
Yet the mountain reminds us of another truth. Dust is not our destiny in Christ. The One who shines in glory walks toward Jerusalem to carry our sin, to enter our suffering, and to defeat death itself. The disciples want to remain in brightness. Peter suggests building shelters to hold onto the moment. But Jesus does not stay. He descends the mountain and sets His face toward the cross. The road to resurrection passes through humility. The path to glory runs through repentance.
Repentance can feel like exposure. Ash upon the forehead is a visible confession that we cannot save ourselves. But fire does not destroy gold. It purifies it. What feels like diminishment becomes transformation in the hands of God. Because Christ has gone before us, suffering is not the final word. Because He has entered the dust of death and risen again, repentance is not despair. It is the doorway to hope.
On this day, confess your weakness honestly. Lay down pride. Acknowledge your dependence on grace. Return to the Lord with a whole heart. Lent begins not with self improvement but with surrender. As we bow low, we find that Christ meets us there. The One who shone on the mountain now walks with us in the valley. In Him, dust is not the end. In Him, we move from ashes toward resurrection.
Reflect: Where do I need to surrender pride and return to humility before God?
How does Christ’s journey from mountain to cross reshape my understanding of suffering and hope?
Prayer: Merciful Savior, You know that we are dust and yet You love us still. As we confess our sin and weakness, refine our hearts and draw us back to You. Lead us through repentance into resurrection hope. Teach us to walk humbly and to trust Your promise of glory beyond the cross. Help us find peace in Jesus. Amen.