The Color Purple

Black is the color of Ash Wednesday as Pastor Ron Rollins 'imposes' ashes onto the forehead of church member Mrs. Harolyn Gruden

With the black of Ash Wednesday behind us, we enter the season of Lent with the color purple. But why purple? Purple suggests repentance and solemnity. Its deep dark richness invites us to slow down and consider the sacrifices Jesus did for us. 

Scripture tells us that the garment the guard put on Jesus during his trial and beatings was purple. And so, purple symbolizes pain, suffering, mourning and penitence. (Mark 15:16-20) Purple can symbolize both the pain and suffering leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus as well as the suffering of humanity and the world under sin.

But purple is also the color of royalty. It reminds us of Jesus’ resurrection and hope of newness that will be celebrated on Easter Sunday. Jesus is our King, our royal King.

We rejected our King, our Savior in the purple account of Mark, and mocked Him while He suffered and died for us. But Jesus rescued the color purple from the pits of sin, anguish, and despair and transformed it into a royal and majestic color.

Jesus has done the same for us, rescuing us from the grip of sin, death and the devil where we too are transformed… from sinner to saint and from death to life, all in Christ and by Christ, as we look enter the end of Lent - Passion Week - the bitter reminder of the sins which nailed Jesus to the cross… our sins. And then, just three days later, celebrating the Resurrection which is ours too, in Christ!

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Volume 12, Issue 3, Posted 5:26 PM, 03.09.2020