Easter Garments: Clothed in Joy

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Psalm 30:11, NIV

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Easter Sunday is the day when many of us don new garments and head for church, hoping no one else is wearing the same new outfit we picked out! New clothes are a tradition for many of us as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. But what if, this year, we wore what Mordecai wore as he headed for the city gates after hearing horrible tidings of disaster for his people?

Mordecai trudged through the crowds toward the city gate, where hours earlier he had been working as a city official. Was it really only this morning he had taken his seat to counsel others? Only this morning when the soldiers came thundering through with the news? "All Jews will be executed!" they had cried. All Jews would be killed!

How could this be true? He no longer heard his own sobbing, for his cries were drowned by the weeping of others around him. He reached the gate and flung himself down, the sackcloth he wore chafed against his skin. His hair smelled of smoke from the ashes he had heaped upon his head. This was as far as he could go. If there was to be salvation for him and for his people it could not come from him. Dressed as they were, they could not pass through the gate. They would need someone to intervene. They would need a savior.

The story of Mordecai and the Jews creates a picture for us of our own spiritual condition. We are under a death sentence, as Romans 3:23 says. Before God we are guilty. Dressed as we are, we cannot get through the gate. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

Sackcloth and ashes represent repentance: admitting our sin and grieving over it. It's knowing that our sin is ugly and painful; it chafes against our very soul. We cannot save ourselves.

However, God in his providence made a way for our escape through Christ's death and resurrection and our repentance. Through repentance comes hope, as John reminds us in I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Dressed in the sackcloth of our sin and imperfect attempts at righteousness, we cannot get through the gate! Entrance into God's gift requires suitable clothes.

Jesus removes our soiled garments, just as the Angel of the Lord removed the soiled clothing of Joshua in Zechariah 3 and clothed him in white linen. Jesus takes away our soiled garments of sin and replaces them with his righteousness. Not only does he remove our sin, but he removes our sorrow, clothing us in joy!

What are you wearing to church this Easter Sunday? Why don't we all choose to wear the same wardrobe? However, let's not go clothed in our own righteous deeds, for we have sinned. Let's admit it and allow Him to replace our sack cloth with His garments of righteousness.

This Resurrection Sunday let's take the time to be thankful for the new garments Jesus has given to us!