Passion Week – Maundy Thursday
It’s Maundy Thursday today. We commemorate the events of Jesus’ final day before His crucifixion.
Our Lord demonstrated servant leadership by washing His disciples’ feet, a job reserved for the lowest of servants or slaves. They ate a Passover meal together, retired to the Garden for prayer, and he was betrayed sometime in the early morning of Friday.
Those events were followed by his mock trial, false conviction, torture, humiliation, and death on the cross, being buried in a borrowed tomb, and raised from the dead victorious.
So what makes today “Maundy?” The word is derived from the Latin mandatum, meaning commandment. On that final day, Jesus left His followers, and by extension, you and me, with two commandments, one implicit and the other explicit.
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13:12-17
The second instruction, or command, is far more explicit. Jesus implements the ordinance of communion.
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Luke 22:17-20
We are to take the bread and cup to remember what He has done, will do, and is doing for us. The Maundy Thursday “celebration and communion” service has largely been lost in the evangelical community. The church community is poorer for that.
Take some time today to remember in preparation for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. As we remember His sacrifice, may we remember to love one another as He loved us.
There will be no Gleanings until Tuesday, April 22. See you then. Happy Easter, my dear friends.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin