Maundy Thursday
The Importance of Maundy Thursday
by ROBERT DRISKELL
“And he
took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank
of it. And he said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”
What is Maundy Thursday? Is
It Important?
Maundy Thursday is the name given to the Thursday before Easter Sunday. It is typically a time of reflection on the life of Jesus and is usually accompanied by partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
The word “maundy” is derived from the Latin
word “mandatum,” which means
command.
It is called this because Jesus, during the
last meal He would share with His disciples before He went to the cross, gave
His disciples instructions they were to follow.
Maundy Thursday had become an official part
of the church by the 4th or 5th century.
Maundy
Thursday is known by different names in different parts of the world.
It
is also called “Holy Thursday” and “Covenant Thursday” as well as “Shere
Thursday” and “Thursday of Mysteries.”
Regardless
of which name it goes by, it is celebrated in order to commemorate the Last
Supper of Jesus Christ.
Is
Maundy Thursday still an important day to observe?
The Focus of
Easter
During
the Easter season, Christians
tend to focus on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and
rightly so, for it is Jesus’ payment that makes forgiveness of our sins
possible.
However,
too often we overlook the events leading up to His death.
Although
He was fully God, He was also fully man.
He
knew what His future held; the humiliation, the torture, and finally the death
that He must endure to pay for our sins.
Too
often we brush past these aspects of His life without thinking deeply about
them.
Let
us look closely at the events that are commemorated in what is known as “Maundy
Thursday”.
The Lord’s Supper
What we now call the “Lord’s Supper” is also known as the
“Last Supper,” named after the last meal that Jesus had with His followers
before He was crucified.
While
I do not recall celebrating Maundy Thursday, I remember the Lord’s Supper as an
important reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
We
find the record of the Last Supper in three of the four Gospels and First
Corinthians.
Jesus’
last meal with His disciples before His crucifixion took place around the time
of the Passover.
The
Passover was a Jewish holiday that commemorated the time God delivered Israel
from the angel of death when Israel was in Egypt.
This
event (the Passover) would be on the disciple’s minds as they dined with Jesus
and would be extra meaningful (looking back) in light of the sacrifice He was
about to make.
His
death on the cross that provided deliverance for His people.
The First “Last”
Supper
“And when the hour came, he reclined at
table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly
desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will
not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke
22:14-16 ESV).
Jesus
gathered with His closest followers (and Judas) to share what He knew was to be
their last meal together before His crucifixion.
Even
though he told them that He was about to suffer and that His blood would be
poured out for their forgiveness, they apparently did not yet grasp the full
meaning of His words.
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread,
and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take,
eat; this is my body.’”
The
disciples did not understand the significance of Jesus’ actions at this time. They
still were hoping He would be instrumental in overthrowing the oppressive Roman
rule under which they existed.
However,
He was speaking of the death of His body and the fact that those who join Him,
by dying to self, will have true life.
“And he took a cup, and when he had given
thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them,
‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the
forgiveness of sins.’”
How
difficult it must have been for the human part of Jesus to be sharing this last
meal with His disciples, knowing what His immediate future held.
He
knew that He would shortly be facing daunting humiliation, painful torture, and the most lingering vile death known to man at that
time.
Still,
Jesus knew why He had to do what He was about to do. God’s love for humanity
was the impetus for Christ going to the cross.
No
other payment for man’s sin would suffice; and God’s love for us provided that
payment.
“I tell you I will not drink again of this
fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s
kingdom.”
Even
as Jesus partook of the last meal He would share with His disciples, He knew
that He would rise from the grave and meet with them again. This is the hope we
as Christians also carry with us.
Death
is not the final curtain; it is but a doorway to eternity. If our trust is in
Jesus Christ, we awaken to eternal life in His presence.
If
we reject Him and His lordship, our death ushers us into a life separated from
God, from His love, from hope, from joy, and from anything that can be
considered good in any way.
That
is why it is called “eternal
punishment” (Matthew 25:46).
(The text for the
Lord’s Supper narrative was taken from Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke
22:14-20)
Conclusion
The apostle Paul tells us why we should continue
celebrating the Lord’s Supper, “For as
often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death
until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26 ESV).
As
we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are called to recall Jesus’ sacrifice on
the cross for our sins. This is the heart of the Gospel message.
If
we are not faithful to spread this message of hope and forgiveness, there
remains no hope for the salvation of humanity.
Therefore,
whether one calls it Maundy Thursday, the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, it is
critically important for the life of the church and the eternal destiny of
humanity that we continue to take part in this memorial observance.
God the Father
chose to send Jesus to the cross to show His love and the seriousness of our
sin.
Jesus accepted to
take our punishment, to save all who would believe.
Why not receive
God's gift of salvation and become His child?
Open your heart
and say this prayer:
“Father God, I confess I am
a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.
I am truly sorry. I now want
to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You.
Please forgive me, and help
me avoid sinning again.
I believe that Your Son,
Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and
hears my prayer.
I invite Jesus to become the
Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank You
that according to Your Word, I am now born again.
Please send your Holy Spirit
to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. I promise to
study Your Word - the Bible.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus' Name I pray.
Amen.”
"WHOSOEVER
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,"
(Romans 10:13).
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“I’ll Meet You In the Morning”
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“I’ll Meet You In the Morning”
Writer: Albert Brumley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEiVahHmVeEGaitherVEVO
Music video by Bill & Gloria Gaither
performing I'll Meet You in the Morning (feat. Jim Murray, Michael English and
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lyrics
I'll meet you in the morning by the bright riverside
When all sorrow has drifted away
I'll be standin' at the portals when the gates open wide
At the close of life's long dreary day
I'll met you in the morning with a 'How do you do?'
And we'll sit down by the river and with rapture, auld acquaintance renewed
You'll know me in the morning by the smile that I wear
When I meet you in the morning by, in the city that is built four square
I will meet you in the morning in the sweet by and by
When all sorrow has drifted away
I'll be standin' at the portals when the gates open wide
At the close of life's long dreary day
I'll met you in the morning with a 'How do you do?'
And we'll sit down by the river and with rapture, auld acquaintance renewed
You'll know me in the morning by the smile that I wear
When I meet you in the morning by, in the city that is built four square
I will meet you in the morning in the sweet by and by
And exchange the old cross for a crown
There will be no disappointments and nobody shall die
In that land when life's sun goeth down
I'll meet you in the morning with a 'How do you do?'
And we'll sit down by the river and with rapture, auld acquaintance renewed
You'll know me in the morning by the smile that I wear
When I meet you in the morning in the city that is built four square.
There will be no disappointments and nobody shall die
In that land when life's sun goeth down
I'll meet you in the morning with a 'How do you do?'
And we'll sit down by the river and with rapture, auld acquaintance renewed
You'll know me in the morning by the smile that I wear
When I meet you in the morning in the city that is built four square.
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