While many people are familiar with Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it was the events of Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, that set the wheels into motion for those events to take place.
Depending on the type of church that you attend, you may take part in daily services during Holy Week. However, many churches only conduct special services on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. While there is certainly nothing in the Bible that dictates that bodies of believers gather for special services on each day of Holy Week, it is still a good idea to spend some time reflecting on the events of Passion Week personally.
The four Gospel accounts record the events of Maundy Thursday, and it is certainly one of the most action-filled days of the Passion Week story. Today, reflect on the events and what they mean for you during this Holy Week.
The Last Supper
Mark 14:13-15 (NIV)
So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”
The first recorded event of Maundy Thursday was the Last Supper that Jesus shared with His disciples. In fact, the events that took place during this dinner inspired the name Maundy Thursday.
John 13:4 teaches us that just as the disciples had started eating, Jesus stood up, wrapped a towel around Himself, and began washing their feet. This act was the ultimate display of servant leadership. In Biblical times, washing guests’ feet was customary. After all, people walked barefoot or in sandals along dusty, unpaved roads. However, the fact that Christ, the King of Kings, would humble Himself enough to wash their feet was a powerful moment. It is also where we get the term “Maundy Thursday,” as “maundy” means “the washing of the saints’ feet.”
During the Last Supper, Christ created the concept of communion, which is still one of the sacraments observed by the Church today. Christ was illustrating to His disciples the fact that once His body was broken and His blood was poured out, He would live inside them through the Holy Spirit.
It was during this supper that Jesus announced to the disciples that one of them was going to betray Him. We know that by this point, Judas had already struck a deal with the high priests in which he would lead them to Jesus in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. When Jesus dropped that bombshell, each of the disciples began to ask questions before Christ revealed that it was Judas.
Isn’t it powerful to know that Jesus still loved Judas so much that He invited him to the dinner? Moreover, Jesus got down on His holy hands and knees and washed the feet of the person who was going to sell Him out to the Roman guards.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
John 16:7 (NIV)
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
Jesus’ discussion with His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit starts in John 14. However, it could easily be argued that this verse from John 16 is one of the most authoritative comments made by Christ concerning the Holy Spirit.
Can you imagine what the disciples thought when Jesus told them that it would be better for them that He went away? They were physically walking with God every day. They saw miracles, they heard sermons, and they saw His power on display. Then, Jesus told them that they would be better off without Him.
It wasn’t because He was leaving them. Instead, it was because He knew that the Holy Spirit inside them was of more benefit than His presence living beside them. The same Holy Spirit that Christ promised to His disciples live inside us.
Jesus Prayed for You
John 17:20-21 (NIV)
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
On the night of His arrest, Christ prayed for Himself. Not for His own protection, but that the events that He was about to endure would glorify God. Additionally, He prayed for His disciples. They were His friends, and He wanted them to be protected.
Then, He prayed for you. Each of us are believers because of the message of the disciples. The Gospel accounts present us with the story that we must believe in order to be saved. Christ prayed that we would live our lives in unity with other believers.
Isn’t it amazing to know that just hours before His arrest, trial, and ultimate crucifixion, Christ prayed for you? That is a powerful display of the love that He had for us before we ever came to be.
Christ Was Arrested
John 18:12-13 (NIV)
Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.
After the Last Supper, the washing of the disciples’ feet, and Jesus praying in the Garden, it was time for Him to be arrested. While He knew it was coming, the disciples were surprised that the end was coming so soon. In fact, Peter, in an act of boldness (or perhaps ignorance) pulled out a sword and swung it wildly at the head of one of the guards. He didn’t kill the man, instead cutting off His ear.
Christ further displayed His commitment to grace and forgiveness by picking up the ear and miraculously putting it back on the man’s head. Suddenly, the disciples scattered. This was the fulfillment of another prophecy from the Old Testament.
The arrest of Christ was a joint venture between the Roman government and the Jewish religious leaders of the day. The Roman government feared the idea of a Jewish Messiah who would overthrow their rule, and the Jewish religious leaders feared a man who could take away their authority by presenting the Gospel of grace.
Christ was arrested and taken first to Annas. Annas’ son-in-law was Caiaphas, the high priest during that year. Over the course of a single night, Jesus was dragged from Annas to Caiaphas for questioning. When Caiaphas was done with Him, He was taken to Pilate in the early hours of Friday morning.
The events that took place starting with Jesus’ conversation with Pilate took place on Good Friday. However, had there been no Maundy Thursday, there would have never been a Good Friday. Without Good Friday, there would have been no Easter Sunday. Today, thank God for the lessons that we can learn from Maundy Thursday.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the events of this week. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, and His love for all humanity. Help me to live a life worthy of the price that was paid for me. In Christ’s name, Amen.