Maundy Thursday brings us special moments into Christ’s last few hours with his disciples. Break apart Christ washing the disciple’s feet for a moment. They must have been so thrown off and confused by what Christ was doing. How do you think you would have felt or reacted at that moment? Would you have questioned or hesitated? Would you have felt uncomfortable or been so drawn into the Lord?
What do you think was running through Judas’s head at that time? Scripture tells us that he had already decided to betray Jesus. What do you think was consuming him during that last supper?
1 Corinthians 11: 23-26, ESV
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for[a] you. Do this in remembrance of me.”[b] 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Have you ever imagined what this first communion was like? Did they understand? Were they going through the motions? Was there a level of knowledge deep within them of understanding this Covenant or what was about to come?
And then Jesus tells them they cannot go with him where they are going next. How weird would that be to hear! After all this time of always being with Jesus, witnessing his teachings and miracles, all of a sudden, they can’t come? This must have been such a confusing time for them. I like to think that the peace of the Lord radiated between all of them during these final hours.
Scripture to Meditate on:
John 13: 1-17, 31-35, ESV
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,[a] but is completely clean. And you[b] are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 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? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Others to read: Exodus 12: 1-4, 5-10, 11-14, Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19
Song of Meditation:
Remembrance by Hillsong Worship