Holy Thursday 2023

Dave - 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.

Ryan - 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, but is completely clean. And you 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.”

Dave - 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 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. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Ryan- 21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

Dave- 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.”

Ryan- 36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

The Messiah

From the actions seen in Verses 4-5 we have an overall summary of Jesus' life and ministry.

(1) Jesus ''rose from supper.'' God the Father, on His heavenly throne, rose from His place and responded to our need. He saw us in our sin, and He rose up in response.

(2) Jesus ''laid aside His garments.'' God laid aside His garment of glory and left heaven to take up the form of a human being. See Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 2:14a, 17.

(3) Jesus ''began to wash the disciples feet.'' Jesus came as a servant. Foot washing was practiced out of necessity. Jesus was not above doing the menial tasks, the ordinary, the things that no one else wanted to do or would do. Jesus took the ordinary things of life and made them holy. The basin and towel was his badge of service.

Jesus magnified the menial

Jesus glorified the ordinary

Jesus took notice of the necessary

And the ultimate act of service was Jesus giving his life for us. Jesus said about himself, ''For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.'' (10:.45).

Please Stand

o Man of Sorrows #242

o Corporate Reading Section #28 Pew Bible 1251

Isaiah 53:1–12 (ESV)

Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lordhas laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.

o The Old Rugged Cross #230 (you May be seated)

On the Thursday before Good Friday and Easter, many Christians observe Maundy Thursday.

o This day commemorates Jesus’s last supper with his disciples.

o During that meal in the upper room,

§ Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and

§ gave them a new commandment: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34).

§ The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning “command OR MANDATE”

The Mandate

John 13:34-35’ 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.””

(Love one another.)

· On this night The disciples relationship with Jesus is changing. They will still follow his teaching and commands, but they will no longer physically follow him.

· That’s not the only relationship that’s changing. Their relationship with one another is undergoing a radical overhaul.

· With Jesus’s departure they are now being brought into a new community that will be defined by love.

o When Jesus was on earth, how would someone know that a person was a disciple of Jesus?

§ The answer is easy.

§ They would watch them.

§ If they followed Jesus around from place to place and listened to his teaching, then they were one of his disciples.

· That’s fine when he’s on the earth,

o but now what are they going to do?

o How will anyone recognize them as his disciples if he isn’t around?

· “They will know you are my disciples because I am forming you into a new community that will operate on principles of love” (vv. 34-35; my paraphrase).

· Three times in these two verses Jesus says, “one another.” The “one anothers” are his disciples.

· There is to be a community of disciples identifiable to the world by their love for one another.

o He is not leaving the disciples alone .

o He is leaving them together .

o Because of their relationship with him, they have a relationship with one another.

· He addresses them all as children, an intimate, family term. This is what he is leaving behind: a group of God’s children, a band of brothers who serve one another in humility and love. That’s what a church is.

· He calls this command to love one another a “new” command, but there’s nothing new about God giving a command to love others. All the way back in Leviticus we find the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” ( 19:18).

· In what sense is this command new?

o First , it’s new because it has its source in Christ’s love for them.

§ The command is to love one another as Christ has loved them. Here is a new standard for love.

§ This is the ultimate example of our love for one another.

§ We are to see Jesus’s sacrificial, selfless love as the measure, goal, and enabling force of our love for one another.

§ Also, our love for one another is only possible because of what Jesus did on the cross. Had he not paid for our sins and given us a new, righteous nature, we would be unable to love one another.

§ I can love now because he first loved me. So it’s a new command because of his love, which enables and exemplifies sacrificial love.

o Second , it’s new because it will define a community that is just coming into existence.

§ Every organization is identified by certain characteristics. If you see a big, brown truck with yellow letters and a man dressed in brown steps out to deliver a package, you can identify the organization.

§ Churches should not be identified by a white steeple, a sign with clever sayings, or a large wooden cross;

§ they should be identified by the quality of one member’s love for another.

§ Genuine disciples of Jesus cannot be identified on the basis of a cross tattoo, fish decal, or “I ❤Jesus” mug.

§ Jesus says in effect, “My disciples will be distinct because of their love.”

§ People will see their love for one another and the only response they’ll be able to make is, “Wow, they must be followers of Jesus.”

Jesus is TELLING use to be people of TRUTH, LOVE, AND SERVICE.

Please Stand

· Blest Be The Tie That Binds #389

· How Deep A Father’s Love For Us #101 (you May be seated)

The Meal -

Luke 22:14–20 (ESV)

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 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.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

The Lord’s Supper is a chance to be reminded of Jesus’ love for us.

· When we hold the bread and the cup, it is a vivid reminder that Jesus loves us.

o He loves us so much he gave his very life to save us.

o He loves us so much he died the most horrid death in the universe so we wouldn’t need to die eternally.

· When we celebrate communion,

o holding the bread and cup should move us to tears —

o not tears of sadness but tears of joy

o that God loves us so much he sent his own son to die for us.

· We cannot be loved any more than we are right now through Jesus.

The Lord’s Supper is a regular chance for us to rededicate ourselves to Christ.

· When we celebrate communion,

o holding the bread and drinking the cup

o is a tangible opportunity for us to remember what Jesus has done for us and

o to rededicate our lives to Jesus after all he has done for us.

· In the busyness of life,

o it is easy to drift away from Jesus.

o The Lord’s Supper is a regularly opportunity to recommit ourselves to Christ.

The Lord’s Supper provides spiritual nourishment from Jesus.

· Just as ordinary food nourishes the body physically, the Lord’s Supper nourishes us spiritually.

o This nourishment doesn’t come from a supernatural transformation in the elements of the Lord’s Supper.

o It comes from obedience to God’s commands.

· God nourishes our walk with him in a number of ways.

o He uses the reading of the Bible to nourish us.

o He uses the preaching of the Bible to nourish us.

o He uses worship music and singing to nourish us.

o He uses the fellowship of the church body to strengthen our walk in Christ.

o Yes, he uses observing the Lord’s Supper as another way to nourish and strengthen our relationship with Jesus.

· How does he do this by taking the Supper we are reminded of where we fall short.

o It helps us keep accounts short.

o It is a flashing red light that tells us to stop what we are doing, because Christ has saved

§ us from the slavery of sin and freed us form the power of our sin. This supper reminds us we have a choice to heed Christ Voice and call our for help and forgiveness or to follow the call of sin.

· Examination and Confession (Stay Seated)

· Just As I Am #435 (Ryan)

· The Bread

The millions of Passover lambs sacrificed over the years,

including those sacrificed on that particular day (Luke 22:1, 7),

were all meant to point forward to the one real Passover lamb,

who would shed his blood to protect his people from judgment.

Jesus was about to stand in as the true Passover lamb, who would be sacrificed for the sins of his people.

Prayer /Take the Bread

· The Cup

Just as the blood of the slaughtered lamb in the exodus offered protection from the plague on the firstborn,

so now the blood of Jesus shelters his people from the awful and fearsome consequences of their sin.

God’s judgment does not fall on the one who is protected by the “blood of the Lamb”, Jesus has taken our punishment.

Prayer/Take the Cup

Please Stand When I Survey #234

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