Maundy Thursday 2023

INTRO: Good evening and welcome! Each year as we approach Easter Sunday, Christians around the world look back upon the events of the Holy Week- the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Most of us are familiar with the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion- the trial, the physical torture, and the offering of Himself to receive the wrath of God in place of those who would place their faith in Him.

Today, as we have noted, is Maundy Thursday. On this day some 2000 years ago, 3 major events unfolded in the upper room where Jesus and His disciples gathered.

Jesus washed the disciples feet, instituted the Lord’s Supper (New Covenant of His blood), and issued a new commandment to the disciples to “love one another”.

When we announced that we were having a Maundy Thursday service, I had several folks come to me and ask what this meant. A couple of you asked if we were going to wash feet. BTW- there’s a hose outside if you came needing your feet washed.

The word “maundy” comes from the Latin “mandatum novum” which simple means “new commandment” or “new mandate”. Tonight we will take a look back at this command- not simply for the sake of liturgy, but rather for the sake of applying this command in 2023.

As we begin our time, will you join me in prayer?

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Let us look together at the New Command. You’ll find it in

John 13:34–35 NASB95

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

And also reiterated in:

John 15:12–17 NASB95

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. “You are My friends if you do what I command you. “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. “This I command you, that you love one another.

While there is much we can expound upon, I want us to focus in on one main idea, that is “How do we love one another like Christ has loved us?”

This is an important question, and before we answer that, I want to make sure we know what love is. Love is not an emotion, though there are emotional expressions of love. Rather love is an intentional decision to seek God’s best for another individual. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 13

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NASB95

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

This is a tall order. But in loving one another as Christ loved us, we demonstrate that we belong to Him. IOW, our identity as Christians is declared through our actions. But so don’t we get sucked into the sinful perversion of these words, we are going to look at how Jesus demonstrated love on this night.

John 13:14–15 NASB95

“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

This foot washing had a purpose that was both practical and symbolic. In order for the disciples to gather around the dinner table, they needed to have clean feet- They didn’t have chairs, so they all kinda leaned upon one another. Dirty feet would then dirty the garments of the one sitting next to you.

This physical act then painted a spiritual picture - in order for the disciples to partake of the new covenant in Jesus, they needed to be invited to the table. Jesus demonstrated his love by humbling Himself and making sure they were unhindered in receiving the blessing offered. We are then commanded to do the same.

So it doesn’t make sense to physically wash feet in our culture. But we still have this command to love one another as Christ loves us. This means that what we have recieved from Christ, we extend to each other.

In fact, we see that Paul uses that very language in teaching the Corinthian church about the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:23 NASB95

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

So, how do we love one another as Christ loved us?

Practically, when we gather, we come NOT as customers to be served by events, or programs, but as fellow SERVANTS. We ought to look at each other and be willing to humbly do whatever it takes to ensure everyone has a seat at the table- that we are made ready to partake and live out the covenant extended by Christ.

We welcome others because Christ welcomed us.

We teach truth because Christ taught us

We give generously because Christ gave generously to us

We pray for other because Christ prayed for us

We correct sinful behavior because Christ corrected ours

We forgive the worst in each other because Christ forgave us

We do the lowly tasks because Christ humbled Himself for our sake.

John 15:13 NASB95

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Friends, I want to urge you to carry out this command. In just a moment, we will observe the Lord’s Supper- an ordinance that points us to the covenant in Christ’s blood.

That which I have received from Christ, I extend to you: 1st the Gospel. All have sinned and fall short of God’s standard of righteousness. The penalty for our sins is death. But God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, Jesus. And Jesus took upon Himself the penalty for our sins so that we could come to His table cleansed of our unrighteousness and be restored in communion with God.

If you are here and have never trusted Christ to cleanse you and reign in your life, you can do that right where you are. If you confess and turn from your sins and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, you will be saved. There’s not a magic set of words that saves you, but a sincere heart. If you desire that, allow me to lead you in a simple prayer.

Heavenly Father, I come to you a sinner in need of mercy. I know that I deserve your wrath, but based upon the promises of your Word - that Jesus died for my sins and rose again, I confess my sin and ask for forgiveness. I submit myself to Your authority and ask that you receive me as your child today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, please be sure to tell me or Pastor James after the service so we can give you some resources and further instruction.

And now, we extend to ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. This is extended to baptized believers of like faith. Even so, it is necessary that we take this Lord’s Supper cleansed- having no ongoing sin. As Paul warned in

1 Corinthians 11:27–29 NASB95

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

Let those who are serving, please come forward.

[PRAY]

Psalm 139:23 NASB95

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;