Maundy Thursday 2024.

Opening:

Pastor: Blessed be our God.

People: Now and for ever. Amen.

This is the night that Christ the Son of Man gathered with His disciples in the upper.

This is the night we remember Christ washing the Disciples’ feet, calling us to love one another as he has loved us.

This is the night that Christ our God gave us the Holy Feast, that we who eat this bread and drink this cup may here proclaim His perfect sacrifice.

This is the night that Christ the Lamb of God gave himself into the hands of those who would slay Him.

Let us Pray.

Almighty Father, whose most dear Son, on the night before He suffered, instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it in thankful remembrance of Jesus Christ our Savior, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: 559 Glory be to the Father.

Reading of John 13:1-17.

John 13:1–17 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, 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.”

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.

Hymn: 374 Whiter Than Snow.

Reading of Matthew 26:26-29.

Matthew 26:26–29“26 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.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 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.””

Hymn: 160 There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.

Prayer:

The Sermon:

Tonight we read two passages. We read how Christ washed the feet of the disciples and we read the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Traditionally this is what we focus on on Maundy Thursday. We focus on this because these two accounts tell what Christ did on the night before the crucifixion. Christ and the disciples gathered in the upper room and He washed their feet and gave them the covenant meal.

Interrogative:

What is it that we learn from these passages?

Text Idea:

These texts teach us much. John’s account teaches of the humility of Christ and how we are cleansed by Christ. In the covenant meal we see the physical representation of the body and blood and the true union we have with Christ.

So as we briefly look at these texts, let us humble ourselves before the Word of God.

Transition:

And let us examine first the humility of Christ.

The Humility of Christ.

Explanation:

As Christ prepared to make His sacrifice, He gathered with the disciples. John 13:1 “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.” Christ gathered with the disciples out of love. The text says He loved them to the end. But Judas was already a traitor. John 13:2 “2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,”

So what does Jesus do? The night before His torment and crucifixion? if you knew you were about to die, what would you do? Well, it probably would not be what Jesus did. Listen to what Jesus did.

John 13:3–5“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.” Jesus, the Lord of all creation begins to wash the feet of the disciples. He strips off his outer garments. Gathers water, and begins to kneel down and wash the feet of these twelve men.

Now I must explain something. In the ancient culture, feet were considered to be revolting. In fact, slaves did not even have to wash people’s feet. The lowest of slaves might be required to do this. In the ancient world, you did not wear shoes. You wore open sandals. All the dirt and grime of the day was on your feet. So Jesus, kneeling down to wash the feet of the disciples was the lowest of tasks.

Argumentation:

Christ here is modeling humility. But not just humility. He modeling ultimate humility. Here we instantly think of Philippians 2:3–8“3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Christ humbled himself. He, God almighty, became a man. He lowered Himself by taking on flesh. But He did not just become a man. He became a servant. That word is literally a slave. And He humbled Himself to death. Death on the cross for us.

And Jesus calls the disciples and us to this same humility. He says in John 13:12–16“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.” Jesus called the disciples to love one another. To be free of boasting and to serve one another. There is to be no arrogance or pride in our interactions. We are to be the servants of one another.

Transition:

But there is more to this account. Christ is doing this to teach humility. But Christ is also doing this as a sign and symbol. And the message is this: If Christ washes you, you are clean.

If Christ Washes You, You are Clean.

Explanation:

In the midst of this act, there is an interesting interaction with Peter. Listen again to John 13:6–11“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.””

Peter objects to Christ washing his feet. Instead Peter wants to wash Jesus’ feet. And Jesus answers Peter, ““If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Now Peter is all in. Peter wants Jesus to wash all of him, his head and hands too. This is a confusing interaction. Jesus then makes it even more confusing. Jesus says that the disciples are clean, all except one. Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him. He knew the heart of man. He knew His sheep. And Judas was not a sheep.

Argumentation:

But what does all this confusing language mean? What is with all this talk about washing? Physical washing is symbolic of spiritual washing. We see this most clearly in baptism. In baptism we pour water as a symbol of our spiritual washing and covenant status. In baptism we are washed by water, symbolizing the washing of the blood, and granting us entry into the New Covenant.

Here Christ is doing something very similar. He is tying this washing of the disciple’s feet to their status as clean. Christ knelt down and washed the disgusting feet of these twelve men. But in just one day, He would die, washing the even more disgusting sin from eleven of these twelve. The feet were disgusting. But the sin was worse. And this is what Jesus is saying. He is washing their feet as a sign. And that sign is this, if we are washed by Jesus, we are clean. Christ was giving the disciples a picture of what He was about to do for them on the cross.

But just as with baptism, not all who receive the sign are truly washed. There are those who are washed with the water, but who reject Christ. And they do this to their own damnation. Jesus says of Judas that “Not all of you are clean.” Judas’ feet were washed, but his soul was not washed.

But the picture is this, He who is washed by Christ is truly clean. So I ask you, are you washed? Has Christ washed your sins away? Have you been washed by baptism and the blood? If you have, then tonight’s covenant meal is for you.

Transition:

Which brings us to our next passage.

Introduction:

Listen to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:23–26“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 you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 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.”

On the night Jesus was betrayed He instituted the Lord’s Supper. Now the what and the when of this meal are important. What I mean it this: Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper during the passover meal. And this holds with it the idea of covenant renewal.

Covenant Renewal.

Explanation:

Some of you have likely heard me use this term, covenant renewal. But what does it mean? In the Old and New Covenant we see a sign given as welcome into covenant with God and we see an ongoing sign of renewing that covenant with God. This idea of Covenant renewal is what I really want to emphasize.

In the Old Covenant this was done through circumcision and the passover meal. When one was brought into the covenant the males of the household were circumcised. From then on the household was welcomed into the covenant meal of passover. There were many feasts for the covenant people in the Old Covenant, but the principle feast was that of passover. Every year the Covenant people of God would gather and feast. But this was no ordinary feast or celebration. It was a celebration of God saving them from slavery in Egypt.

No foreigners were allowed to eat this meal. It consisted of various things, but they all pointed to that salvation from Egypt. In the Old Covenant, this was the principle act of God saving His people. And God instituted this meal as a commemoration. All covenant members were to eat it. No one who did not bear the covenant sign of circumcision was permitted at the table.

The meal of passover was the renewal of the covenant. Circumcision was entry into the covenant but at the table, they were welcomed in consistency by God. They were given the sign of the meal as the constant reminder that they were the people of God. And it was a physical reminder of their covenant status. As they at the meal, they were declared by God to be His people and were declaring their salvation in God.

This was the night that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. He took already present elements in the passover meal an gave them new meaning. Present in the meal were unleavened bread and wine. The unleavened bread symbolized sinlessness. Leaven is a common picture of sin. So to have unleavened bread is to have a symbol of sinlessness. Bread is a symbol of blessing and provision. Wine is pictured in Scripture as blessing from God. It symbolizes God’s favor and abundance. The alcoholic nature of wine also symbolizes danger and potency.

However, Jesus deviates from the standard passover liturgy. And He does this for a reason. Here, Jesus is instituting the New Covenant meal. He claims that the elements of bread and wine are His body and blood.

This is what Jesus does. Mark 14:22–25“22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.””

Jesus says the bread is His body. “Take and eat. This is My Body.” Jesus says the wine is His blood. “Take and drink. This is my blood.”

Transition:

In doing this Jesus is saying that in Communion we have true union with Him. In Communion we have true union with Christ.

True Union With Christ.

Explanation:

The bread is His body. Jesus is the bread of life. He is mirrored in the bread. Christ is sinless. He is the perfect spotless Lamb of God. In Him there is no trace of sin. He is perfectly unleavened. Christ is our blessing and provision. In Him, we have all we need. He is our Great Provider. He is provision enough for the hungriest of souls. He is mirrored in unleavened bread.

The wine is His blood. Jesus is the true wine. He is mirrored in the wine. Christ is the blessing of God. In Christ our cup runneth over. God has poured out blessing on us in Christ. Christ is also truly dangerous. He is not safe. He is the Lord of all and punishes the wicked. He is mirrored in wine.

But there is more than just this. Christ is truly with us in this act. Spiritually, Christ is with us in the bread. Christ is with us in the wine. His body is seated in heaven right now. But His divinity is present with us always. But especially in the taking of His body and blood. This is why we call this the “body and blood.” It is not wrong to say this. This is His body and blood.

Argumentation:

And in this act Christ is with us. But what does this have to do with covenant renewal? Well, in the act of Communion, the members of the covenant are receiving from God the sign of their status in the covenant. In this meal God is showing us our status in Him. As we eat the bread we are reminded of Christ’s body broken for us. As we drink the wine we are reminded of Christ blood shed for us. And God is purposely reminding us that we are His people. That we are set apart for Him. That He is our God who has saved us and that we are His people who are saved.

And this is important for us to remember. This is not our sign. Same with baptism. These signs are not a sign of our commitment to God. These are signs of God’s promise to us. In this we are receiving from God, not giving to Him. We receive the body and blood as a sign from God of our continued welcome in Him.

Those baptized into Christ are members of the covenant. And in the table, those baptized into Christ are reminded and renewed. We are reminded of Christ’s death on the cross for us. We are reminded of our place in the covenant. And we are renewed in our covenant with God. We all still sin. But here at the table we are reminded of the fact that our works avail us nothing. Our works did not save us. Our works do not keep us saved. Our sin was paid for, once and for all on the cross. Here, we consistently renew the covenant though this often reminder.

And this is why we do this often. Jesus even uses language that speaks of frequency when he says, “do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” We are to constantly be reminded of the truth of Christ’s body broken for us and His blood shed for us.

Transition:

So as we prepare our hearts for the taking of communion I want you to remember these things.

Conclusion:

This was the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. And on this night, Jesus humbled Himself. He washed the feet of His disciples. And we learn this truth, those who have been washed by Christ are clean. Our sins are forgiven and we stand right before God. Not because of anything we have done, but because of what has been done for us.

For those who have been baptized, the table is open. And in the act of communion, we are reminded of Christ’s body broken for us. We are reminded of Christ’s blood shed for us.

Visualization:

Christ, after instituting this covenant meal for the church, went to the garden of Gethsemane. He there was betrayed by Judas. He there was abandoned by the disciples. He then was tried, beaten, scourged, and crucified. He died for our sins. But He did not remain in the grave. He rose, defeating the power of sin and the grave.

We now take this meal in memory not of defeat but in celebration of salvation.

Reiteration:

I want you all to ponder the beauty of what is happening here. Christ is welcoming us to the table. We celebrate this night because it was on this night that our Lord instituted this meal. And He welcomed in His church to partake of His body and His blood. Recall the meaning of the elements. Christ’s body was broken. Christ is mirrored in the bread. Christ’s blood was shed. He is mirrored in the cup. Let us pray, and partake as our Lord commands us.

Prayer:

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

Reading of 1 Corinthians 11:23–26“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 you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 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.”

Closing Prayer:

Closing Hymn: 559 Glory be to the Father.

Benediction:

May we live in the forgiveness of sins won for us through the vicarious death of Christ on our behalf.