The Washings of Passover: Maundy Thursday 2021

Sermon texts for tonight are:

John 13.1-11; Matthew 23.25-28; Matthew 27.24

The week of Passover was one of flurry of activities and preparations. Very similar to what many are doing these days as we prepare for Easter. In fact, a friend of mine made the astute and accurate comment about this week in churches, “It is busier than Christmas.” Someone commented on her thoughts with the phrase, “Holy Week is the Super Bowl for Churches.”

For the Jews Passover week, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was truly like Super Bowl. Only one day in the Jewish calendar was more important, the Day of Atonement. It is the first of the Jewish Feasts, and marks the beginning of their journey as a nation, finally leaving Egypt and slavery.

Matthew 23:25–27 NIV

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.

The washing of stuff.

The point for Jesus was never the “ceremonial washings” necessary steps to clean things. At the Passover, when Jesus said these words, both of the steps mentioned in Matthew were taken. The Jews during the days leading up to the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread did a deep cleaning of all “stuff”. The outside of tombs were cleaned and re-painted to look good. Everything had to be just right.

Yet, Jesus is making a point with the above verses: even if the outside is “nice” it doesn’t change the inside. At the same time if the outside looks terrible it doesn’t mean the inside is the same.

John 13:2–5 NIV

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

The washing of people.

This was a pivotal point in the sedar. Typically the host would only wash their hands, but Jesus was going to do things a little different. One that due to the nature of it shocked his disciples, and us to this day.

1st century life was not like we live today. Though hygiene has always been important people usually did not bath every day, at least not common folk. However, for many the marking of the feasts were also time to clean themselves as it was a special occasion. I’m not indicating the people were “dirty” as we know but they would have used the Passover as a reason to bath themselves.

As he gets around to Peter he reminds him of these words,

John 13:10 NIV

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

As we progress in the Holy Week story we come to another character; Pilot. Listen to these words.

Matthew 27:24 NIV

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

The washing of responsibility.

Pilot thought, as I do at times, that by cleaning his hands he would be able to clean his conscience.

My question this week and Maundy Thursday is this: how do we try to clean our responsibility like Pilate. We can shift responsibility to others but sometimes I have found my attempt to do that is just covering up my issues.

All of the washings of Passover serve as a reminder that we can’t do it ourselves.