Wow, Holy Thursday (sometimes referred
to as Maundy Thursday) is already upon us. I hope that your devotional time has
been fruitful this week as we slowly build to the joyous resurrection that
secured for us the possibility of eternal life.
There has been and will continue to be quite a bit of content on the
blog this week. Check out the links
below to visit my previous Holy Week blog entries.
Palm Sunday:
Reflecting on Jesus’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem.
Life as a Christian:
Some introspective thoughts on how my life has changed since I reverted to
practicing my Christian faith about three years ago.
On to tonight’s
topic.
Holy Thursday is marked by the
last meal Jesus shared with His disciples in the upper room. This meal is
usually referred to as the Last Supper. To prepare for this blog posting, I
read through the Last Supper account in each of the four Gospels. Per usual, Matthew,
Mark, and Luke record the events as unfolding in a very similar manner while
John’s version and timeline differ slightly. It is generally understood that
Mark’s Gospel was the first to be written with Matthew and Luke using Mark’s
Gospel writings as an outline for their own. John’s Gospel was written down
much later than the other three. I’m getting off track here, but this is a key
point to understand when reading through the Gospels.
For the purposes of this
reflection, I’ll be using Matthew’s account in Chapter 26. The story of the
Last Supper begins with Matthew telling us that the authorities were plotting
to have Jesus killed, but wanted to wait as the feast of the Passover was
approaching and they did not want to upset the Jewish people. This temporary delay of the inevitable allowed
Jesus to share one last meal with His faithful disciples. Well, eleven of the
twelve disciples were faithful. Satan had already entered the heart of Judas Iscariot
in order that he would eventually betray Jesus for a measly thirty pieces of
silver.
Jesus then directs His disciples
to head to the upper room to prepare the Passover meal. The Passover was a
Jewish ritual celebration dating back to the days of Exodus. In the time of Exodus, the Jewish people were
enslaved in the land of Egypt. As the Jewish people were chosen by God, Moses
was tasked with leading the Jews out of Egypt and into the promised land (Remember
the burning bush?). In the course of the Exodus, a series of plagues afflicted
the Egyptians. The last plague was that the first-born male of each Egyptian
family would be killed. In order that this awful plague would “pass over” the
Jewish people, they were instructed to slaughter a sacrificial lamb and to mark
their door with the blood of the lamb. If this task was completed, the
household would be spared. Eventually, the Jewish people escaped Egypt and
reached the promised land, which we now know as the present-day state of
Israel. To commemorate the exodus from Egypt, the Passover celebration was inaugurated
and included the annual killing and eating of a sacrificial lamb.
Back in
the upper room with his twelve disciples, the annual Passover feast had
commenced. In verse 26, Jesus begins to
introduce to us what will become known as the Words of Institution for the Lord’s
Supper – an act of worship that persists as a means of Grace to this very day. Matthew chapter 26, verses 26 through 28 are vital
to our faith as Christians. The Scriptures reads as follows: “While they
were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke
it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my
body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it
to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which
is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Wow! There’s so much rich Gospel
truth contained in these three short verses. There has been and continues to be
much debate over the nature of Jesus’s words in these verses. Was Jesus
speaking literally or figuratively when he proclaimed, “this is my body” and
then later, “this is my blood”? That’s a debate that won’t be settled in this
space. (I’d love to discuss it with any
of you though!) And in the spirit of unity, I won’t try to settle the debate
tonight. Holy Week is a time to unite Christians worldwide through our common
belief in the resurrection of Christ, not to divide the body over matters of non-salvific
doctrine. It is my own personal belief that Jesus is truly present to us in a
very special way when we partake in the Lord’s Supper. The manner in which His
presence is manifested to us is truly a mystery that we won’t understand this
side of Heaven. Again, this is my own personal opinion after studying the Scriptures
in earnest. There is certainly ample evidence to support the doctrine that the
Lord’s Supper is purely symbolic in nature.
But whether Jesus’s words are
literal or symbolic, there is a much deeper and glorious truth to be found in
the Last Supper meal. The most important
point to be taken from the Last Supper passage is the way in which Christ
interjects Himself into the greater context of the Passover celebration ritual.
In doing so, Jesus draws a distinction between the sacrificial society of the
Old Covenant and the Covenant of Grace that is to be initiated upon His death,
burial, and resurrection. Remember, I mentioned above that the killing and
eating of the sacrificial lamb was at the center of the ritual. In the context
of the Last Supper amongst His disciples, Jesus inserts Himself as the
sacrificial Passover lamb. The disciples were all practicing Jews and would
have understood the connection Jesus was making. Over the course of His earthly
ministry, Jesus had been preparing the disciples for His impending departure. By
assuming the role of the Passover lamb, it became apparent that this impending prophecy
was imminent. The prophecy was fulfilled on Good Friday and, subsequently, the
temple veil was torn in two (Matthew 27:52); thereby ending the Jewish sacrificial
system once and for all (This is the theme of much of the Book of Hebrews).
Jesus, Himself, bore our sins and became the ultimate, spotless Passover
sacrifice – ensuring a restored relationship with the Father who sent Him if
only we would believe upon Him. The blood He spilled for us on Calvary is the purest
offering to the Father that could possibly exist – blood pure enough to cleanse
us of our sins and clothe us in the righteousness of Christ. For this free gift, we owe our lives to the
final Passover lamb.
I think that Holy Thursday often
goes under the radar during Holy Week. The events in the upper room set the
stage for the trek to Calvary that we see the next day. As you continue through
the week, I’d encourage you to take time to reflect on the Last Supper. The
reality that the commemorative Passover sacrifice became a true and living
sacrificial offering for our sins is truly something to remember and proclaim.
The shepherd became the lamb so that His sheep might have eternal life.
If you are
interested in more information about the connection between the Passover ritual
and the Last Supper, here is a book I’d recommend:
Table and
Tradition: Toward and Ecumenical Understanding of the Eucharist by Alasdair
Heron
Well, I’ve
gone on long enough for today’s Holy Thursday blog post. Be sure to check back
to my blog frequently. I’ll have more content to follow this week for Good
Friday and Easter Sunday. Grace and peace to you as you traverse through this
unique Holy Week.
In Christ,
Kendal May
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