HOLY WEEK -THURSDAY
Holy week – Thursday – The Commandment
Mark 14:12-72 (read this for yourself and compare with the other gospel accounts)
On Holy, or Maundy Thursday, in an upper room, Jesus and His disciples shared the Last Supper. We notice how, like the donkey, everything was supernaturally prepared ahead of time and the disciples always found things the way Jesus said they would be.
On this day, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. And, He broke bread with them for the last time. It’s still observed and partaken today as an ordinance for believers. The bread broken and the wine shared represented, then and now, the body and blood of Christ, broken and shed for them, and for all of us.
During the meal, Jesus predicted His betrayal by Judas, and Peter’s denial.
After the meal, the disciples accompanied Jesus to the Garden at Gethsemane. He warned that they would flee from Him soon, fulfilling prophesy (Zechariah 13:7).
In the garden, Jesus prayed in agony for Himself, for His disciples, and for us (John 17:1-26).
He prayed in such agony that an angel came to strengthen Jesus in the garden as the sweat fell from His face as drops of blood (Luke 22:42-44).
There, in that moment, He taught His disciples, and us, what to do when we come to the end of our own strength and need The Father to help us press on.
Jesus is betrayed by Judas, just as He said – with a kiss (foretold in Proverbs 27:6). Jesus is arrested and led away to a secret, joke of a trial by the Sanhedrin in the middle of the night, and He is condemned. Peter weeps as he denies his all knowing knowing Master, just as He said. (“before the cock crows twice…”)
“Just as He said” has been a common thread throughout Holy week so far. But starting now, it becomes a theme.
The word “maundy” comes from the Latin root madam, and means “commandment” or “mandate.”
On that Thursday Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment (maundy) The word in this context is used by Jesus after He washes the feet of His friends. “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another: just as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
Can you imagine that God-in-the flesh, would humble Himself to wash a man’s feet – one who would deny and betray Him – before intentionally giving His life to save him? That’s exactly what is happening. And He did it for you.
“What manner of love is this that He has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God?”- 1John3.1
Are you starting to see why LOVE is the greatest commandment? Can you see How important LOVE is to God? Can we see why the world, and OUR flesh-our EARTHLY MINDS, our wisdom can not understand this kind of love?
Can that kind of love be seen in our lives as believers?
Can the world see that we, as believers, are at least trying to use this standard of love?
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