Maundy Thursday

     Today is the first of our posts for the Holy Week season.  Tomorrow, I will have a Good Friday post, and the Weekend Sermon, which will be about Easter, will appear on Saturday this week.
     This is Maundy Thursday.  It is the day on the Holy Week calendar when we remember several different things.  First of all, on this night, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion.  The bread signifies His body which was broken in order to redeem us from sin.  The wine represents the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for the remission of sins.  Whenever we eat the bread and drink the cup, we remember the Lord's death until He comes again in power and great glory.
     Another part of the life of Jesus that we remember on this day is Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus was in great distress over what He knew was to come.  He prayed and asked that this cup might pass from Him if it were possible.  However, Jesus said, "Not my will, but Thine be done."  These words should be our words.  Our desire must be to follow the Lord's will and not our own will.  We must follow on the path that He leads us on.
     On this night, Jesus would also wash the feet of His disciples.  This was a task that was considered menial and the job of servants.  However, Jesus washed His disciples feet demonstrating the fact that He did not come to be served, but He came to serve others.  He called on all of His followers to learn from this and be servants of all in imitation of Him.
     One interesting aspect of Maundy Thursday is the encounter between Jesus and Peter.  When Jesus came to Peter to wash Peter's feet, Peter would not have it.  He said,  "You will never wash my feet."  Jesus told Peter that if He didn't wash Peter's feet, that Peter could have no part with Him.  At these words, Peter asked Jesus to wash all of Him.  Jesus said that if a person has had a bath, all that he needs is for His feet to be washed.
     I believe that this is a picture of our relationship with Jesus.  When we come to Him in repentance and faith, He forgives us our sins and washes us white as snow.  However, as we live in this world, sometimes we will fall into sin.  Our fellowship with Jesus becomes broken.  But we don't have to stay in this condition.  The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins cleansing us from all unrighteousness.
     On this Maundy Thursday, let each of us examine our lives and see if there is some sin that is keeping us from fellowship with the Lord.  If so, let us confess our sins and receive His abundant pardon.  May God bless you all.  Amen.