John
13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one
another. As
I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you
love one another.”
Growing up in The Christian nation of the United States of America
Easter (Old English Ēostre;
Latin: Pascha; Greek Πάσχα Paskha, the latter two derived from
Hebrew: פֶּסַח Pesaḥ)
is a festival and holiday, now celebrated both by Christians and non-Christians, that was instituted to celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ on
the third day after his crucifixion at
Calvary as described in the New
Testament. Easter is the
culmination of the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent, a forty-day period of fasting,
prayer, and penance. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains
the days of the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday),
commemorating the Last Supper and
its preceding foot washing, as
well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Easter
is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide, or the Easter Season,
ending with Pentecost Sunday. This is what this holy season and this “Holy Week”
is all about.
Today is Maundy Thursday. The world wide web says that the word Maundy is derived
from the Latin word “mandatum”,
meaning "commandment," Maundy
refers to the commands Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper: to love
with humility by serving one another and to remember his sacrifice. Maundy
Thursday is observed during Holy Week on the Thursday before Easter. That’s
today! Also referred to as “Holy Thursday” or "Great Thursday" in
some Christian denominations, Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when
Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples on the night before he was
crucified. In contrast to joyful Easter celebrations when Christians worship
their resurrected Savior, Maundy Thursday services are typically more solemn
occasions, marked by the shadow of Jesus' betrayal.
While different
denominations observe Maundy Thursday in their own distinct ways, two important
biblical events are the primary focus of Maundy Thursday solemnizations: Before
the Passover meal, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. By performing this
lowly act of service, the Bible says in John 13:1 that Jesus "showed them
the full extent of his love." By his example, Jesus demonstrated how
Christians are to love one another through humble service. For this reason,
many churches practice foot-washing ceremonies as a part of their Maundy
Thursday services. During the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and wine and asked his Father to bless it. He broke the bread into pieces, giving it to his disciples and said, "This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Then he took the cup of wine, shared it with his disciples and said, "This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you--an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you." These events recorded in Luke 22:19-20 describe the Last Supper and form the biblical basis for the practice of Communion. For this reason, many churches hold special Communion services as a part of their Maundy Thursday celebrations. Likewise, many congregations observe a traditional Passover Seder meal.
This is what Maundy Thursday is about, and we can rejoice in it. Blessings.
In Christ, Brian
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