Today is Maundy Thursday. This has always been my favorite day during Holy Week. I remember being especially moved by this service as a teenager at my home church, and ever since then, it has always meant a lot to … Continue reading
Maundy Thursday
Tag Archives: Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday
Today is Maundy or “Holy” Thursday. This the day of Holy Week where we remember the betrayal of Jesus Christ and His service to the disciples through washing their feet and His giving to us of the gift of Holy … Continue reading
Remember This
As we have walked through Holy Week together, today we make the crucial turn. Today is Maundy (or Holy) Thursday. If you are in the Pine Belt, we’d love to have you worship with us tonight at Asbury, starting at 6 p.m. tonight for Maundy Thursday service. It is truly one of our best and most meaningful services of the year. I hope you can join us!
This is the day where the events of Good Friday, and by extension, Easter, start coming into focus. The events of this day can be read in all the Gospels, but I want us to look at what John tells us in John 13:1-38. You can click on that link to read the entire passage, but there are a few particular things I want us to notice.
You need to remember, that for Jesus, this would be the last time He would be with His disciples before the Resurrection. This would be their last meal together, their last time together, His last teaching together. So, He wants to leave them with is more important. I think (and this is just me) that what we see in this passage is some of the clearest teaching and examples of who Jesus Christ is. You want to leave your last moments with those that you love as something that they will remember. He wants them to remember these things.
So what does He do? First, He washes their feet. Even though He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He humbles Himself to being a servant. He takes this humbling task and says this, you see what I did? You must do the same. You must serve. As Christians, as followers of Christ, service must be our very heartbeat.
Then He tells them – one of you will betray me. As the Bible tells us, Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world. He is the one that will save the people from their sin. He is the one that will bring freedom and joy. But to get to that freedom, the cross must be endured (and through Easter, triumphed over). And to get their someone He loves will betray Him.
Today, Jesus understands your hurt, your pain, your betrayal. For He too has been hurt by one He loves. Cast your cares upon Him. He loves you. He understands. He is there. Remember that.
And then He says – they will know you are mine, by your love. Love. Love. Love each other. Love them. Love the world. Love your friends. Love your enemies. Love everyone. That’s the mark of a Christian, that’s the greatest spiritual gift. Love.
And through this they are receiving the meal that many of us will receive tonight, Holy Communion. A remembrance of His sacrifice, and a looking ahead to His victory.
So, today, remember. Remember what our sins cost our savior. Remember what He did to bring us back home. And remember to love. Remember to love. Remember to love. That’s what He wanted them to hear on that night, and that’s what He wants us to know today. Remember to love. For as we love, the world will know that we are His. And as we love, we can change the world, all for His glory!
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!
What is Maundy Thursday?
Today is a day that is called Maundy Thursday. This is a day set aside to remember the betrayal of Jesus and to remember the night when He gave us the gift of Holy Communion. It begins the darkness that is Good Friday.
Before the dawn and light of Easter Sunday, we must go through the darkness of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
And, if you happen to be in the Petal, MS area tonight, and you’ve never experienced a Maundy Thursday service, I hope you’ll be able to come out and be with us tonight at Asbury.
Before Jesus is betrayed, He left this disciples, and us, with some words to remember. Before He was handed over, He wanted them, and us, to know what was most important. Listen to what He tells them, and us, in John today:
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
They will know you are my disciples not by your theology. Or by your denomination. Or by your beliefs. Or by what you wear. Or by what you listen to. Or any of these things.
We try to make Christianity about so many different things that is not about.
Before Jesus was handed over, He told us what was most important. He told us what mattered the most. He told us what we must do to prove to the world that we are His disciples.
They will know you are my disciples by your love.
Today, do “they” – your friends, your family, your co workers, your neighbors, the people in your life – do they know you are His disciple?
Are you living a life of love in front of them?
Before He was handed over, he told us what is most important. He told us what matters most. Love.
They will know you are my disciples by your love. Today, may all the world know that we are His disciples.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
Maundy Thursday 2013
Today is a day that is called Maundy Thursday. This is a day set aside to remember the betrayal of Jesus and to remember the night when He gave us the gift of Holy Communion. It begins the darkness that is Good Friday.
Before the dawn and light of Easter Sunday, we must go through the darkness of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
And, if you happen to be in the Petal, MS area tonight, and you’ve never experienced a Maundy Thursday service, I hope you’ll be able to come out and be with us tonight at Asbury.
Before Jesus is betrayed, He left this disciples, and us, with some words to remember. Before He was handed over, He wanted them, and us, to know what was most important. Listen to what He tells them, and us, in John today:
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
They will know you are my disciples not by your theology. Or by your denomination. Or by your beliefs. Or by what you wear. Or by what you listen to. Or any of these things.
We try to make Christianity about so many different things that is not about.
Before Jesus was handed over, He told us what was most important. He told us what mattered the most. He told us what we must do to prove to the world that we are His disciples.
They will know you are my disciples by your love.
Today, do “they” – your friends, your family, your co workers, your neighbors, the people in your life – do they know you are His disciple?
Are you living a life of love in front of them?
Before He was handed over, he told us what is most important. He told us what matters most. Love.
They will know you are my disciples by your love. Today, may all the world know that we are His disciples.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
Maundy Thursday 2012
Today is a day that is called Maundy Thursday. This is a day set aside to remember the betrayal of Jesus and to remember the night when He gave us the gift of Holy Communion. It begins the darkness that is Good Friday.
Before the dawn and light of Easter Sunday, we must go through the darkness of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
And, if you happen to be in the Petal, MS area tonight, and you’ve never experienced a Maundy Thursday service, I hope you’ll be able to come out and be with us tonight at Asbury.
Before Jesus is betrayed, He left this disciples, and us, with some words to remember. Before He was handed over, He wanted them, and us, to know what was most important. Listen to what He tells them, and us, in John today:
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
They will know you are my disciples not by your theology. Or by your denomination. Or by your beliefs. Or by what you wear. Or by what you listen to. Or any of these things.
We try to make Christianity about so many different things that is not about.
Before Jesus was handed over, He told us what was most important. He told us what mattered the most. He told us what we must do to prove to the world that we are His disciples.
They will know you are my disciples by your love.
Today, do “they” – your friends, your family, your co workers, your neighbors, the people in your life – do they know you are His disciple?
Are you living a life of love in front of them?
Before He was handed over, he told us what is most important. He told us what matters most. Love.
They will know you are my disciples by your love. Today, may all the world know that we are His disciples.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
How They Know We Are His
Today is a day that is called Maundy Thursday. This is a day set aside to remember the betrayal of Jesus and to remember the night when He gave us the gift of Holy Communion. It begins the darkness that is Good Friday.
Before the dawn and light of Easter Sunday, we must go through the darkness of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
And, if you happen to be in the Petal, MS area tonight, and you’ve never experienced a Maundy Thursday service, I hope you’ll be able to come out and be with us tonight at Asbury.
Before Jesus is betrayed, He left this disciples, and us, with some words to remember. Before He was handed over, He wanted them, and us, to know what was most important. Listen to what He tells them, and us, in John today:
As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
They will know you are my disciples not by your theology. Or by your denomination. Or by your beliefs. Or by what you wear. Or by what you listen to. Or any of these things.
We try to make Christianity about so many different things that is not about.
Before Jesus was handed over, He told us what was most important. He told us what mattered the most. He told us what we must do to prove to the world that we are His disciples.
They will know you are my disciples by your love.
Today, do “they” – your friends, your family, your co workers, your neighbors, the people in your life – do they know you are His disciple?
Are you living a life of love in front of them?
Before He was handed over, he told us what is most important. He told us what matters most. Love.
They will know you are my disciples by your love. Today, may all the world know that we are His disciples.
Podcasts are up!
My podcasts from Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday are up on the church website and on iTunes. Check it out!
Maundy Thursday
This is one of the holiest days of the year. This is the day where we remember the betrayal of our Lord and His giving to us of the gift of Holy Communion. Mark 14: 22-24 tells it this way:
22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
Now, I’m a United Methodist and I’ll let you in on a little secret. We love us some communion. We hold it to be a sacrament – a means by which God gives us grace. We believe that in the blessing and in the giving and receiving of the elements, God pours out His Amazing Grace upon us, and draws us closer to Him, and brings us into a closer walk with Him.
We believe it’s God’s gift to us. A means by which He shows us His love. 
No matter what tradition of the church you are part of, it behoves us each to remember that it was on this night Christ was given for our sake. He was betrayed, He was broken. For you, and for me.
For the sake of the world, He laid down His life. So we may live.
If your church celebrates this Holy or “Maundy” Thursday today or tonight, take time to go and be with the people of God. My church, Ripley First United Methodist Church, will worship tonight. If you are in Ripley and want to experience a powerful service come be with us.
If you are unable to worship today or tonight, or you church does not focus on this day, then pause and remember. Remember if was for us He died, it was for us He was betrayed, and it was for us that He gave this meal of Holy Communion.
Today, take time to remember all He has done for us.
RevAndy.org 