Maundy Thursday Family Devotional

The Life of Christ: Maundy Thursday

To commemorate the institution of the Lord’s Supper that Jesus celebrated with his disciples in the upper room, Waypoint is providing this guide to equip you and your family to partake of the Lord’s Supper this ‘Maundy Thursday’ during Holy Week.

The Commands of Jesus in the Upper Room

These are ordinances not suggested, but mandated by the Lord. Hence, Maundy Thursday. Serve others and live life unto Jesus. These ordinances taught and instituted by Jesus in the upper room are not suggested, but mandated by the Lord. Hence, Maundy Thursday. Disciples of Jesus are commanded to Serve others and live life unto Jesus. John chapters 13-17 focus on the Upper Room discourse. Jesus reminded the disciples of several of his commands.

Remember to Serve

Jesus demonstrated the task of doing ‘dirty jobs’ [washing feet – life is messy and servants are needed to clean up the mess]. Disciples of Jesus are commanded to serve.

The Passover Meal

“eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast” (Exodus 12:8).

The Passover meal was the foundation for the Last Supper when Jesus gave new meaning to the symbols of freedom.

The Passover meal was the most important meal of the year for the Jewish people. It was commanded by God to Moses as the last of the 10 plagues of Egypt was sent to free the Israelites from the slavery in Egypt. God commanded the children of Israel to sacrifice an unblemished lamb, place its blood on the doorframes of their homes, and then:

Remember My Sacrifice.

Jesus is the Lamb of God. The Sacrifice of the Lamb provided the blood that the father would mark the top of the door post and sides of the entry door. The blood of the lamb that covered each house caused the death angel to “Passover” the home and not kill the firstborn of each family or livestock.

Bitter Herbs

The bitter herbs reminded the people of the bondage of slavery in Egypt. They had lost their freedom as a people and were subjugated to a life of hardship and slavery.

The Bread

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.” Matthew 26:26

The physical body of Jesus was about to go through great trauma. Jesus took the bread – gave thanks – and broke it. While none of Jesus’ bones were broken (according to the scriptures [Numb. 9:12/ Ex. 12:43,46/ Psalms 34:20/ John 19:31-33] ) his body was brutally assaulted. The intensity of the spiritual fight manifested in Jesus sweating blood in the garden a short time after the upper room. His body was whipped, beaten then stakes driven through his wrists and feet to hang him on the cross. Not only is Jesus our daily bread – spiritual nourishment – but his physical body was tortured and bled as the lamb of God.

Passover bread was required to be unleavened bread. The leven was symbolic of sin. In the case of Jesus, his physical body had never sinned. Jesus is the one and only human to meet this qualification.

As you partake of bread in this meal, give thanks for the body of Jesus given for you: holy, sinless, given in love.

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.”

The Blood

Hebrews 9:22 says “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

It is written in Leviticus 17:11

11For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”

Jesus died as the Lamb of God who sacrificed to take away the sins of the World.

As we partake of the cup – the Jewish people from the time of Moses to Jesus would have used red wine. You can use a red wine or grape juice as you are led.

Matthew 26:27 “Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Jesus brought new meaning to the Passover meal. The original meal was celebrated the very night the death angel was sent to kill the firstborn of everyone who refused God’s command to cover their homes with the blood of the Passover lamb.

All who were covered with the blood of the lamb lived and were freed from the slavery and bondage of Egypt.

The very night that Jesus was betrayed He celebrated the Lord’s Supper with his disciples. Jesus, the lamb of God paid the price to deliver us from the penalty of sin. As disciples of Jesus we are also blessed with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who delivers us from the power of sin. You can resist the temptation to fall to sin. If you do stumble – communion is a reminder to confess your sins. But remember, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our sin.

I John 1:7-9 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

The last thing Jesus and his disciples did before they departed the upper room for the garden was to sing a hymn. I believe God has blessed us with music in part because it has a way of stirring our emotions. Music also helps us remember. Remember is a key term Jesus used in the Lord’s supper: “DO this in remembrance of Me”

Remember Your Mission

May we remember to honor Jesus and live by His great command He reminded the disciples in the Upper Room:

John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”