We are now in the middle of a week that reflects the last week of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion and ultimate resurrection on Easter Sunday. I hope you have been able to join in the 7 p.m. devotional readings and reflections on the significance of each particular day. I have celebrated Easter Sunday all my life, but I have never taken the time to contemplate and remember the significance of each day that led up to the cross, the way we are doing it this year. I want to challenge each of you, during these home-bound days, to take the time to do so as well. If you missed Sunday’s or Monday’s devotion, you can view them online. On Tuesday and Wednesday we will continue live streaming the devotions, beginning at 7 p.m.
Prepare for Thursday and Friday Evening
Lord’s Supper — Thursday at 7 p.m.
During our live stream, we will take communion together. Make sure to have bread and juice ready at home on Thursday night, so we can truly take communion together!
The Thursday of Holy Week is called “Maundy Thursday” in the liturgical tradition, taken from a Latin term that means commandment. This is the night that Jesus met in the upper room with his disciples. This is the night of the traditional Passover meal, when the Jewish world gathered in homes and remembered how God delivered them out of slavery in Egypt. They remembered the moment in their history when the plagues God brought upon Pharaoh culminated and ended with the final plague—the death of all firstborn, a judgment from which the only protection was to take an innocent lamb with no defect, sacrifice it, and put the lamb’s blood on the doorpost of the home.
Over the Passover meal, Jesus met with his disciples and said to them, “This bread is now my body which is broken for you; this wine is now my blood which is shed for you.” The first Passover (Exodus 12) was not taken in a large gathering; it was an intimate meal taken house by house, by each immediate family. The Last Supper—the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22)—was not taken in a large, crowded auditorium of people, but in an intimate room with those disciples.
On Thursday night at 7 p.m., I ask you to join with me as I lead you in the taking of communion—home by home, family by family, much like the first Passover meal almost 3500 years ago.
Good Friday
On Friday evening at 7 p.m., we will take time to walk through the trial, the betrayal, the unfairness that was inflicted on Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, as he was crucified for our sins. The blood of this perfect Lamb can now be sprinkled on the doorposts of our hearts for the forgiveness of our sins.
Read the story for yourself:
Exodus 11-12, Luke 22-23 (and other gospel parallel passages)
There was Thursday—then there was Friday—but Sunday’s coming!
Love you all,
