Sermon - 2014-04-17 - Maundy Thursday

Tonight we gather together. The true and the faithful, those who take time out of our busy schedules to come to the Lord’s Table.  We gather here because our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ is the one who invited us.  We gather as those who are able to hear the promise of Jesus Christ for the first time.  We gather as those who are in need of a reminder.  We gather for those who celebrate this promise always.  We also come as those who would betray Jesus because he does not live up to our expectations because we want Jesus to do so much more. We gather at the Lord's Table to receive the feast and the many blessings that God has given to us and to be reminded of the times within our lives that God has interceded for us in places and events that seemed too large for us to take on by ourselves.  We receive the gift that we have longed for, but could not earn for ourselves.  

Many of us gather here, as the disciples gathered that night with Jesus.  They expected to hear a story about the past.  The story that they had heard year after year to be reminded of something that happened so long ago.  They expected to hear  the Exodus passages, where we first hear of God calling the people to come to the table. To be saved from death and be released from the bondage of slavery within the land of Egypt. We hear that the people must gather together, sacrifice a lamb on the family’s behalf.  So God will bring judgment against those who do not realize the power and strength of the True God. God's judgment is brought against those who did not sacrifice a lamb and place the blood upon the door posts. For then the Angel of Death, was sent forth and killed every first born child and animal.  You shall eat of the meal hurriedly, you shall roast it over the fire and you shall eat it as though you are prepared for a journey.  You shall eat the meat of the lamb that was sacrificed.  This was the 10th plague that ravaged the land, the animals and the people. The final plague that was sent against Pharaoh so that the Hebrew people would be set free.  Tonight we are reminded of this.  That death is among us and often haunts us within our life.

Through this meal that we are reminded that God is indeed the Lord above all.  There are none that are above, but many that are below. We gather to be reminded that God does care about the life that we live and the way in which we live it. God listens and hears our prayers that spoken through our lips and on our hearts. For we are reminded that God does the work to set us free.  It was through the work of God, the sacrifice of the lamb that saved many. Now this was no small task and a work that we should be reminded of all the time. For God even tells us that we should be reminded of it. We should celebrate and give thanks to God for what God has done for us, his people.

But tonight Jesus, the very son of God made man, came and also celebrated this event among his disciples. Jesus knew of the importance of the celebration. As the disciples and Jesus gathered for this celebration, Jesus first demonstrated and glorified each of the disciples so that they may go into the world to be servants. The disciples would be sent to do the dirtiest work, to go out and proclaim the gospel to a people who did not want to hear it but needed it so desperately. So before being sent out, Jesus washes their feet. For blessed are the feet that carry the Word of God. For the disciples would be sent to preach and teach to one another, to be servants and use words only when necessary. Then Jesus gives the new commandment that they are to follow: “that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." It is here within the love of Jesus and the love of God that we find the purpose and meaning of the sacrifice that has been given to us. The love of God is to be the means that we are identified by others. For it is through this love of others, that we shall be the servants that God is calling us to be. We are able to be messengers of the gospel to others and more importantly living a life that God desires us to live.

Jesus knows that his time on Earth is coming to an end. Even now, after giving the new commandment and covenant, Jesus must still face his own death. For without the blood of the lamb, without witnessing the sacrifice that was given for us, we do not understand or know the gift that was given to us.  Standing at the graveside of a loved one, we know the love that we have for them, we are reminded of all that they have given to us, and we remember them as a gift to us.  Yes for each and every one of us who hear and believe in the words that Jesus Christ is “for you” we are able to understand and then live out the Will of the Father. It is here that we come to the Garden of Gethsemane and to the time of prayer that Jesus enters into. It is here, that we also pray that God’s kingdom will come to us and that we may hear that Jesus is for us.