Holy Week

Maundy Thursday

Welcome to our special Holy Week Podcast for Maundy Thursday.

The word “maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning command.  The English word mandate comes to mind. This term Maundy Thursday helps us to recall Jesus’ mandate to remember Him, using the observance of Holy Communion/The Lord’s Supper…

Today’s scripture comes from two segments of Luke Chapter 22.

Luke 22:19-20

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’ ” 

In this last supper gathering with his twelve closest disciples, Jesus knew what was coming and he made good use of every moment, and every word said at this meal.  He wanted his disciples to understand how important his final instructions were.  The disciples may not have known why Jesus said the bread was his body and the cup his blood, but we do. 

As events unfolded, they would have remembered the strange words about bread as body and wine as blood.  Perhaps their very first recollection of his commanding words filled them later that evening as they were with him in the Garden as he prayed.

We hear this part of the evening from our second scripture selection.

Luke 22:41-44

He withdrew about a stone throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed. ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Perhaps the disciples heard his anguished prayer and even saw his bloody agonized sweat that stained his robe.  As the evening came to its dreadful finale, with his arrest, they all ran away, leaving him alone with no support as the battalion of soldiers took him away.

I can imagine the disciples as they walked the floor or tossed and turned in their beds, sleepless that whole night.  Perhaps the mandate from Jesus rang over and over in their ears – “This is my body.  This is my blood.  Remember me!  Remember me!”

We know they did remember and thank God they wrote his stories and his words and their memories of him in the Gospels and letters in the New Testament, so we too can know and remember Him.

In the United Methodist Church when we observe Holy Communion services, we ask the Holy Spirit to be poured on us and on the gifts of bread and grape juice, that the bread and juice be for us the body and blood of Christ, so we, who receive them, may be for the world, the body of Christ redeemed by his blood.

So, friends, let’s lift up this Maundy Thursday prayer to our Lord Jesus to show Him and the world that we do remember and that we hope to LOVE as He loves, to live as He lived, always loving GOD and our neighbor.

Prayer:

Dear Loving Lord Jesus, who died on that cross for all of us – help us to always remember you and to follow your mandate to LOVE one another as you have LOVED us - not only on this Maundy Thursday but every day of our lives.  In your Holy Name we pray, Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.