Thursday of Holy Week

On Thursday of Holy Week, the events of Jesus' final week began to unfold in fast-forward. Yesterday, you read about the disciples finding the upper room and preparing it for their Passover meal, a meal that would happen at sundown tonight. But before the meal could begin, Jesus took on the task of a servant and began to wash His disciples' feet. Read John 13:1-11. Jesus was the Teacher, the most revered man in the room, and He was doing the job of the lowest servant. For us, the implication is clear: we shouldn't always be looking for what's best or easiest for us. Christians follow Christ's example, lay down our pride and our own best interests and serve.

When Jesus and His disciples sat down for that Passover meal, Jesus once again tried to tell them that His time of suffering was coming. As they ate the familiar bread and wine of the meal, Jesus added new symbolism, instructing believers to remember His sacrifice each time they participated in this meal. And at the same table that Jesus explained our hope of glory through His sacrifice, sat His betrayer. Read Luke 22:14-23. Think on these things.

In the Gospel of John, Scripture records that Judas left the meal early, following Jesus' instruction to do what he had to do quickly. After his exit, Christ issued a new command to His followers in John 13:34-35: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Could this honestly be said about you?

At some point after the meal, Jesus and His disciples went into the garden to pray. Read Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; and Luke 22:39-46. Jesus agonized in prayer, once again wondering aloud if this “cup” of suffering could be taken from Him. His closest friends couldn't even stay awake with Him in His anguish. That seems like a lonely moment to me. There was Jesus, anguished, tired, knowing what His disciples didn't understand. He knew what the next few days were going to involve, and when He got up from His prayer, His face was turned to the cross. He knew that His sacrifice was the only way for us to be saved. And He was determined to do it.

Think about Jesus' words to His disciples during the first Lord's Supper: "This is my body, which is given for you,” “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you.” What do those words mean to you? Are they just things the pastor says at communion services? What difference do they make in your daily life?

Jesus gave Himself for you. And it wasn't easy. He was fully God, but He was also fully man. And He was anguished, exhausted, and grieved in that garden. It's easy to simply plot out the events in Jesus' life that week so long ago and say, well, Jesus was God. It gets more personal and intimate when we actually take time to think about Him as a person, alone in that garden, praying with drops of blood—for Himself, His disciples, for you and me—and willingly laying down His life for ours. Dwell on that today.

Read: John 17, Jesus' prayer in the garden. How does it make you feel to realize that Jesus prayed for you (vv. 20-26) before His crucifixion?

Listen: “The Silence of God” by Andrew Peterson (from the album Love and Thunder)