What is Maundy Thursday?

Our local churches here in London Kentucky have been meeting this week for combined Holy Week services at the United Methodist Church. The Methodists graciously opened their church for the noon services. Thursday was my church’s turn to plan the worship and provide a “light” meal. Of course, the First Presbyterian Church’s ladies outdid themselves with the light lunch.

In some traditions, churches will have evening worship services to remember the time of teaching in the Upper Room where Jesus taught the first Lord’s Supper. We call those worship services Maundy Thursday services. I remember a man asking me “Pastor what is ‘Maundy Thursday”? He was new to the church. Some of you might also be asking “What is Maundy Thursday?” Most people know what Good Friday is and I am reasonably sure the vast majority of people know about Easter. But, I would hazard a guess that most do not know what Maundy Thursday is. 

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Good Friday when Jesus and his disciples met in a borrowed upper room of a house to celebrate the Passover meal. Jesus was winding down his time teaching the disciples but he still had some very important lessons for the disciples. Therefore, he was very deliberate and intentional in what he wanted to say. By this time Jesus was done with his public teaching ministry and he knew it was his time, the hour of his suffering, crucifixion, and death was upon him. 

Before the Passover meal had even begun Jesus surprised his disciples by washing their feet. The Gospel of John is the only Gospel to record Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. This is an extraordinary display of humility. It was unheard of that a teacher would stoop to wash his student's feet. He then commanded them to do the same for each other. 

What Does Maundy Thursday Mean? Christ's "mandate" is commemorated on Maundy Thursday---"maundy" being a shortened form of mandatum (Latin), which means "command."   His mandate or command was that they should “...love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  John 13:34-35  While Scripture doesn't forbid us to commemorate days like Maundy Thursday, the main question is are we observing Christ's new command to love one another?

Even before Maundy Thursday, Jesus taught the crowds of people who followed him and his disciples that he, Jesus, was the Bread of Life. (John 6:35) The Jews began to complain about his claim when they knew him as the son of Joseph. (John 6: 41-42) He further astonished the crowd and his disciples when he said: 'I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” ' (John 6:51) When the Jews heard this they disputed among themselves saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ' (John 6:52) Even some of his disciples (not the twelve) said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” ' (John 6:60). 

After this teaching about the Bread of Life, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66-69)

Jesus taught the disciples that evening the words and meaning of the Lord’s Supper, communion. “This is my body, this is my blood.”(Matthew 26: 26, 28)  No wonder the early Christians were viewed with suspicion by their neighbors. Do they eat their founder’s flesh? Do they drink his blood? Taken literally, this would be cause for alarm. And it was alarming to those on the outside looking in. The Lord’s Supper is still a deep mystery to the casual observer.  How shall we understand this uniquely Christian ceremony? What does it mean to us? (King Duncan, Dynamic Preaching Sermons Second Quarter 2015) 

John the Baptist, when he introduced Jesus to his followers, said “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). The Lord’s Supper is rooted in the Old Testament concept of the slaying of a lamb to provide protection and salvation for the people of God. It is a Christ-centered event that brings glory to God and to his son Jesus. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder to us that we are not a social club. Neither are we a service organization. We are those who have been redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

“The very word “communion” refers not only to our individual relationship with God but also to our relationship with those with whom we worship. We are a family. We may seem a bit dysfunctional at times, but we are joined together as the body of Christ.” (King Duncan, Dynamic Preaching Sermons Second Quarter 2015)

Dr.  Paul Brand tells about an Arabic Baptist church in Israel that has a way to celebrate the breaking of communion bread. When they come together, each member brings a handful of grains of wheat.  It may be from one’s own field, or from their personal supplies at home. They each pour their grains into a common pot as they enter the church. When all have come, and while the worship goes on, the pot is taken to the kitchen and somebody quickly grinds the wheat in a stone mill, mixes in water and salt, and kneads the flour into a loaf.  It is put into the already-heated oven and baked.

By the time the service is finished, and the church moves into celebrating the Lord’s Supper and the breaking of bread, the loaf is ready. As each member breaks off his own portion, he or she is sharing grains of flour with every member of the church. When asked why they do this, one member replied, “As individual seeds, we are each alone and separate from each other. Only when we are broken into flour and baked together can we experience full fellowship.” 

This small church has discovered a richness in its celebration of Communion that is missing in many churches. This means the culture inside these walls is different from that which is outside. Competitiveness is replaced by cooperation. Looking out for number one is replaced by loving God and loving our neighbor. We are a family, the family of Christ. (God’s Forever Feast, Grand Rapids: Discovery House Publishers).