Maundy Thursday: The New Covenant

Today marks Maundy Thursday, a day that remembers the last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples and the new covenant he established with them. The word "Maundy" comes from the Latin word for covenant, and it is a day of great significance in the Christian faith.

The Passover Feast

Maundy Thursday coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover, which is a significant event in the Old Testament. Passover commemorates how God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. God promised to free his people if they sacrificed a lamb, painted its blood above and around their doors, and then ate the slaughtered lamb with flatbread. After the meal, an angel came and killed the firstborn sons of Pharaoh and anyone else who defied God's plans to free his people. God's people were then freed from Egyptian power and soon became their own kingdom.

The New Covenant

During the last supper, Jesus instructed his disciples to prepare for the Passover feast. But while they were eating the lamb and bread and drinking wine, Jesus redefined the meaning of those symbols. According to Jesus, they don't just look back to a past act of salvation but forward to a new one. Jesus took the bread and said, ''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 cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you'' (Luke 22:19-20).

Jesus' new covenant promises that by the sacrificed body and blood of God's firstborn, God's people will be freed once again. But first, they must accept, eat, and drink his body and blood. This new covenant is significant because it establishes a new relationship between God and humanity. Through Jesus' sacrifice, we are no longer captive to this world's powers, temptations, sins, and consequences. Because of Maundy Thursday, we are free citizens of Jesus' new eternal Kingdom.

Judas' Betrayal and Jesus' Arrest

The events that took place after the last supper were significant in the story of Jesus' life. Judas, one of Jesus' own disciples, betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver. He led a mob to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was praying, and identified him with a kiss. Jesus was then arrested by the Jewish authorities and taken to court, where he was eventually condemned as a heretic and beaten.

Good News of Maundy Thursday

Despite the darkness and disappointment of these final hours, Maundy Thursday is good news because Jesus announced that they would lead to freedom and a Kingdom. A covenant cannot be made without blood, and on this day, Jesus promised that he would bear the cost for our covenant of freedom. Just as Israel was freed from slavery by the blood of a lamb, we are freed from slavery by Jesus' blood. This is the good news of Maundy Thursday, and it is a reminder that through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be part of God's eternal Kingdom.

Action Items

As we commemorate Maundy Thursday, there are a few action items that we can take to remember the significance of this day:

1. Attend a Maundy Thursday service - Many churches offer special services on this day that focus on the Last Supper and Jesus' new covenant.
2. Read the Last Supper account in the Bible - You can find the story in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
3. Take Communion - As Jesus instructed, take bread and wine in remembrance of his sacrifice and the new covenant he established.
4. Reflect on the freedom we have in Christ - Take some time to meditate on what it means to be free from sin and death because of Jesus' sacrifice. Consider how this truth can impact your daily life and relationships.