Kevin Siddle
Maundy Thursday, originating from the latin word ‘mandatum’ means commandment. The reference comes from Jesus’ commandment in John 13:34-35 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Maundy Thursday is the day that we recognize Jesus shared the Passover meal (Last Supper) with his disciples and when he was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Luke 22:15-16 we see that Jesus had eagerly desired this time with the disciples. Why? The Last Supper would be those last moments that Jesus had with his closest disciples before his crucifixion. These moments were critical to making sure the kingdom that he had come to establish would continue. Jesus knew that his time to suffer was coming, and that he would be the living example of the Passover meal. Jesus would become the bread, the wine, and the lamb. In this account of the Last Supper, we are reminded of Holy Communion. We are to take the bread, remembering that Christ’s body was broken in sacrifice for us and the forgiveness of our sins. We are to take the wine or juice and be reminded of the new covenant that Jesus established with his blood. As the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus would break his body and spill his blood in order to save us from the penalty of death brought by sin. Last Supper, Italian Cenacolo, one of the most famous artworks in the world, painted by Leonardo da Vinci probably between 1495 and 1498 for the Dominican monastery Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
*Adapted from the Life Application Bible Commentary of Luke