The next day…the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, after three days I will rise. Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day.” Matthew 27:62-64.

³⁴And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. ³⁵And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”  Luke 23:34-37

As I’ve spent more time in my house these past couple weeks, the TV and radio has been on much more often. Every so often I hear a commercial that says, “If you just buy this product you’ll feel better about yourself.” Or a speaker on a show says, “Just follow these easy steps to feel fulfilled in life.” There’s so much around us today that says, “Just focus on yourself. Do whatever is the best for you.” We’re surrounded by these messages of if you do this then everything will be better for you.

Isn’t this also what Jesus faced on the cross with those who watched and yelled at him? As the people watched, they mocked Jesus and challenged him by saying if you really are the Son of God, then just save yourself. Save yourself. That’s all that the onlookers focused on as Jesus hung on the cross. At that moment they could only think of Jesus being like themselves, self-centered. They could only focus on the idea that if Jesus had the power to save himself, he would! However, contrary to their thoughts Jesus does not save himself and dies on that cross.

After all of the physical pain and torture he went through that day along with now being nailed on a cross for all to see, Jesus had to listen to insults and lies being thrown at him. What’s incredible is even in this moment Jesus was not thinking about himself. While people were telling him to save himself, Jesus called to God saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Instead of calling on the Father asking for Him to take him off the cross he instead intercedes for all of the people and asks not for wrath or judgement on them, but rather forgiveness. 

While he hung there in pain, suffering from all of his wounds, Jesus didn’t think of himself but rather he thought of us. All the people who stood before him mocking him, all of us living right now. He was focused on you and what had to happen so he could save you. By Jesus refusing to save himself from the cross he gave salvation to you. As we spend today reflecting on the death of Christ, remember all that he went through and how much he cares for you. He loves us so much that he was willing to die so we could be saved.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you have given us. Thank you for the salvation we have been given through the sacrifice of your son Jesus Christ. Help us to focus on others and what we can do for them, just as Jesus focused on others even as he died. Be with us and strengthen us as we continue on in our lives, reminding us of what Christ has done for us and through whom we have been saved. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“And when the hour came, Jesus reclined at table, and the apostles with Him.  And He said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’”  Luke 22:14-16

Our families are sure getting a lot of ‘together time’ with this quarantine and all.  The governor and the president are asking us to stay home where we’ll be safe – and there really isn’t anywhere to go, anyhow.  Not even to eat.  So, we eat at home.  This is, perhaps, most we’ve eaten at home in a long time.  You realize, of course, that this isn’t so bad.

Eating at home with our families can truly be a blessing for us.  Hopefully, the food is going to be better and healthier for us than all that fast food we’ve grown so accustomed to.  Sitting around a meal together as a family we can eat, talk and reminisce.  Mealtime can be a time for us to share.  

Sitting around a meal together as a family was really important to God’s people of the Old Testament.  There was a special meal every year they would gather around.  At that meal they would eat, talk, reminisce and share.  The meal they gathered around was called, of course, the Passover.   The Passover meal was a time for them to think back and to talk about something wonderful God had done for them in the past.  And it was a time for them to look forward to and talk about something He would be doing for them in their future.

During the Passover meal they ate some special food.  Bread, wine, bitter herbs and spices, lamb,  a hard-boiled egg, among other things.  Each of these items gave them something to remember, something to talk about.  And what they talked about was how the Angel of Death ‘passed over’ their homes sparing their first-born sons.  They talked about how this act of God won them their freedom from slavery under the Egyptians.   

As they gathered together each year for this special meal, they not only talked about what God had done for them in the past, but also about what God would be doing for them in their future.  The sacrifice of the lamb for the Passover meal would serve to remind them of the sacrifice that God the Father would be making for them – the sacrifice of His son on the cross.  

The Passover celebration was a wonderful family time.  Much of this celebration would take place in the home with the family eating, talking, reminiscing and sharing together.  They thought of the past blessings of God and what He would be doing for them in their future.

That first Maundy Thursday, so many years ago, Jesus gathered with His family of disciples to celebrate the Passover meal.  They no doubt thought of the past blessings from God.  And then Jesus spoke of the future blessings from God that were now imminent. The very next day Christ would be sacrificed on the cross for those disciples and for all of mankind.  Jesus changed the Passover meal into something we, as Christians, are now more familiar with.  He changed the Passover meal into the meal of Holy Communion.  While the Passover looked back at their freedom from slavery and looked forward to the sacrifice of Jesus yet to come – Communion looks back at the sacrifice of Jesus that has now happened and looks forward to His return at the end of time.  This is a very special meal that is usually celebrated in church, together in our congregational families.  Celebrating communion together on Maundy Thursday in church can be especially meaningful.  But not this year.  Unfortunately, we won’t be gathering this year on Maundy Thursday.

A few years back I walked past a synagogue. There was a sign on the front door that read ‘Closed for Passover’.  I thought that rather strange.  The most important Jewish celebration and the synagogue was closed!  You’d think the place would be packed!  But then I realized that much of the Passover is celebrated at home as a family. It’s a Meal Day.  A time to eat, and talk, and reminisce and to share.  

With this quarantine we are unable to gather together in our churches to celebrate the most meaningful meal of Holy Communion.  However, this Maundy Thursday we can gather as families within our homes to enjoy some time together.  We can make it a time to eat, talk, reminisce and to share.  We can remember past blessings from God and speak of blessings yet to come.  

We look back at how God has blessed us in so many wonderful ways including the freedoms we enjoy in this wonderful land of ours, to our friends and families and especially the spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus.  We look forward to the day we will see Jesus either at the end of the world or on the day we die.  And in the meantime, we look forward to the day we can gather together around the Lord’s Table to celebrate the special meal together once again.

One of the items consumed at the Passover meal is a hard-boiled egg.  Its symbolism is significant.  Usually when something is heated, it melts.  But when an egg is heated, it gets hard.  Slavery hardened the Jews into the strong and mighty people they became.  The sacrifices and fears of the troubling times we now endure can do the same for us.  We can be strengthened us as we do without so many things we’ve grown so accustomed to.  We can be blessed as we look to God, remembering what He has done for us in the past, looking forward to what He’ll do for us in the future, and how He is blessing us right here and now. 

We pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank and praise You for the blessings of this special meal day.  Although we are unable to gather together to enjoy blessings of Holy Communion on this Maundy Thursday, You are blessing us with time to consider Your blessings to us past, present and future.  

We thank You for the blessings of the past.  Just as You blessed Your people of the Old Testament with freedom from slavery, You have blessed us with freedom from the slavery of our sins.  

We thank You for the blessings of the future that we look ahead to.  With Christ as our Savior we have the blessings of eternal life to look forward to.  We can live our lives free from fear knowing that we will spend an eternity with You in heaven.  

We thank You, Father, for blessings You shower upon us right here and now.  You bless us with Your Holy Word and our baptisms that assure us of Your love and forgiveness.  We look forward to once again enjoying the Sacrament of Holy Communion when we will be able to gather together in our congregations.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.