A Maundy Thursday Evening Reflection

A Maundy Thursday Evening Reflection

Read: Exodus 12:1-14 and 1 Corinthians 11: 20-34

Every year when Jewish families gather together to share in the Passover meal, part of the Passover ceremony or Passover liturgy involves one member of the family (usually the youngest) asking: "why is this night different from all other nights?" In response to that question the head of the family will narrate the story of the first Passover (Exodus 12:1-14), reminding the family of God’s constancy and faithfulness all those centuries ago. This retelling of the first Passover is meant to provide an explanation for why this particular night is different from all other nights, and to serve as a narrative reminder of a God who is constantly with his people. 

It is therefore relevant that on Maundy Thursday evening, when we recall Jesus sharing the Passover meal with his disciples, we consider for ourselves why that night on which Jesus shared supper with his disciples was different from all other nights, the night on which the central act of worship that we refer to as the ‘Lord’s Supper’ was instituted.

First, it was a night of a Night of Deliverance. Exodus 12:14 tells of how God powerfully and mightily delivered the people of Israel from their bondage and slavery in Egypt. It tells of God’s great mercy in sparing Israel and giving them a new beginning, a new hope. In relation to Christ’s crucifixion and the forgiveness secured on the cross, this night becomes for us a night of deliverance, deliverance from the bondage of sin and death.

Secondly, it was a Night of Betrayal. In our communion liturgies, Jesus’ betrayal by Judas is always highlighted. The last supper is described has having occurred “on then night when Jesus was betrayed” (1 Cor 11:23). It is highlighted because it was a sad occasion. Judas, one of the chosen twelve, betrayed him. It was a betrayal of friendship, a betrayal of responsibility, and a betrayal of trust. This could so easily be us.

Thirdly, it was a Night of Thanksgiving. The Lord’s Supper as we have come to know it, was first of all an act of thanksgiving. In the context of the original Passover, it was a thanksgiving for God’s deliverance from Egypt. In the immediate context of Jesus sharing a meal with his disciples that night, it was a thanksgiving for the provision of God – just as we would say grace before a meal. Before the meal, Jesus “…gave thanks” (1 Cor 11:24). Some traditions call the Lord’s Supper ‘Eucharist’; This comes from the Greek word meaning “to give thanks.”  So when we think of that night, we think of God’s deliverance and his provision, and we give thanks.

Fourthly, it was a Night of re-interpretation. In the well-known words of Jesus, when he takes the bread and wine, the main components of Passover meal, he gives them a new meaning – he re-interprets the significance of these elements when he says that the bread is his body and the wine is his blood. Ordinary elements suddenly take on an extraordinary meaning because of Jesus’ reinterpretation. This is what we are called to remember each time with gather around the Lord’s table – in sharing Christ’s body and blood, his presence is real to us (1 Cor 11:29).

Fifthly, it was a Night of Remembrance. The Passover was celebrated year after year so that the people would remember the goodness of God on that first Passover night. Through his reinterpretation of the purpose of the bread and wine, Jesus shifts the focus to himself. He celebrates the traditional meal, gives it a new interpretation and then says, you are to do this ‘in remembrance of me’ (1 Cor 11:24 & 25). The focus of this night is on Jesus, his life, teachings, commandments, suffering and death. It is he whom we remember – his great love and his immeasurable forgiveness for us.

Sixthly and finally, it is a Night for Witness. While we reflect on all the above, central to what happened that night and the reinterpretation and symbolism involved, it is primarily an act of witness to the second coming of Jesus. The apostle Paul says that the act of partaking of the bread and wine is a proclamation of the Lord’s death – a sign, a witness, “until he comes again” (1 Cor 11:26).

The events of that night are central to our faith. So we see why was this night different from all other nights.

A Communion Prayer*

O Lord God, heavenly Father,
we praise and thank you for your grace
that through your Son Jesus Christ
you established this supper
in which we eat his body and drink his blood.
By your Holy Spirit, help us
to use this gift worthily,
to confess and forsake our sins,
to confidently believe that we are forgiven through Christ,
and to grow in faith and love day by day
until we come at last to the joy of eternal salvation,
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Amen.

*Source: Veit Dietrich, 1506-1549

Source of this version: Freely paraphrased from http://olcc.us/liturgical-resources/collects-veit-dietrich/