Maundy Thursday: April 13, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Lamentations 2:10-18

We see in this passage, we see in this Holy Week that sin has consequences. Jerusalem was destroyed because of their breaking of the covenant. Jesus Christ suffered and was crucified not because of his own sin, but because of our sin. We suffer loss and pain in our own lives because of our sin.

Sin will destroy you. It will be our undoing. It will take from us everything, and will would eventually kill us in this life, and send us to hell in the next life. The question is, if we know that sin is so bad, why do we keep doing it? Why do we choose wrong? Why do we do the things that we should not? Why do we choose darkness over light?

Because without Jesus Christ, we can do nothing but sin. Apart from Him, we cannot stand against evil, we cannot stand against sin, we cannot stand against temptation. Today, on this Maundy Thursday, the day we remember the betrayal of our Lord, how do we betray Him? Today, do we use His power to stand against sin, or do we ignore Him, and choose our sin?

New Testament Lesson

1 Corinthians 10:14-17, 11:27-32

One of the greatest gifts that our Lord gave to us on Holy Thursday was the gift of Holy Communion. He took the bread and the wine and broke it, saying this is my body, this is my blood. Through the receiving of this sacrament, we receive grace. When you receive the bread and the juice, through these things God will give you grace. Through these things, He will speak to you. Through these things, our Lord brings you to His table, which is a foretaste of what the heavenly table will be like.

This is all grace, the gift of our Lord. We should, though, make sure we have looked within our own hearts before we come to the table, and repent of our sin. None of us are worthy to come. No one is worthy to come to God. You don't have to be perfect to come to communion, you don't have to be sinless to come to communion. If that were the case, no one could come. God makes us worthy to come to the table.

The bread and the juice; through these things our Lord will speak to us and give us grace. He has given us many gifts, but this is one we should never take for granted.

Gospel Lesson

Mark 14:12-25

We see how important Communion is in that it was the very last thing all the disciples did together. It was the last act our Lord shared with them before the betrayal. All the teaching, all the lessons, all these things were done throughout His ministry with them. But, what was the last thing He left them with? His supper, the Lord's Supper. Tonight, at Coy, we will remember His betrayal and celebrate the Lord's Supper. This goes out through email and the web to lots of folks. Where ever you receive this, tonight, if you are not able to be in God's house to celebrate communion, I pray that where ever you are, you can remember what our Lord did for the forgiveness of our sins, and you can remember what He had given us through communion as a means of grace. Today, may we never forget.