"Supper's ready"
7 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. - Matthew 26:17-19
Why is it called "Maunday Thursday"? It has its root in the Latin, Mandatum, or in english, Mandate. Why is this night different than any other? Around this time, John's gospel (John 13:1-20) tells us Jesus gathered with his disciples, took off his outer garment, tied a towel around his waist and washed his disciples feet. His mandate was that we should love one another as he has loved us. John says this was before the passover meal.
Passover is an annual meal celebrating God's deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. You can find reference to it's institution in Exodus 12:1-14.
This was the meal Jesus and his disciples were gathering around table for, on the night before he was arrested and crucified.
How does Jesus' mandate of loving one another color your understanding of where freedom is found, the liberations they were celebrating at this meal?
We will gather around table tonight. We will tell the story. We will remember and pray.
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