Maundy Thursday – April 1, 2010

“Feast with Him!”

Tonight in our meditation of the Lord's Passion, we actually take a step backward, backward to a time before Gethsemane with its sweat and anguish, before Judas' kiss of death, before the angry shouts! We take a step back to a time of quietness, of rest and tranquility, to the calm before the storm.

Within hours Jesus would be left alone as his disciples would scattered like sheep without a shepherd. He would be alone to face the powers of darkness, alone before Pilate, alone upon the cross. But for now, he had opportunity for fellowship with his disciples, with those very men he had trained and equipped to continue his work after his crucifixion and resurrection. But now their training was almost over. No longer would Jesus be personally with them to instruct them. But he did have one last legacy for them, one final gift for them and for his Church — the Sacrament of his body and blood.

Today, then, let's return in spirit to the upper room and there watch in silence as Jesus and his disciples enjoy that brief but soul-enriching calm before the storm. For this night again, Jesus of Nazareth is Passing By, passing by with the rich rewards of his grace.

Matthew 26:26-28 ²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” ²⁷ Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

The Passover was the most important of all the Jewish festivals, and one that was especially dear to Jesus as well. It was a marvelous occasion, a regular 4^th of July for the Jews. It really was their Independence Day, for it marked the occasion of their exodus from Egypt. In particular it pointed to the last plague that God had brought upon Pharaoh, the plague upon the first-born. In one night the angel of the death had passed through the land of Egypt and destroyed the firstborn of every man and beast. Only Israel had been saved, and then only if they had painted the sides and tops of their door frames with the blood of the Passover lamb. Only those homes that had this sign of blood were spared and the angel of death passed over them.

For the Jew, then, the Passover was a yearly reminder of God's grace, a yearly reminder that he brought them out of Egypt with his mighty and powerful hand. Every part of this celebration pointed to God's gracious deliverance from the bondage of slavery. The unleavened bread was to remind them of the haste with which they finally left Egypt, without time to even let the dough rise. The bitter herbs pointed to the bitter oppression from which they had been freed. But most important of all was the lamb.

Only a perfect lamb could be used, one without spot or blemish. Its blood had to be shed, its life given in exchange for the life of the firstborn. From all their sacrifices, the Jews certainly learned the truth of the Bible that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). Every spiritual-minded person in the Old Testament certainly saw in the Passover Lamb the symbol and sign of their coming Savior, especially whenever they read the words of Isaiah 53: “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter” (53:7). Each and every year they would be reminded by the shedding of the Passover Lamb's blood, not only of their past deliverance from Egypt, but also of their future deliverance from sin through the shed blood of the Messiah, the true Lamb of God.

But now, in that Upper Room, that Old Covenant was coming to an end. In a matter of hours, Christ the perfect Passover Lamb would be betrayed, condemned and crucified. His blood would be shed, the blood of the very Son of God. No longer would there be any need for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. His blood, the blood of God, would once and for all wipe the slate clean of all sin.

These were the thoughts that filled the mind of Jesus, and in a hazy way, the minds of the disciples too as they gathered at the table for the last time together. But now with the Passover meal almost finished, Jesus does something unique and out of the ordinary. Matthew tells us, “While they were eating Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

It was something brand new, a change from the traditional. But what Jesus was telling them was clear: what the Old Testament Passover only pictured, Jesus was now fulfilling! It was as if he was saying, “A moment ago it was Egypt, now it's Jerusalem. A moment ago it was history; now it's reality. A moment ago it was the blood of an unblemished lamb; now it's the blood of the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” “This is my body; this is my blood. Here is the payment for sin and the price of your freedom.”

And this meal that Jesus instituted on that holy night so long ago is meant for all of his disciples of all time. Even today Jesus invites us to feast with him and to partake of his supper. Jesus wants us to be filled with awe. For here a miracle is taking place before our very eyes. Along with the bread Jesus miraculously gives us his body as well. Along with the wine, he gives us his blood. He doesn't tell us to examine it scientifically, to put it under a microscope and figure out how he's doing it. How he does it is his concern. Our business is simply to believe it; that here with the bread he gives me the very body he offered into death; that here with the wine he gives me the very blood he shed — that I might be forgiven.

And so tonight, at Jesus' invitation, you and I will again come in faith to the Lord's Table, seeking forgiveness, pardon and peace in his body and blood. We will come with our sins, our guilt, our death. We will come with lives that are sinful from start to finish. But that's why Christ's body and blood are such wonderful things for us. The bread looks so simple. The wine doesn't look very imposing. But in this humble wrapping comes something more precious than all the riches of the world. Wrapped up in Christ's body and blood are the lowliness of Bethlehem and Nazareth, the suffering of Gethsemane and Golgotha, the pain, shame, death and torments of hell that he suffered in our place. Jesus' sacrifice lies before us. Here he gives it to us, so we can taste it, touch it and see it.

That's why Christians everywhere are so eager to receive this holy Supper often. We don't come because it's simply our custom to do this sometime during Holy Week. We don't come simply because it's been 3 months since that last time we attended. We don't come to keep up appearances or to maintain our membership in the church. We come because we feel the burden of our sins and the need for the forgiveness that only Christ can give. We come because here is the Lamb for sinners slain. We come because here is the solution to all our sin and feelings of guilt. We come for the peace and strength that the Sacrament offers and gives for our struggle with temptation.

If, however, we don't feel the burden of sin, if we don't sense the need for forgiveness, if we come only out of custom, than something is drastically wrong, and we had best follow Luther's advice: “to put our hand into our bosom, and feel whether we still have flesh and blood.” For if we do, then we are yet human and sinners in God's eyes. And that means that we're in desperate need of the forgiveness which he offers us here. Secondly, Luther says, “look around to see whether you are still in the world, and keep in mind that there will be no lack of sin and trouble, as the Scriptures say.” In other words, if we're still in the world, then we know that we are surrounded by many temptations and that we need the strength and power of this Sacrament to remain steadfast in the faith.

And so — because we sin much, we will flee to this meal he has supplied. For here we find our forgiveness, our comfort, our salvation. Today Jesus invites us to feast with him. He welcomes us to his table, to see and feel and taste and touch his body and blood, to handle the canceled check, the price he paid to make us his own. So come, feast with him. Come with hearts broken because of sin and guilt and shame. Come with souls that are starving for food that strengthens for the ongoing battle with the devil, the world, and the sinful nature. Come with a heart parched with a thirst for salvation. Come and eat and drink the price of your salvation. Amen.