Part Two: How Jesus' View Of The Bible Ought To Inform Our View Of The Bible

Introduction:

       In our last post here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2022/05/part-one-how-jesus-view-of-bible-ought.html, we began to considerJesus' view of Scripture and why His view of  Scripture ought to be our view of Scripture. We noted three expressions Jesus used when talking about the Old Testament. First we observed His use of the phrase "it is written". Then, we witnessed His use of the term "the scripture", and where He deems the words of the Old Testament as God's voice in written form. Put another way, to say the phrase "Scripture" is to equate the words of the Bible as being tantamount to talking to God face-to-face and hearing Him speak. We demonstrated how those phrases point the reader to conclude that Jesus viewed the words of the Bible as without error or totally true - i.e. "inerrant", as well as incapable of error - i.e. "infallible". 

       In today's post I want us to consider two more phrases used by Jesus in His descriptions of how He viewed Scripture as further testimony of what the view ought to be of everyone that professes to follow Him.  

a. "Truly, Truly, I say to you"

     In addition to the phrase I alluded to above ("it is written", "the scriptures"), the next set of phrases that Jesus used to teach about the Bible was where he would either say "but I say" or "truly truly". These particular statements refer to Jesus's own self understanding of his Divine Authority as delivering the very words of God. He would often contrast himself with the Jewish traditions as found in the teachings of the Pharisees and Scribes. Hence, Jesus used the phrase "truly truly" in John 1:51; 3:3, 5, 11; 5:19, 24, 25; 6:26, 32, 47, 53; 8:34, 51, 58; 10:1, 7; 12:24; 13:16, 20, 21, 38; 14:12; 16:20, 23 and 21:18. 

       We then find Jesus using the phrase "I say" with reference to his own Divine Authority in Matthew 5:18, 22, 22, 26, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 6:2, 5, 16, 25, 29, 8.10, 11; 10:15, 23, 29; 11:23, 24; 12:43; 13:30, 37: 14:9, 14, 18, 25, 30 / Luke 4:24 and Luke 5:24. In Luke 6:25, Jesus would use the phrase "but I say" to contrast himself to the Jewish traditions, as seen in Luke 7.9, 14, 26, 28, 47.10:12; 11:8, 9, 51; 12:5, 22, 27, 37, 44. 

       As Jesus proclaimed His own self understanding, He claimed the ability to forgive sins (Luke 7:47; 12:8) which is something the Old Testament taught that Yahweh, Jehovah God, could alone do (see Isaiah 43:10,11; Jonah 2:9-10). Jesus Christ came into this world with an unprecedented air of authority and self-awareness of He Himself being "God in the flesh". As only Jesus could achieve, His self-understanding as God-incarnate never came across as arrogant or out of place. Finally, we see this phrase "but I say" used in John 1:51 and in Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44 / Luke 6:27 / John 5:34, expressing everything I just noted about our Lord with respect to how He perceived Himself as the Eternal Son of God who came as the virgin-born, incarnate Savior - Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1:21-23, "God with us or Immanuel"; John 1:14, "The Word made flesh"; Colossians 2:9, "He being the fullness of the Godhead bodily"). 

b. "Word of God" 

         The final major term that Jesus used to describe the scriptures was the phrase "the Word of God". Whenever we use the phrase "Word of God" to describe either the writings of the Old and New Testament or Jesus Himself, we are describing something or someone who speaks in God's place. Thus, Jesus used this phrase "word of God" in places such as Matthew 4:4; 15:6 / Mark 7:13 / Luke 8:11, 21; 11:28 / John 3:34; 8:47 / John 10:35.  In John 10:35, Jesus uses the particular phrase: "the Word of God cannot be broken" to refer to scripture's infallibility (that is, it's incapability of ever being wrong or ever failing to be right).

Closing thoughts

    We have labored to show through an exhaustive survey of the four Gospels the view of the Bible held to by Jesus. We noted the major phrases He used when referencing the Old Testament: "it is written", "the Scripture", "I say to you", "truly, truly", and "the Word of God". We discovered that such descriptions revealed what Jesus thought about Himself as God in the flesh. We also noted how such phrases demonstrated Jesus' high-view of Scripture as being totally true or "inerrant" and totally trustworthy or "infallible". Jesus' use of the Greek and Aramaic translations of His day expressed that He saw the inerrancy and infalliblity of the original manuscripts still having relevance in how those translations still carry with them the words and meanings of those originals. Finally, we concluded that Jesus'view of Scripture came to represent what would be the uniform view of the Apostles. Consequently, this high view of Scripture ought to be the view of the church at large - since Jesus Himself taught it as so. My hope is that these posts reinforce a revival in proclaiming and defending the Bible as God's authoritative Word - infallible, inerrant, and the final authority on all subjects pertaining to this life and the one to come. 

Learning How To Pray Like Jesus - A 2022 National Day Of Prayer Reflection

Introduction: 

       I begin today’s post from A.W. Tozer’s classic book, “Knowledge of the Holy”. He writes, 

“The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.” 

        This year's theme for the National Day of Prayer is "Exalt the Lord", taken from the words of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:6-7,

"Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."

          As churches in our area will gather today to observe this important event, I got to thinking about how we can be more effective in our prayer lives as individuals and churches. There is no better Person to turn to than the LORD Jesus Himself. When Jesus’ disciples followed Him in His public ministry, the only subject they requested Him to teach concerned this: "How to pray". What Jesus did was provide a model prayer we call “The Lord’s Prayer” (found in Matthew 6 and Luke 11). I find in this prayer four principles on how to pray, following the acronym “P.R.A.Y”. Thus consider with me four truths on learning how to pray like Jesus. 

Praise God for being God.      Matthew 6:9

    Jesus begins His teaching on prayer with these words recorded by Matthew in Matthew 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” The featured attribute or characteristic of God is His holiness. God’s holiness is that attribute that emphasizes the otherness, goodness, radiance, and perfection that He is as God. 

        I heard a speaker say years ago that the God of popular American religion is not a holy God, which explains why hunger for the things of God rarely characterizes so few churches today. Remember: wherever we begin in prayer is where we will end. The Psalmist writes this in Psalm 121:1-2, 

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." 

     The Apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:1-2, 

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." 

   So as we pray, we begin with praise to God for being God. Now let us notice secondly….

Recall His promises.                 Matthew 6:10

      Again we turn to Matthew's version of Jesus' famous model prayer, wherein He says next in Matthew 6:10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." One writer estimated there are some 8,000 promises in God's Word to His people. The Apostle Peter records for us in 2 Peter 1:3-4,

"seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust."

      As we rehearse the promises of God to ourselves from the Bible, we notice certain themes.  Two such motifs associated with God's promises pertain to His Second coming and His daily provisions for our lives. Do we give thought to the promise of His coming?  Paul writes this in Philippians 3:20-21 about the promise of Christ's soon return for every believer to recall, 

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself."

      How about His provisions for us on a daily basis. We so often worry and fret about how to make ends meet that we get distracted from meeting with God in prayer. This, again, is where we turn to promises of His provision such as we meet in Philippians 4:6-7, 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

      Recalling God's promises aids us in refocusing ourselves upon His glory and excellence as God, for which we praise Him. Let us notice a third truth on how to pray like Jesus….

Ask according to His will.       Matthew 6:11-13

       What is God’s will? That intention, rooted in God’s being, knowledge, wisdom, and decree that guarantees all He has ordained to come to pass, as revealed in His Word or unrevealed in His working.  Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us God makes known those things which we are to know, while concealing other matters known only to Himself. We read Jesus' next statement on prayer in Matthew 6:11-13 

‘Give us this day our daily bread. 12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] 

         For those believers aiming to live in God's revealed will (the Bible) as they live life before God, the need to pray according to His will is stated most clearly in 1 John 5:14-15 

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."

         Sometimes when I pray, I do so with my Bible open to a given passage of Scripture. Thankfully today, most Bibles have a topical index in the back to which one can turn whenever looking for a passage to match whatever they are praying about. Do you know there are those occassions where even when framing my prayers in such exercises, I still find myself at a loss as to know how to pray or what to pray. Admittedly, this can be discouraging and make any of us wonder how to find the will to pray whenever it seems God's will eludes us. This is why we have this promise of the Holy Spirit's help in our prayer-life in Romans 8:26-27

"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

      So, in praising God for being God, recalling His promises, and asking according to His will, Jesus gives us three wonderful principles for moreeffective prayers. Let's consider one final thought....

Yearn for Christ.                    Matthew 6:14-15

     We read in Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." Paul writes in Colossians 3:12-13 

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you."

      Yearning for Jesus is seen in how Christ Himself points us to the mercy the Father desires to bestow in forgiveness, for which Christ Himself came to pay for through His cross and resurrection (see Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). What practical steps can we take (if we are followers of Jesus) to stoke the fires of yearning for Jesus? It all begins by reviewing what He did for us on the cross. In most churches, periodic observance of the Lord's Table is designed to help Christians get refocused upon the cross of Christ. All that Jesus achieved on our behalf in His act of passive obedience as the subsitutionary atoning sacrifice for sins can disarm any resentment we may harbor against someone. To think of what I did as part of all Jesus bore on the cross to provide forgiveness of my sins can fight the tendency we all have to become bitter. Bitterness and anger can dry up desire for God. Only at the cross can we lay such things aside.

        As we review the cross (whether by partaking the Lord's supper or in our daily reflections through one of the final portions of the four Gospel accounts, Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19), we then mentally and prayerfully revisit the empty tomb of our Lord. As we strive to yearn for Jesus, we do not yearn for a dead Savior - but a living One! To know He lives gives me power to overcome those barriers that smother the flames of my devotion to Christ. We read in Romans 8 of how the power of the Holy Spirit in raising Christ from the dead is what initiates the new birth in the beginnings of our Christian walk. 

       Thirdly, as we yearn for Jesus by means of reviewing His cross and revisiting His empty tomb, we refocus by looking up. What do I mean "looking up"? I mean with reference to His ascension into Heaven 40 days following His resurrection, the angels words to the disciples in Acts 1:11 are apropos to us today,

"They also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

       Yearning for Jesus means anticipating His soon return. As we focus on Christ's second coming, the way our prayers will change will show in how we come to focus on whatever we pray for in light of eternity and things to come. As anyone who desire to follow Jesus can attest, the need to pray more effectively is a constant need. May we take to heart the four above principles in learning to P.R.A.Y. like Jesus. 

Part One: How Jesus' View Of The Bible Ought To Inform Our View Of The Bible

Introduction:

      There are two pillars that support the historic Christian view of the Bible. The first concerns what Jesus Himself taught - which is the focus of this post. The second considers the Biblical documents themselves, their claims of Divine inspiration, demonstration of inerrancy, fulfilled prophecies, preservation of their words in the thousands of manuscripts and translations, and demonstration of their reliability from archaeology and historical studies. This second "pillar" fits under the theological study of the doctrine of Scripture that is called "Bibliology". Bibliology is important in its own right, since despite centuries of scrutiny, the Biblical text continues to show its character as totally true or without error. Bibliology, rightly understood, complements what we learn from the first pillar of our understanding of the nature of Scripture - namely Jesus' teaching.

    Dr. Michael Kruger, an eminent Biblical scholar and expert in the history of the Biblical text, has this to say of the importance of Jesus' view of Scripture,

"One need only consider Jesus' own view of the Old Testament. Time and again, Jesus appeals to Old Testament passages and always receives it as truth, never correcting it, criticizing it, or pointing out inconsistencies. Indeed, He not only refrained from correcting the Scriptures, but He also affirmed the Scriptures "cannot be broken" (John 10:35), and that "[God's] Word is truth" (John 17:17). It is unthinkable that Jesus would ever have read an Old Testament passage and declared, "Well, this passage is simply wrong." 

      We will argue that whether we consider Jesus' approach to Scripture or go the second route of establishing the preservation, reliability, and prophetic claims of the Bible itself, both methods arrive at the same conclusion - Biblical inerrancy (that is, without error as oriignally revealed) and infallibility (that is, incapable of being wrong as originally revealed).  By focusing on how Jesus treated and understood the Old Testament Scriptures of His day (the New Testament had not yet been composed during His earthly ministry), we can establish what I call "an argument to inerrancy". 

Jesus taught that the scripture is inspired, inerrant and revealed by God.
       

        In Jesus' day, the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible, "The Tanak", as it is sometimes referred, standing for "Torah = Law"; "Neviim = Prophets"; "Kethuvim = Writings") was the only Bible known. Jesus Himself referred to "The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings or Psalms" (see Luke 24:44), corresponding to the Jewish divisions of the Hebrew Bible into the above "Tanak" acronym. There were no New Testament books, since Jesus had not yet died, raised and ascended. The Old Testament books were revealed by God through the prophets in Hebrew (98% of the Old Testament text) and Aramaic (2% of the Old Testament text). 

       By the first century, almost every Jewish person in Israel spoke Aramaic, which meant that the copies of the scriptures read in the synagogues were Aramaic (called "Targums", meaning, "to interpret"). Other Jews throughout the rest of the Greco-Roman world had access to Greek copies of the Old Testament associated with the Septuagint Greek Old Testament (so-named due to the tradition that the project was translated by seventy Jewish scribes, symbolized by the Roman numeral LXX). 

       The Septuagint (LXX) was translated over a period of a century, beginning in 275 b.c. It is likely that Jesus and the Apostles had familiarity with the Aramaic Targums and Greek translation of the Old Testament.

       There were of course copies of the Hebrew text, however, very few Jewish people knew Hebrew. Despite various translations of the Old Testament in circulation by Jesus' day, His view of the Divine authority carried by such translations did not alter. As we shall see below, Jesus viewed the translations of His day as carrying forth the authority of inerrancy and infallibility of the originals from whence they were translated. This point is vital, since it shows us how to treat and regard English translations that are translated from the underlying Hebrew and Aramaic Old Testament and Greek New Testament. 

        Several key phrases that Jesus used to describe the scriptures attest to His views, which ought to inform us as to how to view our translations of the Old and by extension, the New Testament. Let me mention three of them today.

a. "It is written"

      Jesus would sometimes use the phrase "it is written" to assert the Divine authority of the Old Testament (Matthew 4:4, 6, 7, 10; 11:10; 21:13; 26:24, 31 / Mark 1:2, 7:6, 9:12, 13; 11:17; 14:21, 27 / Luke 4:4, 8, 10, 17, 7:27; 10:26; 18:31; 19.46; 20.17, 22, 22:37; 24.44, 46 / John 6:31,45; 8:17; 10:34; 12:14, 16; 15:25; 19:19, 20, 22. At least 16 times in the Old Testament do we find this phrase used to refer to the words of other Old Testament books as being God's Word. 

       To say that the Bible is "God's Word" or "it is written" was Jesus' way of saying that to hear the Bible read was equivalent to hearing God Himself speak. The human author's writing style, background, setting, historical situation, and place in history were orchestrated by the Holy Spirit in producing original documents that were true in all they said on matters of history, science and doctrine. 

b. "Scripture"

      Jesus used another closely associated term, "Scripture", to describe the Old Testament (Matthew 21:42, 22:29, 26:54, 56/ Mark 12:24, 14:49 / Luke 24:27, 32, 45, John 5:39). In these instances, Jesus describes the scriptures as fulfilled, having Divine authority, without error or "inerrant" (Matthew 22:29) and incapable of failure or "infallible" (John 10:35).  This reminds us of that trait of the Bible possessed by no other book in the world - historically verified fulfilled prophecy. 

         God alone knows the future (Isaiah 46:9-10). According to the reputable "Payne's Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy", there are over 700 prophecies in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, covering historical events predicted of historic nations, including Israel, as well as over 300 prophecies touching upon the Person and work of Jesus Himself. This use of "Scripture" by Jesus shows how He understood the Bible to be "Divinely supernatural" in its accurate predictions of events in history - He Himself being the center and goal of all of it.

More next time....

Death's Obituary - An Easter Sunday Meditation On Christ's Victory Over Death

 

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 "But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Jesus Christ won the cosmic battle, resulting in Death's obituary

       When one reads the above closing text of 1 Corinthians 15, it has the ring of an "obituary about death". Paul's whole point in 1 Corinthians 15 is to detail how we can know not only the historicity of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, but also its life-practical and eternal implications. When it is all said and done, what Christ achieved on that first Easter morning not only had historical significance and life-changing power, but cosmic implications. When I say "cosmic", I mean the supernatural war that the kingdom of darkness has waged against God since Lucifer's cosmic rebellion in heaven at the near beginning of creation (see Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28). Satan's introduction of sin to Adam and Eve, and their compliance to his temptation, resulted in curse, sin and death on the whole physical creation (see Romans 5:12-21; 8:20-25). 

         Would Death have the final word? So it would seem. One population statistic I read of years ago suggests that over 12 billion human beings have lived on our planet since its creation. All human beings since Adam have faced death in one way or another and lost. Yes, we can note of course two exceptions in the Old Testament in which God directly took Enoch to Heaven (Genesis 5:24) and the prophet Elijah to Heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:12). Nevertheless, God forestalled what otherwise would had been Enoch's and Elijah's appointments with physical death (Hebrews 9:27). Death keeps its appointments. No one had ever died and came back by their own power, let alone experienced a physical transformation of their body as Jesus did. 

          God's curse on creation would result in death's seeming permanence. Old Testament prophecy predicted a time will come when death's universal pattern will be reversed (see Job 19:25-27; Daniel 12:1-3). Still, these prophecies indicate that such reversal would not happen until the end of history. Would death itself ever fail to take even one human being? 

           On Easter morning Death was dealt a major loss. Jesus Christ did not merely cheat death of a victory, He conquered it. Furthermore, His resurrection included the transformation of His physical body in the grave, meaning He would never die again. We see roughly half a dozen instances in the Bible where prophets, and even Christ Himself, would rescucitate people by bringing them back from the dead (Lazarus is the most famous of these in John 11). But eventually, Lazarus would die, since his body had not experienced the transformation to glory and immortality that accompanies resurrection. Jesus on the otherhand experienced this glorious transformation. As Sovereign God in human flesh, Jesus took the end of history and inserted it into the middle of this present age by His resurrection from the dead. Death lost! Christ will never die again! He is risen! What this means is the beginning of the reversal of Death's dominion, as described by Paul's term for Jesus as being the "first fruits" of such a reversal (see 1 Corinthians 15:20,23). Every Christ-follower looks forward to the day when they will experience a resurrection of their own from the dead or, if still alive at Christ's appearing, be taken up into Heaven with their bodies transformed like Enoch and Elijah (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

         In thinking on what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, the thought came to mind concerning "death's obituary". It appears Paul had in mind the words of Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 25:8-9 

"He will swallow up death for all time,

And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.

9 And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited;

Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

      What Jesus achieved on that first Easter morning made Him the first to conquer death! We certainly find evidence of Christ's victory over death issuing forth on that first Easter morning, as found in Luke 24:1-8 - 

"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” 8 And they remembered His words."

        Such words ought to always be remembered by Christ-followers everywhere when faced with doubt, fear or worry. As I prayed about what it must had been like on that first Easter morning, as well as what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, this theme of "Death's Obituary" kept coming up in my heart. So, I shared this thought with my wife, and what she wrote below goes wonderfully with what Paul seems to be communicating in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57. I close today's post with her wonderful piece entitled: "Death's Obituary".

Death's Obituary - By Debi Smith

Death, formerly from the region of Hades, died on Easter morning surrounded by legions of stunned and terrified demons. Death lived a long life. Some of His biggest claims to fame included scaring and immobilizing people from living; killing people that thought they had tomorrow; and separating people from loved ones until Death decided it was there time as well. Death leaves behind no one to mourn him. There will be no services, but there will be a celebration held at a later date when Jesus Christ comes back to claim His followers. At that time, there will be a burial as Death will be cast into the lake of fire never to be seen again. In lieu of flowers or donations, we ask that everyone seek the Lord while He may be found and embrace eternal life."

Holy Saturday - An Explanation Of What Jesus Did Between His Death And Resurrection

 

1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.

Introduction:

       I was once asked a rather interesting question: "What Jesus did between the time He died until He raised from the dead?" This post aims to answer that question. The question concerning what Jesus did between His crucifixion and resurrection is relevant to what is historically known in the Christian Church as "Holy Saturday". Central to this post is the notion that Jesus proclaimed victory over the powers of Hell. Furthermore, once Jesus declared His triumph, He then presented His once and for all sacrifice for sin to the Father between His death and resurrection.

The significance of the Saturday the falls between "Good Friday" and "Easter Sunday"

       Today is the Saturday that lies between "Good Friday" and "Easter Sunday". This day, simply called "Holy Saturday", considers what all was potentially taking place during the interment of Jesus' body in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. In the book "Preaching through the Christian Year", an ancient practice of the early church is recounted: 

"In the ancient church, the tradition of the Easter Vigil played an important role. Catechumens (young converts to the Christian faith), after remaining awake and watchful throughout Saturday night, were baptized early on Easter morning and then joined the Christian community in Holy communion." 1 

        I'm sure some readers, for instance, can recall "Easter Sunrise Services" and other Christian traditions that urge the church to recall her central identity in Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. As a boy, whenever our family would attend such sunrise services, the anticipation, the excitement, hung in the air. The great thing about Holy Saturday is the expectation that builds-up in the Christ-follower's heart as the look forward to Easter Sunday. 

A reminder about the mystery of Christ's incarnation.

         Over 2,000 years ago, Christ's physical body laid at "rest" in the tomb while He, in His immaterial soul, presented His accomplishment to the Father and proclaimed victory. The mystery of the incarnation reminds us that the Eternal Person of the Son came to take unto Himself true humanity (see Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:14; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 10:5-7). As He ever remained truly "God with us", He came to be also "man for us" (see Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:14; Romans 1:1-3; 9:4-5; Titus 2:11-13). As truly God, the Person of the Son retained eternal perfections such as omnipresence, omniscience, and the inability to die. As truly man, the Person of the Son experienced the limitations that come with being man, including being in one place at a time (locality, Luke 2:49; Philippians 2:5-7), finite knowledge (Matthew 24:36), and the ability to die (mortality, Mark 10:45; John 10:11). In this post, the focus rests upon all Jesus would experience as "man for our sakes", reminding the reader that whenever we speak about Him, we distinguish between who He remained to be as "God with us" and "man for us".

Holy Saturday is all about "rest" and "victory"

        The Apostle's Creed, an ancient confession of faith still recited by Christians the world-over, includes this phrase: 

"He was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell, on the third day He raised from the dead." 

       Christians historically have emphasized this major theme of "rest" for Holy Saturday. Such rest, both spiritually and otherwise, could only be achieved as a result of Christ finished work on the cross and what was (then) His pending resurrection. The work Jesus did in-between death and resurrection cemented together the victory of the cross and what would be His victory over death. It honestly comforts me to think of how helpless the powers of darkness were in preventing Christ from these decisive actions. 

        Robert Webber in his book: "Ancient Future Time", comments on Holy Saturday in regards to the theme of "rest":

"Saturday is a day of rest and preparation for the great service of resurrection. It is a day to keep silence, to fast, to pray, to identify with Jesus in the tomb, and to prepare for the great resurrection feast."2

          So with the twin themes of "rest" and "victory", Holy Saturday gets the Christian ready for the glory of the resurrection that is central to Easter Sunday. What follows from here is an attempt to draw together the New Testament testimony of what Jesus did.

Stitching together the New Testament passages that reference Christ's proclamation of victory between that first Good Friday and Easter Sunday

         The four Gospels detail the events of Christ's death, burial and resurrection.  The remainder of the New Testament (Acts, 21 Epistles and Revelation) unfold the meaning what He achieved. The Apostle Peter in his first epistle aims to show how we as Christians ought to stand firm in God's grace (1 Peter 5:12). Peter's letter ties in our ability to stand in such grace to what Jesus Christ accomplished.  1 Peter 3:18-20 will act as our telescope to view the New Testament passages that reference the events of "Holy Saturday. To do this, we will consider the following two main thoughts about Christ's accomplished work:

A. The Purpose of Christ's Accomplished Work - reconciliation.  1 Peter 3:18

B. The Proclamation of Christ's Accomplished Work - Victory.  1 Peter 3:19-20

A. Purpose of Christ’s Victorious Work – Reconciliation 3:18 

i. What did He do? He died 

He died for sins.  As Dr. Danny Akin of South Western Baptist Theological Seminary once noted: "He lived the life I couldn't live and He died the death I should have died."

ii. Whom did He die for? The unjust 

Romans 5:6-8 states - "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 

         Jesus' death on behalf of sinners accomplished two necessary effects required for reconciliation with God. The first necessary effect was expiation, that is, the removal of the cause of God's wrath upon us - our sin (Romans 5:10). The second effect had to do with propitiation, that is, the satisfaction of God's wrath (1 John 2:2). Below in the next thought (point "iii"), we see why expiation (taking away of sin) and propitiation (satisfying wrath) are necessary for reconciliation.

iii. Why did he die? To bring us to God (reconciliation) 

Dr. Michael Horton notes: 

"The result of God's wrath being satisfied is reconciliation. Just as we are first of all passive subjects of God's wrath when God propitiates, we are passive subjects of God's reconciliation at the cross.  We do not reconcile ourselves to God; God reconciles Himself to us and us to Him."3

iv. How did He do it? Death and resurrection

Christ's death, burial and resurrection are at the heart of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The New Testament mostly focuses upon Christ's death and resurrection.  However, what went on during the three days He was buried is not explained in near as much detail as the two book-ends of the Gospel: namely Christ's death and resurrection.  

         Death and Resurrection serve to explain how Christ accomplished what he achieved. What He did in His burial (down below) reveals some of the behind (and under) the scenes work He did in insuring our ability to walk as believers in His Victorious work. 

B. Proclamation of Christ’s Victorious Work – Victory 3:19-20 

i. What did He do between His death &    resurrection? Proclaimed victory 3:19 

John MacArthur has perhaps explained this text better than just about everyone I've read or heard: 

"He was announcing, proclaiming (and) heralding a triumph. About what? It must be pretty obvious, about His triumph over sin, about His triumph over death, about His triumph over hell, about His triumph over demons, about His triumph over Satan." 4

ii. To whom did He proclaim His victory? The  demons reserved for judgment. 3:19-20 

         If we were to attempt to offer a faint outline of what Jesus did between His death and resurrection, we could maybe understand why He went to proclaim His victory to the demonic realm.  Much activity was done by Christ in this short-span of time. 

         First He went immediately into the presence of His Father by way of the Holy Spirit in his human spirit to present His once and for all sacrifice (Hebrew 9:15). 

          Next, He went down into those regions of hell where some of the demons (especially those who rebelled in Noah's day) are being reserved for judgment. 

          Thirdly, Christ would had released the Old Testament saints from the righteous realm of the dead (i.e. paradise) to lead the captives out to where they could come with Him to where the saints go in this age (Ephesians 4:8-11). Some have connected this particular event to when the saints came out of their tombs in Matthew 27:52-53.

          Fourthly, Christ's proclamation of victory insures that hell will not prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18) as well as fulfilling the fact of His triumph over the demonic realm (Colossians 2:14-15). 

         Fifthly, Christ's resurrection from the dead meant He had completed His mission of proclamation and thus He arose as a victorious King, subduing all cosmic powers under Himself (Acts 2:24; 1 Peter 3:22).

iii. Why did he proclaim His victory? To  guarantee Christian victory 3:19-20 

         He did this to pave the way for what would be His ascension into Heaven 40 days after His resurrection from the dead (Ephesians 4:7-10). 

iv. What was His victory over? Sin (1 Pet 3:18), hell (1 Pet 3:19-20; Col 2:11-12), grave (3:18,21b)

Revelation 1:4-5 states - 

"John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood".

Closing thoughts

As we draw this post to a close, let's remember our two main thoughts for today's post:

1. The Purpose of Christ's Accomplished Work - reconciliation. 1 Peter 3:18

2. The Proclamation of Christ's Accomplished Work - Victory. 1 Peter 3:19-20

        What Jesus accomplished was proclaimed by Him both in heaven and to the defeated demonic realm. Such activities provided grounds for which future generations of Christian could stand who by grace through faith trusted in Jesus. The cross of Good Friday and the work of Holy Saturday pointed to what would be the great victory of Easter Sunday. He has risen! As Christians, we rest in these works of Jesus.

Endnotes:

1. Fred B. Craddock; John H. Hayes; Carl R. Holladay and Gene M. Tucker. Preaching Through the Christian Year - Part A. Trinity Press International. Harrisburg, PA. 1992. Page 227

2. Robert Webber. Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality Through The Christian Year." Baker Books. 2004.

2. Michael Horton. The Christian Faith - A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way. Zondervan. 2011. Page 500

3. http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/60-37/the-triumph-of-christs-suffering-part-2

How Good Friday Made Possible The Great Day Of Christ's Soon Return: A Good Friday Meditation

Introduction: 

        Good Friday is called “Good Friday” because the eternal goodness of God Himself was on display to conquer the darkness and evil of sin. In this post I want to take Paul's instructions on the Lord's Supper as a means of preparing our minds for Good Friday. Think of this post today as  reflections that lead the mind and heart to anticipate all that Good Friday expresses. Furthermore, we will see how focusing upon the cross points believers ahead to Christ's second coming. John writes in Revelation 1:7 of how the Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon and will have the nail-pierced marks, even in His glorified state, 

"Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen."

Salvation accomplished and salvation applied.

We read these words in Romans 5:8-9 

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."

        When theologians speak of the cross of Christ, they subdivide what took place into two main branches: “redemption accomplished” and “redemption applied”. The first of these speak of what Jesus achieved as recorded in the four Gospel accounts. The latter subdivision describes the Holy Spirit's application of the accomplished work of Christ explained in the book of Acts and New Testament Letters. "Salvation Applied" begins at regeneration in saving faith, through progressive growth in sanctification, to glorification which follows upon the believer's death. The cross of Christ, Good Friday, set in motion the wonder of Christ’s string of victories. Good Friday would lead to Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday looked ahead to Christ’s ascension. Christ’s ascension would be proved by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to begin the church in Acts. It is then from Pentecost to now we look forward to Jesus’ return. The simple diagram below summarizes what Jesus achieved and will achieve upon His return:

Cross---Easter---Ascension---Return.

How the crown of thorns would point the way to the crowned King of Kings at His return

       For the Christian, the cross is our focal point that enables us to look forward to Jesus’ return (see 1 Corinthians 2:2). Several New Testament passages tie together what Jesus achieved in the His first coming to what He will accomplish at His second coming. I'll cite two fine examples of this linkage between the cross and second coming. Paul writes in Titus 2:13-14 

"looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." 

        The author of Hebrews in Hebrews 9:27-28 connects for us the cross to Christ’s return: 

"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (28) so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." 

Jesus gave His church the Lord's Table to recall and prepare in the time between His two comings 

        Furthermore, Jesus Himself gave to His church a wonderful means of strengthening the Christian's faith in which we can focus on the cross while looking forward to His return – the Lord’s Table.  One author has noted that the possessive appelation "Lord's" (that is, as seen in the phrases "Lord's Table" in 1 Corinthians 11:21 and "Lord's Day" in Revelation 1:10) speaks to His Lordship as declared following His resurrection. 

        We see proof of this observation from what Peter states in his inaugural sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:36

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” 

        Paul’s admonitions and instructions to a struggling church served to refocus it on the cross so that it could become once again excited about Christ’s return. Clearly there are points here for us to consider. I'll list three of these rather broadly and then expound upon them below.

1. What happens when we’re not focused on the cross.   1 Corinthians 11:17-22

2. How to refocus on the cross in the Lord’s Supper.       1 Corinthians 11:23-34

3. How focusing on the cross prepares the Christian for His return. 1 Corinthians 11:26-34

      So then, let's observe these three in more detail.

1. What happens when we’re not focused on the cross.   1 Corinthians 11:17-22

          We can notice two consequences that follow when churches and Christians lose focus of the cross: loss of unity and loss of focus.

*Loss of unity.          11:17-19

          The church at Corinth was a struggling church. In as much as it struggled with moral and doctrinal divisions, Paul tells us that God's Providence sovereignly allows His church to battle with challenges at every level. We know that in the realm of God's morally revealed will (that is, the Bible, see Deuteronomy 29:29), such errors and sins conflict with what He tells us in His Word (see 1 John 3:4). Yet we know too that no trial comes to any Christian apart from the Sovereign unrevealed will of the Savior (see 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 1 Peter 1:6-7). We may not grasp how these two general areas of God's will work together, yet we know that in the final analysis there are no contradictions in the will of God. Moses writes in Deuteronomy 8:3 

"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." 

          When churches face such seasons like what we read of in Corinth, it can prompt God's people to pursue the unity for which Jesus prayed for in John 17. Unity in the body of Christ is preserved by prayer, purity of doctrine, and practice. Typically, when unity slides, it begins with loss of prayer, followed by practice. The cross and the Word is what keeps it all together. So we see loss of unity as one of the by-products.  Now notice the second effect....

*Loss of focus.          11:20-22

           When we lose focus on the Master, we end up going through the motions. In 1 Corinthians 11:20-21 we read:

"Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, 21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk."

What an awful scene we find at Corinth! Squabbling! Drunkedness! Excesses at the communion table. The activities were so egregious that Paul tells us that what they were doing was not worthy of the name "Lord's Supper". Truly when we lose focus on Christ, we lose sight of what the church is to be all about. So, focusing on the cross enables the church to maintain unity and focus as she looks ahead to Christ's return. Good Friday is the only way the Great return of Christ will be a reality. 

2. How to refocus on the cross in the Lord’s Supper.       1 Corinthians 11:23-34

          Since every Christian (myself included) are inept apart from the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, and the life of the church itself, we can see why Jesus prescribed the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Theologians sometimes speak of Baptism and the Lord's Supper as "ordinances" to describe anything commanded by Christ in the Gospels, preached by the Apostles in Acts, and expounded in the New Testament letters. Since this is Good Friday, the Lord's Supper is appropriate for our consideration, since it explicitly refocuses God's people on the cross and drives them to look forward to Christ's return. 

 

 

        The Lord has prescribed the Lord’s supper for our periodic practice to strengthen our focus of faith. The name “Lord’s Supper” is used by Paul in 1 Cor 11:20. To illustrate, I consider God’s prescription of His Word and the ordinances like a monorail train. When we lived in Florida, we could witness these trains in action, especially at Disney World. The monorail has main tires or wheels which rest upon a singular beam or track. Then the train may have a dozen or so smaller wheels on each side of the beam to stabilize the train as it travels. I liken this set- up to how our Lord designed His church. The preaching of God’s Word represents the main wheels, traveling upon the beam of the cross, with the stabilizing wheels representing Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  What the Lord's Supper does is enable recall, re-examination, and reallignment.

*Recall the cross in the Lord’s Supper. 11:23-26

        This recall is done by praying through the Scriptures. We could offer several examples of Scriptures that recall for us the "redemption accomplished" by Jesus, however two examples will suffice. Paul writes in Romans 5:6-8 

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

      Similarly, Peter records these words in 1 Peter 3:18

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."

*Re-examine your heart at the Lord’s table.  11:27-31

        The Lord's Table is the prescribed method for God's people as a corporate church to examine their heart attitudes toward Christ, others, and themselves. This principle of "self-examination" is found in both testaments. David writes for instance in Psalm 139:23-24 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." 

         One question I find helpful is this: from the last time I partook of the Lord’s supper, is there anyone in the church with whom I’ve had dispute or with whom I hold contempt. We have no right to hold grudges against one another as believers. Why? Because we discover that for the Christian, their life is not their own. For example, we read in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."

          We read similar sentiments concerning how Christians have no right to "hold a grudge" in Colossians 3:13 "bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you."

*Reallign with fellow believers around the Lord’s table. 11:32-34 

          As Paul rounds out His discussion of the Lord's Table, he notes how careful Christian must be in their treatment of each other. This carries the same tone we find from Jesus Himself in Matthew 25:40,

"The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."

3. How focusing on the cross prepares the Christian for His return. 1 Corinthians 11:26-34

         As we draw this post to a conclusion, let me briefly mention three ways focusing on the cross increases our preparation for Christ's return by tying into what we looked at in the last point on the Lord's Supper. Firstly, focusing on the cross...

*Increases our desire for His return.  11:26

*Increases our devotion until His returns.  11:32

*Increases our duty to one another until He returns. 11:33

           Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:26 "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." To celebrate the Lord's Table peridoically gives Christians repeated chances to recall the cross and refocus on looking foreward to Jesus' return. As the three sub-points above indicate, our desire, devotion, and duty toward one another is proportioned by how much we focus on the cross. As I have already noted, Jesus prescribed the ordinance of the Lord's table to aid Christians in such pursuits. The Spirit and preaching of the Word work together to convert sinners and sanctify saints. The Lord's Table stabilizes the Christian in their individual and corporate life of faith with other Christians. Paul expresses how sick and, in some cases, mortally ill those at Corinth became as a result of not properly regarding one another nor their approach to the Lord's Table.  Though God's discipline may seem severe, yet He is ever at work in the Christian life to present His people "faultless and blameless" at His appearing (see Ephesians 5:22-26; 2 Corinthians 11:1-3). May we who observe all Jesus achieved on Good Friday remember that the guarantee of His soon return was paid for by what He guaranteed would be applied to the Christian by the Holy Spirit because of His accomplished redemption on the cross. May we never lose focus on the cross.

Introducing Maundy Thursday: Jesus' Great Commandment For Christians To Love One Another

 

John 13:1 "Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."

Introduction:

         For those Christian fellowships that follow closely the Christian calendar, today marks what many call "Maundy Thursday". For many in non-liturgical church fellowships, such holy-days may not hold a lot of significance. The church that I serve at will be celebrating Good Friday tomorrow and of course Easter on Sunday. But what about this day called "Maundy Thursday"? John 13:34-35 records these words of Jesus:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

        Whenever one reads the ancient translation of the Bible called "The Latin Vulgate", the first two words of John 13:34-35 gives us the name our holiday in question, "Mandatum novum" = "New commandment". Thus the whole point of this day is to remind the Christian of the necessity to love the Lord Jesus and to love one another. Robert Webber has written a helpful book that explains the meaning of the Christian calendar and its associated days and observances entitled: "Ancient-Future Time". Webber notes the following about "Maundy Thursday":

"The term 'Maundy' derives its meaning from the Latin 'Maundatum Novum', which means "New Commandment". Thus, Maundy Thursday is the day Christ instituted the new commandment of love both by word and symbolic action."

        Now before I go on, let me make some important disclaimers. In all fairness, it is good to avoid emphasizing form over the substance or truth of the scripture. With that important thought of avoiding the route of becoming legalistic and ritualistic, the other ditch to avoid is ignorance. That is to say, ignorance about what previous generations of Christians did to apply the scriptures and live them out. 

      Scripture is the pattern, the standard, and the authority by which any traditions are judged. If we find, on the same token, certain expressions that can immerse one in the Word of God and focus more on Jesus, then we have in effect demonstrated the pattern of sifting our expression of worship through the Words of God in the Bible. This post is an attempt to better understand how observances like "Maundy Thursday" can benefit the Christian as we continue to insist on the important doctrine of "sola scriptura" (Scripture alone, referring to the unique and sufficient authority of Scripture). 

The Main Points Of Maundy Thursday

        As noted already, "Maundy" refers to a particular commandment of love Jesus issued to His disciples and all Christians on the eve of His crucifixion. In searching through various books that feature the various cycles and holy days of the Christian calendar, one finds that Maundy Thursday centers around what Jesus did on the Eve of His crucifixion in the upper room in John 13-17.

The humility of Jesus' love.

        In the standard Maundy Thursday celebration, the pastor or Bishop (or whichever Christian leadership position is part of the given tradition) begins the service through a foot-washing ceremony. For non-liturgical fellowships (the term "liturgy" refers to a certain, prescribed way of expressing the worship of God by the church) that may not follow a formal route or structure, details such a foot-washing, reading of certain scriptures and other activities might seem unusual. 

        With that said, what can we say about foot-washing? Though foot-washing is not an official ordinance of the church, nonetheless, can be a powerful symbolic action of communicating the devotion of Christ-like service and love Christians ought to have for each other. We read Jesus' closing remarks following the washing of the disciple's feet in John 13:12 

"So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?" 

Jesus' love in willingly going to the cross.

         Jesus' question certainly is cause for pause: do we really know what He did for us? He came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). 

         In stooping down to wash the disciple's feet, the Lord Jesus Christ was re-enacting His own "stooping-down" as God in human flesh in the act of His incarnation. Amazingly, as truly God, He already expressed humility as a Divine attribute (see Psalm 113:6-8). 

       The fact God would even choose to create the world was an act of condescension on His part. Christ's incarnation, followed by His earthly life, ministry and death on the cross would carry out the most intense act of humility and condescension of God in the Person of the Son (see Philippians 2:5-11).

The love of Jesus' shown in the Lord's supper.

          Maundy Thursday not only includes focus upon Christ's service to us in the act of foot washing, but also in the commemoration of the Lord's Supper. In typical fashion, reference will be made to God's institution of the Passover in Exodus 12. When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper in John 13-17 and in the other Gospel accounts, He was fulfilling the imagery associated with the Lord's Table. He prescribed this covenant meal for His church (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-27). Jesus, after all, is the ultimate "Passover Lamb" (see 1 Corinthians 5:7). 

Why Maundy Thursday Can Be Useful For The Christian

Christians ought to love looking for the 2nd coming.

         As one considers the events of Jesus' final hours with His disciples before His crucifixion, we as His church are, as it were, in the "final hours" before the close of this age. The Lord's supper not only points back to what He achieved on the cross, but also looks forward to His soon return. Maundy Thursday is just as much about reminding Christians of their identification in Christ's second coming as what He did in His first coming. 

Christian love is rooted in what Jesus did on the cross.

        Maundy Thursday also takes us into those final moments when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. I can recall years ago attending what was the only Maundy Thursday service I was ever at and a participant. A pastor friend of mine invited other pastors and the community to take part. Admittedly, he did some of the details differently. Nevertheless, he centered the time around Jesus' moments in the Garden of Gethsemane. At the service, each participant read some scripture, offered prayers and then we took up a collection to be given to a local mission in that town. When the service was done, I came to appreciate all that this particular day meant. 

        Jesus wrestled in the Garden with the temptation of by-passing the cross. He of course did not yield to such temptation, but instead aligned His sinless human will with what He and the Father had agreed upon in eternity with respect to the One, unified Divine will. In effect, Gethsemane was a threshold Jesus chose to step over in order to express His unyielding allegiance and desire to do the Father's will. 

Closing Thoughts:

      As Maundy Thursday slips into the night hours, may we thank the Lord for what was a willing choice made in His humanity to yield to what had already been a decision made in eternity: to be the Savior of the World.