Maundy Thursday

On this Maundy Thursday we consider the Upper Room and Gethsemane events.

Gathered in the Upper Room for the Passover liturgy, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper in the middle of it, probably as they get in the ritual to the cup of redemption.  The blood of the lamb that protected Israel from the angel of death in Egypt, was a pointer to the blood of the true lamb of God that protects His people from the justice of God for their sins.

Jesus then washes their feet and calls them to love and serve each other likewise, but they argue about who should be considered the greatest.

"One of you will betray Me" – Judas leaves.

I’m going away – Peter will deny me 3 times.

Comfort: I will come again.  The Comforting Holy Spirit will come to you – you’ll have trouble

I’m the vine – abide in Me and bear fruit.  At the time of Jesus the temple gate and pillars had a golden vine entwined around them to remember Psalm 80, that God brought the vine of Israel out of Egypt.  Jesus is calling Himself the true Israel bearing fruit for God.  When you put the Gospels together, it’s at this point in the chronology that Jesus and the disciples have left the upper room and are going to Gethsemane.  I think it’s likely they went to the temple first, and Jesus says I am the vine while standing in front of the vine.  If so, He would also pray the high priestly prayer of John 17 in the temple, which makes a lot of sense.  He prays for the 12 standing with Him, and for all believers to follow, that they would be kept and unified.

They then go to Gethsemane.  John 18 mentions Crossing the Kidron, which Josephus says ran red with the blood draining from the sacrifices at Passover time.  Jesus is also like David here, who flees Absalom’s coup in 2 Samuel 15.  Instead of turning to fight a rebel son, Jesus will go back into the city and die willingly as a faithful son.  There’s a lot in the David story that relates to Jesus making the same trip.

Gethsemane in Hebrew means "olive press."  We call it a garden, on the Mt of Olives, but this was probably a small business with a grove of olive trees and the press to make and sell oil.  Jesus calls the disciples to watch and pray.  Passover was called a night of watching in Exodus 12:42, probably because God did so much in one night, and the disciples would have plenty to watch this night, too.  But they fall asleep.  Jesus prays for the cup to be taken away, but surrenders His will to the Father.  He is in intense physical and spiritual agony.  Like olives in a press are crushed to produce the valuable oil, so Jesus is pressed down by the weight of our sins, but life is the result.

Judas knows this place – Jesus was probably sleeping here nightly during Passover – and he leads the soldiers to come and arrest Jesus.  But not before Jesus makes it clear that He is going willingly.  He says, I AM, and the soldiers fall back.  This also protects the disciples from rough treatment.  Peter thinks it’s time to fight, which isn’t as dumb as you might think – these are Absaloms committing treason against the true King Jesus, son of David, and what did David do?  But Jesus says no.  He stops to heal the ear of the high priest’s servant, that Peter cut off.  Jesus points out that they are treating Him like a robber – the word could also mean rebel, zealot, or terrorist – they are acting at night, under the power of darkness.

When it's clear to the disciples that Jesus isn't going to fight, they all run away.

That takes us up to about midnight at the end of Thursday.  Tomorrow we’ll look at the trials, suffering and crucifixion.