How Are You Loving One Another?

How Are You Loving One Another?

Read the text: John 13

Today is known as Maundy Thursday in the Church calendar. Maundy Thursday marks a pivotal moment in Holy Week, where believers reflect on the profound themes of love, servanthood, and the Last Supper. Maundy Thursday reminds us of Jesus ‘mandate’ – his new commandment. Not just to love one another, but to love one another as he has loved us. It can be humiliating, demeaning and messy. But it brings blessings.

The word “maundy” comes from the Latin word “mandatum”, which means “command”. It’s where we get the English word “mandate”. The word “command” is specifically referencing a moment Jesus shared with His disciples the night before He was crucified.

Today we remember the events that occurred on Thursday of what the church calls Holy Week, the last week in the life of Jesus.

Perhaps this week in AD 29 is the most talked about week in the history of mankind. It has been estimated that about a third of all the events that we have recorded in Scripture about Jesus’ life occurred during this week: On that Thursday, the disciples have gathered in a home, whose we do not know, but we do know that it had a furnished second floor. Tradition has it that it was the house of John Mark’s mother – John Mark being the author of Mark’s Gospel.

As they gathered, they were taking part in the Seder meal, one of the highlights of the Passover week. The Passover festival was ingrained in the life of the Jewish nation. It commemorated that time when the Jews were in slavery in Egypt. Moses had warned Pharaoh to let his people go, but Pharaoh refused. So God one plague after another. Pharaoh wasn’t moved until God sent the tenth and final plague – known as the death of the firstborns in Egypt. However this death passed over the homes of the Jews in Goshen. And so the feast of Passover was ordered by God as a commemoration of the Jewish nation’s deliverance by God.

The meal itself was a symbolic one reminding the Jews of the sufferings of their forefathers and the power of God’s deliverance. The foods that were eaten were symbols to remind the Jews of their captivity in Egypt.

1. Lamb The word ’pesach’ (pasch, passover) applies to the Lamb of sacrifice as well as to the deliverance from Egypt and to the feast itself.
2. Unleavened bread (Matzoh) called "bread of affliction" because it recalls the unleavened bread prepared for the hasty flight by night from Egypt.
   Three large matzohs are broken and consumed during the ceremony.
3. Bitter herbs (Moror) is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery and suffering in Egypt.
4. Green herbs to be dipped in salt water. Salt water represents tears of sorrow shed during the captivity of the Lord’s people.
5. Haroseth (or ’haroses’) - a mixture of chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine represents the mortar used by Jews in building palaces and pyramids of Egypt during their slavery.
6. Wine is dipped from a common bowl.
   
   

There are four acts of drinking wine during the Seder feast – known as the ’Four Cups”

• Thanksgiving
• Hagadah (’telling’)
• Blessing
• Melchisedek (’righteousness’)
  
  

It was this Seder Meal that Jesus and the disciples were celebrating in the upper room that night. It was at the conclusion of that meal that Jesus himself gave two of the symbols of the Seder meal fresh significance. He took a loaf and broke it and gave it to his disciples saying:
"Take eat, this is my body which is broken for you, do this in remembrance of me." Then he took a cup with wine. He drank from it and gave it to his disciples saying, “Drink ye all of this, for this is my blood which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin.”

It is significant that Jesus took the elements for the Communion from the Passover festival. Because in Passover, the children of God celebrated that God’s Salvation, a salvation which resulted in the Israelites being released from the slavery of Egypt. So, in Communion we, the children of God celebrate the God’s salvation through Jesus’ death on the Cross.

Indeed, the salvation Jesus offers has resulted in all mankind having the capability of being freed from the slavery of sin.

In other words, the first Passover is an Old Testament prefiguring of Jesus’ vicarious death of the Cross – the Salvation of God. And so it was highly significant that Jesus died at Passover. It reminds us of what God has done, through Jesus.

Apostle John wrote:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
---John 3:16
Apostle Paul wrote:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
---Romans 5:8

So today, let us give thanks for that wonderful gift of God – our salvation – eternal life that cost Jesus dearly – as we recall tomorrow on Good Friday. And let us remember too Christ gave his Church just one command:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 
---John 13:34-35

Francis Schaeffer founder of the L’Abri Fellowship said:
“Love is the final apologetic”
Tertullian in the second century reported the comments of pagans in his day:
“Behold, how these Christians love one another! How they are ready to die for each other!”

If you, as a Christ-follower want to make a difference in another person’s life for Christ Love them as Jesus loves you.