I thought it might be an interesting thing to see who else does it…
As mentioned, the Lutherans do it (watch here). The Queen does it (see here). I read (here) that Buddhists, Muslims & Christians will wash the feet of the homeless together this Maundy Thursday. The Freemasons do it (see here). The Calvinists do it (see here). Even the Mennonites do it, which was perhaps the strangest thing of them all...
Uhhh, say what?…God worships us? Isn’t that just the most bizarre thing to say?
Maundy Thursday
During the week before Easter, many Christians gather on Thursday evening to commemorate the Last Supper. During this commemoration we are reminded of this commandment to love each other. It is called Maundy Thursday because “maundy” means “commandment.” The Church of the Brethren—with whom we share Hymnal: A Worship Book—hold this as a particularly important moment in the church year. They call it the Love Feast. In a sense, we are to worship each other. Commemorating the Last Supper, we declare how much other Christian sisters and brothers are worth to us.
These truths are embodied in another commandment Jesus gave us in Mark 12: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength [and] … you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus dying on the cross was God’s way of loving us with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the way God worshiped all humanity—those who lived before us, all who are alive now and those who are not yet born.
-SOURCE: Agnus Dei: Lamb of God - Easter is about God worshiping us.
www.themennonite.org
Anyways, as you can see, a lot of well known religious organizations do it. So does that mean that we should all do it? Perhaps this is a balanced answer…
What is Maundy Thursday?
www.gotquestions.org
Never the less, I personally believe that a more biblical way than this to remember what Christ did for us is to examine the symbolism in the Passover. Jesus, the Messiah, is our Passover Lamb, sacrificed once and for all.
Do this is in remembrance of me.
Do what? A Tenebrae? A Maundy Thursday? No, those traditions and rituals were added later. Jesus and his disciples were eating unleavened bread and drinking the cup of the Passover remembrance (2 Cor. 11:23-34).
It is a night to be observed for the LORD for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations. Exodus 12:42
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. Leviticus 23:5
Now, let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at its appointed time Numbers 9:2
It is the Lord's appointed day. (Note: For this year's Passover date, see Hebrew date converter here.)
That said…
The Bible says (in Colossians 2) that these remembrances and observances are mere shadows, the substance of which is Christ. I think Jacob Prasch says it well in a recent Q&A regarding the Lord's supper, of which we grafted in Gentiles are so ignorant but adopted into the promise nevertheless...
"the Greek text of Paul’s communion narrative quotes Jesus as saying “Do this in remembrance of me”; the Greek text actually says amemnesis (where we get the clinical term “amnesia”) - literally,”That you may never forget Me.”"
~ ~ ~
Our Lord is rich in grace and mercy. No matter how we choose to remember, may we never forget what He has done for us.
Our Lord is rich in grace and mercy. No matter how we choose to remember, may we never forget what He has done for us.
Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them,For You are a gracious and compassionate God. Nehemiah 9:31
2 comments:
The article explains what it implies by the word "worship."
"The word worship means, literally, 'worth-ship.' That means that when we worship God, we are declaring how much God is worth to us. But Easter demonstrates how much we are worth to God: We are worth so much that he gave us his only Son."
Sometimes worse than putting words in people's mouths is pretending certain thoughts are in people's heads. It is dangerous and unseemly to twist people's intended meaning just to make a point.
It seems your blindness exhibits how malevolence has all but overtaken you.
"...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Phil. 4:8
I suggest you do this. You can be selective with Scripture and not do this, or you can heed the advice of Paul. Christ is the only judge and we are ALL under his judgment alone, not yours. You are in the same boat, the same struggle, as those you condemn with no authority in yourself to judge, nor any authority to unilaterally interpret the Spirit. I suggest that if you honestly feel that there are problems, confront such people personally and directly and with love rather than sit behind the comfort and convenience of a cyber-barrier, coldly throwing stale musings at people who do not even know you, much less have any reason to respect what you say.
Incidentally, Christ and his disciples did not celebrate a Passover meal since the lamb had not yet been slain in the temple - Christ replaced the lamb the following day on Good Friday, the actual Passover. To deny this is to reject the atoning sacrifice of Christ that transforms an obsolete feast. Yet, in this blog, you recommend we replace a wholly Christian service that focuses on things of Christ, his suffering, and his glorification, with a feast from Judaism that we are not commanded in Scripture to keep. hmmmmm.
Smallinator,
Just a few things...(your quotes in quotations)...
“Sometimes worse than putting words in people's mouths is pretending certain thoughts are in people's heads. It is dangerous and unseemly to twist people's intended meaning just to make a point.”
The article says that on Maundy Thursday we are to worship eachother and that Jesus dying on the cross was God’s way of worshipping all humanity. Please tell me how I have twisted anything or put words into anyone’s mouth when all I did was copy and paste a quote? I’m not the one who has twisted God’s word and the meaning of worship. Neither was I making a point, I was just saying it was a strange thing to say.
“ Christ is the only judge and we are ALL under his judgment alone, not yours.”
Indeed, we will all be judged, the saved for their rewards at the Bema seat of Christ, the lost for their sentencing at the Great White Throne. In the meantime we who believe are to test everything we are taught.
“You are in the same boat, the same struggle, as those you condemn with no authority in yourself to judge, nor any authority to unilaterally interpret the Spirit.”
I think you are probably confusing judging with discerning. If God has told us in the Bible what is wrong, and we see a Christian or a church teach or do that thing, it is the Word of God that judges them, not us. People in the church today are failing to use their right to use discernment and godly judgment. And it’s not even so much that we have ‘the right’ to judge things - we have ‘a responsibility’ to use that authority. (Not to judge men’s hearts, as only God knows the heart, but the teachings and the fruit.)
“I suggest that if you honestly feel that there are problems, confront such people personally and directly and with love rather than sit behind the comfort and convenience of a cyber-barrier, coldly throwing stale musings at people who do not even know you, much less have any reason to respect what you say.”
Already been there done that, more times than I care to remember, but thanks for the advice. Uhhh… you’re not actually judging me, are you?
“Incidentally, Christ and his disciples did not celebrate a Passover meal since the lamb had not yet been slain in the temple - Christ replaced the lamb the following day on Good Friday, the actual Passover.”
Incidentally, I was just reading this today from two Bible teachers I respect...
John MacArthur: “Jesus died on the day and time the lambs were slaughtered that He might fulfill every prophecy to the letter. But how could He eat the Passover on Thursday night? We know it wasn't just another meal because Jesus insisted that it be eaten inside the city of Jerusalem. They constantly referred to it as the Passover. Furthermore, it was unusual for Jewish people to have a meal at night. To recline at the table was unusual for anything other than a festival meal. In a normal meal the breaking of bread occurred at the beginning, not in the middle of the meal as in this case. The use of red wine also was unusual. They sang a hymn when they were finished with the meal, which was true of the Passover. And when Judas left, the disciples thought that he was going to give money to the poor, which was a typical thing to do at the Passover. So we can be sure they ate a Passover meal.”
-www.biblebb.com/files/mac/2382.htm
And this…
Jacob Prasch: “The Last Supper was a Passover Seder in which Jesus was indeed teaching through the paschal symbolism that He was the messianic fulfillment of…The Passover as the spotless lamb slain for sin and as the matzoh (unleavened bread) that is stripped, pierced and broken. The Last Supper is also typological of prophetic matters eschatological. In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul uses the bedekat hametz (purging of leaven) and yahetz (ritual washings) from the Passover ritual (included in The Last Supper Gospel narratives) to show that at The Last Supper Jesus was teaching us about removing sin before coming to His table.” –Jacob Prasch, moriel.org
Back to your quotes...
“To deny this is to reject the atoning sacrifice of Christ that transforms an obsolete feast.”
Smallinator, to say this feast is ‘obsolete’, is to deny that the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has fulfilled it. Jesus didn’t come to abolish anything written, but to fulfill what was written of Him and foreshadowed in the Old Testament.
“Yet, in this blog, you recommend we replace a wholly Christian service that focuses on things of Christ, his suffering, and his glorification, with a feast from Judaism that we are not commanded in Scripture to keep. hmmmmm.”
No, not a traditional Jewish Seder, but a Messianic Seder, one that explains how Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah fulfilled all the symbolism in the Passover Seder. And let me clarify, I don’t recommend you, or anyone reading, do or replace anything unless God convicts you or puts that desire in your heart. I simply stated that this is how I personally feel. I think we are still allowed to express our opinions (freedom of speech).
And finally, sorry Smallinator, if my blog has upset you so much, once again, but you certainly do not have to keep reading. (Perhaps you might consider writing your own blog. And also, I would have answered you sooner but contrary to what you have said about me in other lovely comments, I don't have time to spend all day on this blog.)
Hope that helps.
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