[Walk with Jesus in Holy Week] Day 5: Maundy Thursday

According to the liturgical year,  the week before Easter is called Holy Week. Normally the week is divided into  Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Maundy  Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

The fifth day of Holy Week is Maundy Thursday, also known as  Covenant Thursday or Great and Holy Thursday, one day before Good Friday. On this day Jesus and the twelve disciples observed the Passover and shared the Last Supper together. In that evening Jesus washed his disciples' feet.

What Jesus did on Maundy Thursday was recorded in Matthew 26: 17-30, Mark 14: 12-26, Luke 22:7-23 and John 13:1-30.

Rev. Zhang Zailiang, the associate general of Yunnan Theological Seminary, holds that the Christian fellowship is more than a gathering of just a few Christians. The real fellowship should contain the things Jesus did on Maundy Thursday: the communion, the Maundy and praying with Jesus at Gethsemane.

The real fellowship is where Jesus participates in and he is the focus forever.

On Maundy Thursday, many churches deliver the message about "communion" while some other share the information that Jesus washed his disciples' feet or Jesus' prayer at Gethsemane.

Apostle Paul taught the communion service in his epistle to the church in Corinth.

"The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you;  do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' " (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Rev. Guo Feng of Shanghai Community Fellowship believes that the communion Jesus set can summarize the New Testament as "Jesus Christ, the only son of God, who was willing to be the scapegoat for every sinner. "

"Jesus offered his own body and blood so that God can forgive those who believe in him for his offering as a sin-offering, a sacrifice of atonement."

Rev. Liu Zhiguo of Suzhou Shishan Church once talked about Jesus' washing his disciples' feet on Maundy Thursday. He shared that Jews regard the action of washing other's feet as the thing low Gentiles do. Whoever does it downgrades himself. When the disciples were unwilling to serve others, Jesus humbled himself and washed their feet, a good example for them.

He taught the disciples with words and deeds:  "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave." (Matthew 20: 26-27)

Rev. Liu hoped that believers could reflect on themselves if they were arrogant or supercilious and ask the Lord to give them humble hearts.

Rev. Wang Haiqiang shared Jesus' prayer at Gethsemane. He thought the prayer at Gethsemane is a prayer with struggles and a victory prayer.

Although Jesus didn't want to be crucified, he said, "if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

In the prayer, Jesus put himself under the will of God and through prayer he gradually put down himself, then completely received God's will.

Rev. Wang hoped that Christians could follow Jesus' prayer at Gethsemane. Put ourselves under God's will with focus on God and obedience to Him.

He said, praying is not to change God's plan but allowing God to change us.