St John 13:1-15, 34-35/1 Corinthians 11:23-32/Exodus 12:1-14
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. Such is His life. A life that loves to the bitter end. And so a life that serves.
He wanted them to understand this. They would not grasp it now, but afterward, God the Holy Spirit would cause them to understand.
And so our Lord shows His almighty power with a bowl of water and a towel. This is how it was in the beginning – not with a bowl and towel; but some dust and a rib. This is who God is, who Jesus is: the One who came not to be served, but to serve. The One who serves with a bowl of water and a washing that gives a share with Him in His life.
And to make that water into a life-giving water, rich in grace, a lavish washing of rebirth, He goes to His death. Upon the Cross His love would reach out to the end: loving all, even His enemies, especially His enemies (for that is what we were), to destroy the power of Satan over their lives.
Love is His power. Love is His indestructible weapon. Love is His might. Love that can never be conquered by bitterness, hatred, or anger. Love that triumphs over all.
And so Love dies in the place of all. A perfect Lamb, without spot or blemish, bears the sins of all. His Blood is split; His flesh roasted in the fire of the Father’s wrath. And the accusations against you are blotted out forever; passed over. It is the Lord’s Passover.
He desires that such Love live in you. I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. It is Maundy Thursday. Maundy. Mandati. Mandare. Command. Commandment Thursday. Not the old Law, accusing and condemning you. A new Word; a surprising revelation. And this is what is “new” in His commandment tonight: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
What’s new is the “just as I have loved you.” Love has always been the summary of the Law. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. It has always been about love. Only not yours. Its about His love for you. “Love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be.”
Who would have every guessed that Love could be so strong as to die in utter weakness? So mighty as to give up life itself so that we might be pardoned, forgiven, restored, healed? He loved them to the end. And because His life was love all the way to the end, it could not and did not end. But more of that on Sunday.
Tonight we meditate on how Love Incarnate, Love in our flesh, loved us so much as to establish a memorial meal that would be ours for all our days. A memorial of His great love. To be sure it is not a memorial to remember an absent Lord, but to taste and see the goodness of a present One.
Do this in remembrance of Me. And so Sunday by Sunday, little Easter by little Easter, week in and week out, decade after decade, century by century, millennium by millennium, through sorrow and joy, fear and gladness, He gathers His people under the sign of His blood. Even tonight He calls you to Table and delivers to you His Body under Bread and His Blood under Wine.
And He whispers to you again, “I have done this for you. This is for you. I am for you. Take and eat; take and drink, given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins.” It is not an example. It is not a commandment. It is reality. And it is Love.
Dear children, by His gift of love He changes you; sets you free from the chains of your sinful fears, worries, hatreds and angers. He cleanses you through and through and makes you His. By His gift of the Eucharist, Love Himself lives in you, heals you with His peace, honors you with His life, transforms you with His joy.
And whenever we would say, “But I can’t . . . “ I can’t break with this sin. I can’t overcome this bitterness. I can’t stop this worry. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. Jesus comes and in gentleness says, “I know you can’t. That’s why you need Me. Because I have, I can, and I will. And I shall do so with you. I will be in you a Love that loves to the end. I will be forgiveness for your sin and healing for your hurts. I come to you as I have always come, to serve you. You. Whom I loved so much to go the way of sorrow, shouldering your sin, bearing your curse, loving you all the while without fail. All the way to the end. All the way to My Cross. All the way into eternity. Love forever and always.”
That’s what your Jesus is for you. That’s what He gives you in His Eucharist.
And so come again this night; for He calls you to Himself once more. You eat, not in haste as the Israelites, but in peace, freed from bondage. This is the Lord’s Passover. His holy meal. A King with a bowl and a towel, ready to wash, to serve you. A king with a feast of His own Body and Blood, ready to nourish you. A King who is the Lamb, slain in your stead, His Blood marks you. Death passes over.
This is your Jesus who loves His own to then end with a love that never ends. Tomorrow we will stand in awe before that Love as it is gloried in the Cross. The next night joy for joy in that Love as it breaks forth from the tomb. And Sunday again, eat the bread and drink the cup and so proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
“Glory be to Jesus, Who in bitter pains Poured for me the lifeblood From His sacred veins!” (LSB 433:1) Amen.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. Such is His life. A life that loves to the bitter end. And so a life that serves.
He wanted them to understand this. They would not grasp it now, but afterward, God the Holy Spirit would cause them to understand.
And so our Lord shows His almighty power with a bowl of water and a towel. This is how it was in the beginning – not with a bowl and towel; but some dust and a rib. This is who God is, who Jesus is: the One who came not to be served, but to serve. The One who serves with a bowl of water and a washing that gives a share with Him in His life.
And to make that water into a life-giving water, rich in grace, a lavish washing of rebirth, He goes to His death. Upon the Cross His love would reach out to the end: loving all, even His enemies, especially His enemies (for that is what we were), to destroy the power of Satan over their lives.
Love is His power. Love is His indestructible weapon. Love is His might. Love that can never be conquered by bitterness, hatred, or anger. Love that triumphs over all.
And so Love dies in the place of all. A perfect Lamb, without spot or blemish, bears the sins of all. His Blood is split; His flesh roasted in the fire of the Father’s wrath. And the accusations against you are blotted out forever; passed over. It is the Lord’s Passover.
He desires that such Love live in you. I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. It is Maundy Thursday. Maundy. Mandati. Mandare. Command. Commandment Thursday. Not the old Law, accusing and condemning you. A new Word; a surprising revelation. And this is what is “new” in His commandment tonight: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
What’s new is the “just as I have loved you.” Love has always been the summary of the Law. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. It has always been about love. Only not yours. Its about His love for you. “Love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be.”
Who would have every guessed that Love could be so strong as to die in utter weakness? So mighty as to give up life itself so that we might be pardoned, forgiven, restored, healed? He loved them to the end. And because His life was love all the way to the end, it could not and did not end. But more of that on Sunday.
Tonight we meditate on how Love Incarnate, Love in our flesh, loved us so much as to establish a memorial meal that would be ours for all our days. A memorial of His great love. To be sure it is not a memorial to remember an absent Lord, but to taste and see the goodness of a present One.
Do this in remembrance of Me. And so Sunday by Sunday, little Easter by little Easter, week in and week out, decade after decade, century by century, millennium by millennium, through sorrow and joy, fear and gladness, He gathers His people under the sign of His blood. Even tonight He calls you to Table and delivers to you His Body under Bread and His Blood under Wine.
And He whispers to you again, “I have done this for you. This is for you. I am for you. Take and eat; take and drink, given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins.” It is not an example. It is not a commandment. It is reality. And it is Love.
Dear children, by His gift of love He changes you; sets you free from the chains of your sinful fears, worries, hatreds and angers. He cleanses you through and through and makes you His. By His gift of the Eucharist, Love Himself lives in you, heals you with His peace, honors you with His life, transforms you with His joy.
And whenever we would say, “But I can’t . . . “ I can’t break with this sin. I can’t overcome this bitterness. I can’t stop this worry. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. Jesus comes and in gentleness says, “I know you can’t. That’s why you need Me. Because I have, I can, and I will. And I shall do so with you. I will be in you a Love that loves to the end. I will be forgiveness for your sin and healing for your hurts. I come to you as I have always come, to serve you. You. Whom I loved so much to go the way of sorrow, shouldering your sin, bearing your curse, loving you all the while without fail. All the way to the end. All the way to My Cross. All the way into eternity. Love forever and always.”
That’s what your Jesus is for you. That’s what He gives you in His Eucharist.
And so come again this night; for He calls you to Himself once more. You eat, not in haste as the Israelites, but in peace, freed from bondage. This is the Lord’s Passover. His holy meal. A King with a bowl and a towel, ready to wash, to serve you. A king with a feast of His own Body and Blood, ready to nourish you. A King who is the Lamb, slain in your stead, His Blood marks you. Death passes over.
This is your Jesus who loves His own to then end with a love that never ends. Tomorrow we will stand in awe before that Love as it is gloried in the Cross. The next night joy for joy in that Love as it breaks forth from the tomb. And Sunday again, eat the bread and drink the cup and so proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
“Glory be to Jesus, Who in bitter pains Poured for me the lifeblood From His sacred veins!” (LSB 433:1) Amen.
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