Maundy Thursday

Article for April 2, 2026 Maundy Thursday

Matthew 26:23–25 23He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

A shocking statement was presented to the Apostles while they were eating the Passover meal with Jesus whom they have followed for the last three years.  Jesus says someone will betray Him.  All the Apostles asked each, “is it I Lord”.  But Jesus did not answer with a name but rather through an action which must have just happened as He and Judas dipped their hands in a dish together.

Jesus already knew who would betray Him.  Jesus knew it was Judas, but now Jesus was letting Judas know he was caught.  Judas maybe meekly because all the other Apostles had asked.  Or maybe Judas asked boldly in hopes Jesus would not suspect him.  And Jesus answers “You have said so.”  Who knows what Judas felt at that time or if he realized that Jesus was accusing him.  But this discourse seemed to have gone unnoticed by the rest of the Apostles.  You would think that this could have been a bit awkward, especially had anyone noticed.

Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and we know that this betrayal came with a price of guilt and self-destruction to the betrayer.  Guilt can cause either death or be used as a means to go to Jesus and repent.  As repentance is always a good choice, Judas picked death in the form of suicide.  Jesus gave up His blood for an act of grace from our Father in heaven for those who repent.

Hebrews 9:11–12 11When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Jesus who is the Son of God and who is God.  The good things to come started before Jesus came.  The Hebrew nation as it escaped the shackles of Egypt was brought out of slavery to be God’s chosen.  God gave His laws to Moses who in return gave them to the Hebrew nation.  These laws of God would create a culture for the Hebrew people unlike they ever knew.  Yes, these were good things and yet there were better things to come.

This new culture God presented to His first chosen people was going to take some time for the Hebrews to get used to.  They had to learn and live these laws that were passed down through Moses, and they had to learn with these laws came the grace of God.  The grace the Hebrews would receive from God had a price that was paid through the unblemished first born of the Hebrew’s own animals.  And these sacrifices were given in the form of confession and answered in the form of absolution.  We might know them better as confession, repentance, and forgiveness.

Though they received absolution through these first born animals, their absolution was not eternal.  For every sin there needed to be a sacrifice.  For every sacrifice grace was given through the blood of the unblemished first born sacrifice.  The question that comes to mind, would we have enough unblemished first born animals if we still had to sacrifice for our sins today? 

Hebrews 9:13–14 13For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

An answer to the question above would be a solid no!  We have increased in population and our sins run rampant.  Thank God He had a plan C to put into practice.  As the sprinkling of blood worked well for those of the Law, it is only a temporary fix, and it was only meant for those who lived under the law.  God had a better plan, and the plan is Jesus Christ.  Christ is the plan C. In plan C we are cleansed in our baptism, forgiven through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, and forgiven again through the Lord’s supper of His body and blood.

Christ did what animal sacrifice and animal blood cannot.  Christ’s blood is eternal and therefore it brings eternal redemption.  That is why scripture says Jesus is the sacrifice for all time. (Hebrew 10:12).  Jesus is the only sacrifice needed as His blood is eternal and gives eternal forgiveness.  This is the only sacrifice that covers not just individual sin but every sin of all sinners.

Hebrews 9:16–18 16For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

You might say this is the Will and Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ.  And a Will and Testament only goes into effect after one dies.  Jesus Christ died on the criminals cross for our sins and put into effect His will for us all.  That we should be forgiven and therefore justified to the Father as His children adopted and paid for through our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are written in the will of God who writes our name in the book of life.

Hebrews 9:21–22 21And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Now explained is the will of God and the reason Jesus Christ died for our sins.  You do not put in your will those you do not love.  So here it is, God loves us and has put us into His will to inherit eternal life with and including our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is God loving us to life.  Amen.

Written by Pastor Curtis A. May