Maundy Thurday
Maundy Thursday begins with Jesus intimately celebrating Passover dinner with His disciples. He institutes the Lord’s Supper signifying the New Covenant made with His sacrifice to come. Jesus and the disciples move to the Mount of Olives and enter the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, Jesus prays earnestly to God, asking that this cup may pass from Him. Judas arrives with a crowd of soldiers, betraying Jesus with a kiss. Jesus is arrested, brought to the chief priests, and is held in an unjust overnight trial by the chief priests and elders. In a single night, Jesus moves from camaraderie and explanation with His disciples, obedience and anguish with God in the garden, and condemnation by the elders.
The Last Passover & The Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:17-35
On Thursday morning, the First Day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare for Passover, which was to be had that evening. Jesus said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your home with my disciples.”’” (Matt. 26:18).
The disciples did as Jesus asked and prepared for Passover.
Passover had been the central act of redemption for Israel as it remembered the Jewish people’s deliverance from Egypt. Now, Jesus is providing a new pinnacle of redemption with His sacrifice on the cross. He reinterprets the meal around Himself
In the Jewish tradition, days began in the evening. So, Jesus ate this Passover meal Thursday evening, which would have been Friday in the Jewish tradition. Friday was Passover. Jesus knew His time was short and chose to have the meal earlier. Jesus ate Passover on the same day as the Jews and the same day He was crucified. The timing aligns Jesus' crucifixion on Friday with the time the Jewish people were sacrificing lambs for the Passover meal that evening.
This timeline is debated. Trivial discussions on chronology can take away from the most important message–Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for us!
As Jesus sat at the table with His twelve disciples, He said that one of them would betray Him. “And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, ‘Surely it is not I, Rabbi?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself’,” (Matt. 26:25). Every disciple questioned themselves, not each other. Judas responds in complete hypocrisy, knowing he had already betrayed Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper
Dinner continued. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and Judas left. Jesus then took bread, blessed it, and broke it with the disciples. Everything eaten at the Passover meal had symbolic meaning. The bread signified those who are hungry and afflicted to come to eat. Jesus IS the bread of life. His blood represents that which was shed as the sacrificial lamb on the cross for our salvation. “Take, eat; This is my body…This is My blood of the new covenant,” (Matt. 26:26-27). “Take” signifies that it will not be forced upon you. “Eat” signifies that this is vital for everyone.
After the meal, scripture says they sang a hymn. The Passover meal often ended with three Psalms known as the Hallel, Psalms 116-118.
“For you have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 116:6-8
“I will take up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.” Psalm 116:13
“The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14
These are the songs Jesus sang as He headed for the garden of Gethsemane. They paint an accurate picture for what is to come.
Jesus was able to sing on the eve of His crucifixion. How often are we able to express such worship amidst our trying circumstances?
The Garden of Gethsemane
Matthew 26:36-46
After supper, they went to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told the disciples that tonight they would all fall away and stumble, even Peter. Jesus tells them this in advance to show them again that He is in control. In protest, Peter said he would never fall away. But Jesus knew, saying, “Before a rooster crows three times, you will deny Me three times,” (Matt. 26:34).
Gethsemane means “olive press” and was a place for olives to be crushed for oil. As such, Jesus would be crushed in the garden.
As they arrived at the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus went to pray and asked the disciples to keep watch. He was in mental agony knowing what was to come. He was so distressed that he was sweating blood. Jesus pleaded to God, asking, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will,” (Matt. 26:39).
He again asked the disciples to pray after He found them sleeping. Going away a second time, He prayed, “saying, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done,’” (Matt. 26:42). Again, He found the disciples sleeping and urged them to pray because His hour had come.
Jesus was not forced to save us. In the garden, He is completely aware of the suffering ahead yet chooses to move in obedience towards the cross.
Jesus’ Betrayal & Arrest
Matthew 26:47-56
“While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying him gave them a sign, saying, ‘Whoever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.’ Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, ‘Hail, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you have come for.’ Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.” (Matt. 26:47-50)
Peter drew his sword and cut the ear off a soldier. Jesus picked up his wounded flesh and healed him, saying, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword,” (Matt. 26:52).
Jesus looked at the crowds, asking, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets,” (Matt. 26:55).
They took Jesus away and all of the disciples fled.
Overnight Trials: Jesus Before Caiaphas
Matthew 26:57-67
Those who seized Jesus brought Him to Caiaphas, where all the scribes and elders were gathered. Peter followed at a distance so that he could see what was happening.
As the trial continued in the middle of the night, chaos ensued and legal protocols were ignored. Jesus was not given a fair trial as the proceedings were rushed and driven by emotion rather than justice or logic. Instead, He endured injustice so that we will be spared from justice we deserve for our sin.
“Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward,” (Matt. 26:59-60). Through the chaos, Jesus kept silent. Men came forward and claimed Jesus said He could tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days. And the high priest again asked Him what He answers to those testifying against Him, but again Jesus kept silent.
The high priest commanded Jesus to tell them if He is the Christ. “Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven.’” (Matt. 26:64)
In response, the high priest tore his robes and proclaimed that Jesus had blasphemed. He asked the Council, “Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” and they answered, “He deserves death!” (Matt. 26:65-66).
They spat in His face and beat Him with their fists. “Others slapped Him and said, ‘Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit you?’” (Matt. 26:67-68).
As Peter sat outside the courtyard, bystanders recalled him to be a disciple. He denied knowing Jesus to two different woman, and as a third called out, “he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know the man!’ and immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered…he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matt. 26:74-75).
Written By: Catherine Cagnina