It's Friday, but Sunday's coming...

While I've always tried to keep my posts light, and for the most part, religion free...I just wanted to share a few things.

Earlier in the week, our Pastor asked me to write a devotion.  I'm going to share what I wrote about Maundy Thursday here.  Everyone knows I love Christmas...but I REALLY love Easter.  Not for the candy, or for dressing up fancy and going to church, but for the REAL meaning of Easter.  This is the whole underlying belief of our faith...that Jesus suffered and died to forgive us of our sins and to bring us into reconciliation with God.  While His life was a series of lessons for us, and ones we should follow, it was His final act on the cross which gives us the chance at eternal life.  Here is my devotional...

Last Supper Reflection

John 13:4-17, Luke 22:19-20

     Hospitality was an important part of the Jewish tradition.  It was the custom to remove their shoes when they entered someone’s home so as not to bring dirt and dust from their travels into the clean home.  A servant usually would perform the task of washing their feet by running water over them, rubbing them with their hands, and finally drying them with a towel.  Guests were then invited for a meal, as eating together was an important aspect of friendship and meant that they were at peace with one another.  A covenant of peace made at a meal was considered binding, and a means of reconciliation.

     I have often pondered this moment and thought about the humility and love of Jesus.  His actions at this last meal with His disciples, His friends, was so full of symbolism.  He removed his outer garments and donned a towel as the lowliest slave would do, and taking on the role of servant, He washed their feet.  Symbolically He was cleansing their souls, purifying their hearts, and washing their sins away in a loving and humbling moment.   In this way He was preparing them for fellowship with God, for without forgiveness and pure hearts we cannot have communion with God.  He knew what was about to happen.  He knew someone among them was about to betray him.  He knew He would be denied by those He loved the most.  He knew He was about to become the Sacrificial Lamb to wipe away the sins of all mankind. He knew, in His final moments, that He would be separated from God, tortured and killed and would face this totally alone.  And yet He took this moment to become the servant and wash their feet as an example of the type of leader He wants us to become and to show the tremendous love He has for us.  He then charges us to do the same for others.

     During the meal He would offer Himself up, the bread of life broken for us, a symbol of His sacrifice for us.  The cup of wine represents the blood He shed to cleanse us of our sins.  This would become the new covenant that would forgive us of our sins and bring a reconciliation between God and us.  Remember, when this was done at a meal it was considered binding.  We can have assurance that God will keep His promises!  He asked them to do this in remembrance of Him, so they would not forget the sacrifice He made for us.  When we partake of Communion we are showing our deep gratitude for Christ’s work on our behalf.  What a powerful demonstration of His love for us.

It's Friday, but Sunday's coming...I've thought a lot about this statement in the past few weeks. Lent and especially Good Friday is always a time of reflection for me. A time to think about all that Jesus did for us, how He cared for us, His final words to us while experiencing excruciating torture and finally death on a cross. But it wasn't really death, it was our path to eternal life. We've experienced a lot as a country in the past few months. Fear, anxiety, isolation, denial, anger, violence and hatred have all reared their ugly heads. Take heart, it's Friday, but Sunday is coming. We serve a risen Savior.