What do you say? (Maundy Thursday)
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)We come again to this night, the last night of Jesus' life on earth, a little like the audience attending the theatre and suspending their disbelief. We know the events of this night and tomorrow: Jesus institutes the Last Supper – radically changing the Passover – fulfilling it as the true Passover lamb himself – and as both the victim and the priest Jesus is arrested, judged, condemned, and executed by crucifixion and in, with, and under this he as our great high priest is making an offering for the sins of the world. And we are here because we know what happened next – the story of Sunday as well. In fact if not for Sunday's good news we wouldn't be here tonight. So knowing what happens next we are here this year again to almost relive or walk with Jesus through what he went through and while it is out of chronological order to already hear words from the cross, we can do so because it already brings to light what Jesus is doing tonight.
Luke records Jesus' last words from the cross "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46). Thereafter he dies. His life is ended. Now I have observed at times in some families that it isn't long after death – maybe just hours – when there will be mention of the inheritance and the last will and testament. There is a sense of distaste if such discussions happen too close to the death but it can happen nonetheless: "What am I going to get?" "What does the will say?". Not withstanding bad manners or selfish mourners it is good preparation to have a will and it can ease a lot of anxiety and bureaucracy if the family left behind both know where it is and what's in it. Of course if the will had been written the night before the death, then eyebrows will certainly be raised.
Welcome to the last night of Jesus' life – the night of his last will and testament – which we don't hear clearly because we hear the word 'covenant' – but even this is a declaration of will or intent or purpose (usually made by the victor over the vanquished).
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body". Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:26-29) We could also say "This is my blood of the testament" – or "the last will and testament" – and indeed some manuscripts have the little word 'new' as well and so this night is a night of the 'new covenant' or a 'new testament' or 'the latest last will and testament'.
It is the writer to the Hebrews who reminds hearers and readers that wills only come into effect when the person who made the will dies (Hebrews 9:16,17) and sets up his argument by saying:
When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:11-15)
The apostle Paul writing a few decades after the first Maundy Thursday could see clearly how what he received from Jesus about the Last Supper is entwined with his death – no death, no value in the Lord's Supper or only the value we might give it – which is not what Jesus instituted.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: 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". For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – my emphasis)
We are here tonight because Jesus placed himself into the hands of his Father on the cross and died, the obedient Son, who sacrificed himself for the sins of the while world. His words the night before he died which instituted the mystery we call Holy Communion come into effect because of his death and it is this that we acknowledge as we come forward to receive this mystery here in Beck Row tonight and wherever Holy Communion is celebrated as Jesus commanded. Jesus died for me! His sacrifice for the sins of the world zooms in on each person who comes forward hands out to receive bread and wine and thus also Jesus' body and blood – Lord Jesus, you died because of my sins. And Jesus comes to us and says through the words declared to us 'Take and eat the body of Christ; take and drink the blood of Christ' "I know your sins and I forgive you. Go and sin no more." And like the woman caught in adultery we leave – we don't know what happened to her – but we can know what is happening to us as we leave – we are strengthened to struggle, to fight, to resist the temptations and sins that plague and attack us within and without – to die to self and live to him who placed himself into the hands of his Father.
What do you say about this night? Why are you here?
Because we who hold out our hands and receive the body and blood of Jesus in bread and wine realise or know that through Jesus' cross we are carried in hands pierced for us. The blessings of his death, the benefits of his last will and testament are ours at each Holy Communion for we are fortified to struggle with sin, to laugh in the face of death for here we meet our Lord who died for us, who comes to us so that we might live, now and forever.