The Lord’s Supper: Holy Week Day 5

The Lord’s Supper is one of the major events of Christian faith. In John’s Gospel, it alone takes up 5 chapters, John 13-17.

There are 3 things I want to focus on from John’s telling of the events.

Humble Yourself

¹²Then, when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you?  ¹³You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’; and you are correct, for so I am.  ¹⁴So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  ¹⁵For I gave you an example, so that you also would do just as I did for you.

John 13:12-15 NASB2020

Jesus shows what service and love in humility looks like. If Jesus, God, can serve us by doing something that the lowest slave would do, then we can NEVER use our status or who we think we are to keep us from serving one another.

A New Command

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 

John 15:12 NASB2020

Jesus gives us the first command since the 10 commandments. It’s such a simple command but so difficult because of what loving like Jesus looks like. Love is not just a feeling but actions. Love isn’t about receiving but in serving. Loving like Jesus is sacrificial. The first will be last.

Loving Him Equals Obedience

The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”

John 14:21 NASB2020

To love Jesus is to be obedient to Him and His commands. So if His command is to love one another as He has loved us, You CAN’T love Jesus and not love others like Jesus loves us.

There is sooo much great teaching in these chapters. Jesus shares so much of His heart for the Father, the disciples, and even us who would come after the disciples. Chapter 17 in particular is the most beautiful chapter in the Bible. Jesus literally takes the whole chapter to pray for the disciples and for those who would believe in Him through them. To read a whole chapter of Jesus’ heart for the Father and for us is just so moving and humbling and beautiful.

Read all of these chapters, but if you can only read one, read chapter 17.

A New Tradition

It’s been amazing reading the Word during Holy Week. Preparing for the Lord’s Supper and particularly reading John was beautiful. The 5 chapters are almost exclusively of Jesus talking. To go so deep in the Word is just a blessing.

While all that is true, what really stood out about today is that we started a new tradition in our family. We took communion as a family. I mentioned in my post tradition that God reminded me that we hadn’t taken communion in a long time. Chantal and I decided that we would take communion on the Holy Week day for the Lord’s Supper.

We ended up taking it even further. Chantal found out what type of meal might have been at the Lord’s Supper and cooked that for dinner. We had a great meal and even real dried fig, which I’ve never eaten.

I read from John and Matthew. I shared what the passages meant and talked to them about Jesus’ sacrifice. When we actually ate the bread and drank from the cup, I was overwhelmed. To start a new family tradition, to share that moment with my family… I can’t put it in to words. I really believe that God’s leading to write during lent was for this week, the new tradition for us, and that moment tonight.

Thank you Chantal for helping make tonight such an amazing experience for our family. A night I know we will treasure.

Thank you God for leading us to this new family tradition. I love you Lord.

Thank you for reading. I hope you read the chapters and are blessed.

There are 3 more days of my lent postings and Holy Week. Lord willing, I’ll see y’all each day to the end.