Day 19 of Knowing Him: An Easter Devotional (view all days)
Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:31-35)
The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word for commandment (mandatum), which Jesus talked about when he told his disciples that he was leaving them “a new commandment,” that they “love one another.” There were probably so many things going on in the disciples’ minds in that upper room where they had their last supper together, including fear and bewilderment from Jesus telling them that someone in that very room would betray him.
Jesus handed the betrayer a piece of bread, just as he had been feeding all his disciples all along. Always giving, always gracing. Jesus fed thousands of people with fish and loaves, and every word that came out of his mouth was spiritual food for those who listened and understood. But on this night he fed them differently. Passing the bread, and then the wine, he spoke ominous, comforting words: “this is my body… this is my blood.” This was not an ordinary supper, not even an ordinary Passover. His words connected with what he had said on the shores of far-away Galilee “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty…. whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn. 6:35, 54).
Jesus told them to repeat this unique meal in the future, and then it was time to go out into the chilly night. In a quiet garden among olive trees, quiet but for the deep night sounds of dogs barking in the distance, Jesus prayed. In agony he prayed. The specter of shameful execution and of bearing the curse of sin tore into the human consciousness of Jesus. And in the end it was sheer obedience to the divine plan that carried Jesus into the hands of the conspirators waiting for him. Did the disciples remember “the new command”?
Ponder This: What would have been going on in your mind had you been one of the disciples at the last supper or in the garden of Gethsemane?
[This daily devotional will appear through Easter. You may receive via email.]
I believe that I would have been so scared. Thinking about what Jesus had told us and then watching it come to pass. Knowing that someone in the room would betray Jesus the thought had to captivate each one of the disciple wanting to point fingers toward one another. Then they each one had to search there on heart and the one that betrayed had to know in his heart that he would betray Jesus. That would have to be an awful feeling knowing that you would be the one that betrayed Jesus before you even done it. But that Holy conviction of GOD would let you know the same as it lets us know today. GOD bless you
The same thing that went throw the disciples mind would have gone through my mind if I had been
there that night, “What was Jesus talking about”, I would have wonder “What did He mean, He
was going away?” I as others would be expecting to set Him to set up a new government instead
of the Roman government even tho He had clearly indicated that He was here to set up a
Heavenly government. I would wonder what was He talking about.
I would have been sad to think that He was leaving me and probably like the apostles would not have understood. I’m sure seeing him as man and knowing what He was about to go through but thinking “maybe not” “please no” would have been going through my mind. Obedience let Him fulfill the scriptures. I pray that I would have stayed with Him every step of the way. Like him I do think human feelings would have taken over. I pray that I would listen to His new commandment and go on to Love one another as He loves us. I find today that I do let human thoughts go into my mind and I ponder and worry. The I turn everything over to Him and I am at peace. I like to believe that that is how I would have been the night of the Last Supper. I would have been with Him every step of the way that day and all my days to come.
Thank you. the Lent devotions are excellent. Actually I am going to use some of them tonight at our Passover Service. Thank you for the Morning and Evening devotions and Men and Women of the Bible. I believe that this is a inspiration to the Body of Christ. Thanks, God bless you all.
‘i will be with you only a little longer and where am going you can not come” i wonder just like the disciples did. how comes this time u have chosen to go to aplace that its only you who has got access to ? and then why the new covenant ” LOVE ONE ANOTHER” at time you are leaving did it mean there was likeliness of hatred or division or politics
What would be going on in my mind – I would be thinking that perhaps all that Jesus had been tellling me is about to happen, but I think I must wait to see if all this will truly happen. I would be glad to eat the supper with Him, but like Peter in my mind, I would not want Him to wash my feet, but now that His Word has come to me, I want Him to wash me throughly every day, like Peter not only my feet, but my feet and head, I truly believe that there is powerful significance there(head and feet). In the garden, I not sure, cause I do not know if I would be sleeping, but If I were awake, I would perhaps be thinking how could His Father let Him agonise so much. I would think that I should pray and ask His Father to spare Him the awfulness of it all.
Grief that I and those I loved were losing the person – the Messiah – who loved us better; who inspired us always; who called us to follow Him. My heart would be inconsolable.Fear and the question “now what?” would fill me and then ever so slowly the words “love one another as I have loved you – by this will all men know you are my disciples” would trickle into my consciousness and I would fall down in gratitude to my Messiah for giving me a vision a purpose of how to live life in His absence.
On that dreadful day, I would have felt great grief, confusion and fear. And, perhaps anger at those who took His life, and left me behind. But, as always happens when in my life I have had some of these horrible feelings, I believe I would remember all He promised, and that He taught us that the greatest commandment of all is to love one another. At that point, I would have remembered all He promised and all He instructed, and I would prepare myself to continue to walk life’s path in His name.
If I was one of the disciples I would be thinking why are you leaving. Who is going to love me and teach me the way you do. Will I ever see you again, I am so alive when you are near, Jesus. When you leave will I be able to carry on your teachings and show the world you are real, that you are life. But most of all I am humbled to have walked with you and been loved by you. I will always be your humble servant.
Darlene
I think that most of the time the disciples spent with Jesus they couldn’t quite grasp what He was really doing or what he was talking about. Jesus had a magnetic pull on them and what He taught and it stirred something so very deep in their souls. They had been scared many times when Jesus was talking and the crowd became angry and wanted to kill Him or the religious leaders challenged Him. (I wonder how the disciples looked at those times. Were they cowering behind Jesus?) But they also saw miracles, forgiveness, love, compassion and righteous anger at the same time (standing tall next to Jesus now perhaps). It was scarey and compelling at the same time. Jesus spoke strange and scarey words that night in the upper room, but what was going to come next? It was impossible not to continue to follow Him and just be with Him. Exhausted by the experience, they couldn’t stay awake and pray. I know I would feel the same way….scared but unable to leave, to just creep along next to, tryting to stand so close to Him my shoulder might just brush against His so I could draw strength from Him and just wonder what was going to happen next. Apprehension and fear yes, certainly but also curiosity.
To answer this question honestly, I would not have been paying attention as much after He said that He was leaving. Perhaps I would have tuned in off and on, but all I would be thinking about is that there is a traitor in the room and that Jesus was going a way- How could I live without Him? Thankfully, Jesus did not just ditch us with nothing. He left and then came back in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Praise God for that.
Had I been one of the deciples at the supper, I would not have understood what Jesus was saying. Reading about it now is different than trying to understand something the mind does not grasp without having gone through the event. And at the Garden, Jesus was alone; they were not with him. The fact that they were sleeping illustrates their lack of understanding. I would not have been any different. Reading about it now and knowing what happened, I only think — If I had to be in the garden that night —- I couldn’t have done it, could not handle it. Now that we are able to understand exactly what happened, it shakes up your whole insides and your mind. The only thought I can have now, is — how sorry i am. How sorry that He had to do it that way. Knowing how happy Jesus is today, I am still so sorry that he had to be put through the whole thing. I think the deciples thought that also, once they really understood.
I think I would feel a myriad of emotions – sadness, confusion – what did Jesus actually mean when He said he would only be with them a little while longer and even if they searched for Him, they wouldn’t find him. Even worse, they couldn’t follow Him to where He was going. I would be feeling fearful at not having His physical presence with me – how would I get along if He really did leave. Being a true disciple of Jesus meant huge responsibility and I don’t know if I’d be ready to be all that Jesus said I should be, to stand alone against the Romans/Pharisees/Sadducees – without his constant help.
I would be pondering how I, as a disciple would continue without Him. He showed us Love that cannot be replicated and here He is charging me with the responsibility of loving others as He did!
I am excited to have read all of the comments. I am especially even more happy, in that Rosemary (the last writer to comment) and I have the same attatitude to the discussion.
God bless the persons responsible for this sharing electronically.
I would be shocked, perhaps even afraid. The Messiah was leaving? It would be a difficult concept to grasp, but I would attempt to live in His name from then on. The new Commandment that Jesus passed down to us is very important. On a final note, I reflect on what Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7;
” Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
To those who read the gospels faithfully:
I probably would have been as completely befuddled at what happened to the disciples. At that particular time man was not given to understand until the Son was glorified in the resurrection and ascension. Even though the prediction was given of who and what He really was it was up to the disciples to spread the Word as He commanded. So all of us are given the same command to spread the Good News of the gospels contained in the New Testament. May Christ forever remain in our hearts and be glorified.
Dan Cain, Sr.
1901 Lincoln Avenue
Saint Albans, West Virginia 25177
Incredible grief, fear, and horror. Wanting to cling to Jesus and not let Him go! Wanting Him to change His mind as I would not understand all that He HAD to do, and not understanding the reality of His resurrection as well.
Gene Edwards is a wonderful writer whom many compare to C. S. Lewis. In his book “The Divine Romance . In chapter 51 of the book he writes as if Jesus is speaking concerning His resurrection! The back cover reads,”Behold the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection…from the view of the Angels! The story concludes at the consummation of the ages, when a victorious Lord takes his bride to himself. This is truly the greatest love story ever told!”
A little bit of confusion and probably some fear…… Knowing that something was about to happen to make things never the same again, and fear that Jesus was going away.
I think the number one thought would be fear. The thought of Jesus leaving was too horrible to bear. Why is He saying we can’t go where He is going and why is He telling us this? I have been with Him all this time and now He says He won’t be here any more? I would also feel deep sadness.
In the garden while still reeling from the news, overwhelming exhaustion would set in and then guilt for falling asleep. Wouldn’t that be the least I could do? Stay awake and watch for His captors.
I would have been fearful of the changes that were coming. I would have been leary of all there as it was said Jesus knew there was one that would betray him and had told them this. They knew He was leaving them and most likely did not understand why. Being left, after the closeness they had shared with Jesus, and all they had seen Him do, and all they had learned from Him was probably very bewildering. They really had no idea the scope of His being at that time and could not truly understand why He was leaving them. I feel certain it was a dark, cold night filled with concern and aprehension.
What would be going on in my mind? I would have been fearful, confused and even perhaps wandered whether I am doing the right thing being there instead of be with the ‘world.’ I seek the Lord’s forgiveness but honestly, that’s what would have been in my mind. Reflecting on this, I agree that it is only obedience to God that can bring me through.
I think at the time I would have been just as frustrated and confused as my fellow disciples. In our society today we are living and accustomed to living in an age when thinking outside the box is kind of taken for granted. We also have the benefit of the story that started with the upper room. (there are many episodes to the ministry of Christ) In this age when the fantastical and imagined can be seen in living color on a daily basis, the realms of the unimaginable are shrinking steadily. We are the people Jesus was talking about when he spoke to Thomas about those of faith who believed in Him without the benefit of proof that Thomas demanded. It comes down to a frame of reference thing. We can discuss and postulate ideas that we aren’t comfortable or familiar with as a way of learning about them. Yet inspite of all our skill and understanding through hindsight we can still get caught up and thrown by the idea of faith in and relationship with God. I’d like to think that I would have reacted differently from the disciples, but when I put myself in their place, I have to confess I would probably have been just as confused as they were. I rejoice in the knowledge that all I have to do is believe in Him as my risen Savior to be saved. I believe and accept the story as true. He IS risen, I am saved!
I doubt anyone at the supper or in the garden was taking notes like we so in church these days so I’m guessing the 12 were variably clueless just as I would be to what was about to transpire. That became apparent when Judas betrayed Jesus and Peter lopped the ear off the soldier. The 12 never ever really realized they were playing a part in Gods plan all the while before Jesus died…I know I wouldn’t have figured it out, as it is I often lose sight of knowing I’m in his plan.
Integrity. Granted the message to love one another said at the last supper is what we should all be doing however I think Jesus was doing damage control at the moment he was saying it to put to rest any thoughts and suspicions about anyone more then Judas amongst them having had Jesus turned over to the authorities to make a quick buck. The remaining 11 would have split apart or even killed each other if they couldn’t trust each other. That particular message about love is about trusting and more so about having integrity and being trust worthy most especially during desperate times.
As one of the disciples I would have been hard broken and in my mnd, I would have thought this is strange. My leader is speaking different and acting strange. My first thought would be will I ever see him again, will my new leader be has gracious, giving and loving as he. I’m sure my feelings would be overwhelming sorrowful. Because of my relationship with Jesus I would come to grips that he would leave me in good hands, therefore I would obey his command of” Love One Another” and do as he ask.
I think… that loving ‘each other’ is a sentence too short for its meaning. Yet, I can not imagine someone would not instinctively know what that means. And adding sentences only seems to diminish the meaning and its application. To love is…all of I Corinthians 13, undiluted. Love is exerting oneself by choice to assert… affirmation, instruction, affection, guidance, prayer/blessing, provide for in any and all ways needed. And needed not by a person’s own rationalized ascertainment of another person’s need, but by unbiased observation, and by what the person themselves requests, maybe. But certainly by what the LORD indicates is the need. To love by obedience rather than by indulgence in our own moods and attractions. We need, I need, a Maundy Thursday every hour of my life.
And thank you for clarifying for me what on earth Maundy means :).
I hope every body will love each other. because there is nobody their , it will be so empty. I believe there is enternal life I really hope and for my family and there kids believe the truth there is a heaven.