Lenten Devotion (Morning) for 21 April 2011 Anno Domini (Maundy Thursday)

Lenten Devotion (Morning) for 21 April 2011 Anno Domini (Maundy Thursday)

18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. 19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. 31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. 37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. 38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. (John 13:18-38)

After washing the disciples’ feet, the Lord says that they are clean altogether if their feet of travel are clean, but He adds: “Ye are not all clean.” (John 13:11) There are times when an entire church is blessed beyond measure, but there are some present whose hearts are full of treachery. As whited sepulchers, they appear beautiful and varnished, but are rotting inside. Christ continues: “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.” There is one Judas Iscariot whose feet Jesus lovingly bathed even knowing what was in his heart to do. Christ always KNOWS His own! Though there may be many wolves in sheep’s clothing lurking about the sanctuary, Christ knows sheep from wolves. He tells them beforetimes so that they will remember and believe all that He has spoken to them.

“When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.” When one has traveled through many adventures with another purporting to be a close friend, imagine the pain of heart in realizing that the one for whom you have loved and done many kindnesses, beyond measure, will betray you. If you will again recall daVinci’s painting of the Last Supper, you will note that Judas sits to the right of our Lord clutching in his right hand the money bag. All faces are reflecting light from the torches except that of Judas. His face is in shadow. The salt shaker has been turned over on its side. To spill salt was a bad omen in the olden days. Peter holds a knife pointed away from Judas’ back. This signifies that Judas will die by violence, but not at another’s hand. Our Lord has said that it would have been better for Judas had he never been born. (Matthew 26:24).

“He it is, to whom I shall give a sop.” Jesus leaves no doubt regarding the man of perdition. “And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him.” Who keeps the door to your heart? If you are truly Christian, Christ is the Door! But the door to the heart of Judas was open to Satan to come and go as he pleased. ‘When a strong man, well armed, keepeth his house, his goods are secure. But when a stronger than he comes, he will take the house and spoil his goods.’ Our goods are filthy rags apart from the righteousness of Christ. Christ can drive out the interloper and take possession of the house (heart). But Judas made no such provision to invite Christ as his heart’s doorkeeper. Christ handed the sop to Judas! “He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.” Please consider this deeply for your own soul’s benefit. Having known and received the blessings of God, dare we betray Him by our conduct? Judas, a most tragic figure, went out from the Supper “and it was night!” Such an Eternity of night in Hell did Judas go out into. He went out into the darkness, and he came again under cover of darkness, to the Garden with guards in tow to betray Jesus. What a terrible indictment and predicament for such a one as Judas.

“Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.” It is likely that the diciples would not want to come there with there present state of faith. Christ now re-emphasizes His overriding commandment: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” We are to love one another as Christ loved us. Husbands, do you love your wives as Christ loved the Church? More so, do you love each believer with a like kind of love?

“Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.” Peter presumes much of himself: “Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.” When Peter was in the presence of Christ, he did, indeed, have great courage. It was Peter who thrust his sword at the guard in the Garden and severed his ear which Christ restored. But once he no longer enjoyed the presence of Christ, he became just another coward. He denied Christ three times during the night before His crucifixion. Yet, Christ loved Peter in spite of knowing his every weakness. That is how He loves you and me. It is not because of our goodness, but in spite of our weakness in living. “Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.” I wonder if Peter at the time could even imagine how precisely that prophecy would be fulfilled. A newsman once asked the great British evangelist, Charles Spurgeon, if he possessed the grace to die for his Lord, to which Spurgeon responded, “No, I do not have the grace to die for Christ.” The newsman, with astonishment, replied, “But Dr. Spurgeon, you are the most renowned minister in England. If you have not the grace to die for your Lord, who does have?” Spurgeon said, “I trust when the time comes for me to die for Christ, He will give me the grace at that time.” Have you the grace?