REDEMPTION, REMEMBERANCE and REDEDICATION

Readings: Exodus 12:21-27, 1 Corinthian 11:23-29, John 13:1-15
Maundy Thursday Communion Service
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY April 5th 2012.

A printable PDF file can be found here

Our three scripture readings tonight focused upon three great events of religious history, ‘The Passover Celebration’, ‘The Communion meal instituted by Christ’ and ‘The Foot washing”. Each of the three show us many different things, but I want us to think upon just three themes; Redemption, Remembrance and Rededication.

Redemption

Our first reading from Exodus gave the instructions for the celebration of the Passover, to be kept as a remembrance – a pilgrim feast – a festival of the Lord – as a rule for all time. Passover was a celebration of the people’s redemption, of the day the angel of death 'passed over' them' and God set them free from their oppressors. The celebration contained many themes, which prefigured the coming of Christ and the redemption He came to bring to the whole world.

An offering of a lamb without blemish
The shedding of blood as atonement for sins
The protection of those under the blood of the lamb by God

So Christ lived a sinless life, the Lamb of God without blemish. He offered Himself for the sins of all people and for the salvation of the world. Those who knew the power of His blood could also know his protection and know themselves as the objects of God’s love and Grace.

It was no accident of fate that His crucifixion took place during the celebration of the Passover festival. He declared that His mission was not to do away with the law and the prophets but rather to fulfill their words and so shed new light upon them, bringing a greater revelation of God’s glory and power to redeem God’s people.

Paul, when he wrote to the Corinthian church, some of whom were converts from the Jewish faith, spoke of Jesus as “The Passover Lamb’ who had been sacrificed. Jesus, our savior and our redeemer. A feature of Passover given new emphasis in our epistle scripture is our second heading:

Remembrance

The familiar words that we refer to as “The Institution of the Lord’s Supper” call to mind that Jesus told us to remember Him through breaking bread and drinking poured out wine. At the Passover feast the Jews were to remember their deliverance in such a way as God’s care became a reality to them in their present.

So we are to remember – not in the way that one might remember somebody at a funeral service – but in such a way that Christ’s living presence is known, here today, in our midst. We are called to allow the Spirit of God to enliven our minds and consciences, so that it becomes to us as though we were there on that first Maundy Thursday sharing around the table with Jesus Christ.

We are to remember the events in such a way that they become alive to where we are now. These elements point us to Jesus who is our Redeemer. As we remember the price He paid to free us from sin, as we recall the way He worked in people’s lives, bringing hope, forgiveness, healing and love, so there should be a desire for Him to work in our lives.

Of course there is another side to remembering His glory, and that is that it calls to mind our own lack of sanctification. It reminds us of the sort of people we are. So Paul writes, “A person must examine themselves first before eating their share of the bread and drinking from the cup.”

Around that first table were a group of followers who were as different as chalk and cheese. They all had their strengths and weaknesses, their peculiarities and problems. Jesus loved them all just the same. In the light of His love we need to examine ourselves. For sure we are all individuals, but around this table God calls us to be a pilgrim people who travel together.

If therefore there are things that hinder our progress, hindrances to the journey, forgiveness that needs expressing to another, sin that requires repentance, hurts that need a healing a touch, then around the table is a time to remember that the Lord God is the Lord our God and that through His Spirit He can supply all we need for our lives to be their best.

Jesus bid us to take the planks from our own eye before seeking to remove specks of dust from the eyes of others. All of which moves us to our third theme;

Rededication

John’s gospel is the most sacramental of the four gospels. It is filled with the rich spiritual imagery of light, living water, bread of life, water turned to wine and more. Yet it is the only gospel that does not give us an account of the Lord’s Supper. Instead we are given the account of Jesus washing the disciples feet. In the most sacramental of all the gospels we are reminded that unless our worship empowers us for service then it has all been in vain.

Unless our remembrance of God’s redemptive acts moves us to rededicating ourselves to the work of God’s kingdom then somewhere we have missed the whole point. We are tonight to eat and drink in the presence of the Lord, not simply because it is a personally rewarding experience, but so that we can be empowered to take the good news of the gospel to a needy and hurting world.

So tonight I invite you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to share in this celebration.

I invite you to focus on the theme of Redemption. To see how our communion celebration points us to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who was crucified for our sins. The one redeemer who through His blood offers us protection and hope for the future. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Let us then celebrate the Passover.

I invite you tonight also to Remembrance. To remember Christ’s living presence. That the same lord Jesus Christ who came to save, to heal and give of His love is here desiring to meet with us. Remember also what kind of person you are. To the extent that you know you are not what you could be or should be, then such is an indication of the extent to which you need the love of God as a redeeming force in your life.

I invite you to make this a moment of Rededication. We do not know what lies ahead, around the next bend in our pilgrimage in Christ. After the first Maundy Thursday their lay ahead the agony of crucifixion and the glory of resurrection. For sure it was a time of rededication, a message that Jesus visually reinforced when He washed His disciples feet, and left them with the words ringing in their ears:

“If I your Lord and Master have washed your feet,
You also ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have left you an example.
You are to do as I have done for you.”

As we meet in Christ’s name may this be a time to rededicate ourselves to the mission of being His servants bringing the love of God to those with whom we share our lives. To God’s name be the Glory. Amen.