Link #322 - Holy Thursday
Greetings in the name of Jesus.
The events connected with this day are extraordinary. I have some thoughts on this at the bottom of the message. First of all I’d want to highlight all the events at Bloor Central over the next four days.
It is Thursday which means our Discovery Bible Study meets tonight at 7pm. We’ve been having a wonderful time of exploring the scripture over the past several weeks. Tonight we continue our exploration of “courage”. I cannot help but be amazed at how relevant our topic has been. Our world shows so many levels of chaos it seems like fear is becoming an epidemic. Scripture offers us great guidance for our age - it is called courage. If you have never been on a Thursday we encourage you to check it out tonight at 7pm.
Tomorrow is our Good Friday Service at 10am. This is a time together in which we focus on the events around the cross. This year we will make a special effort to actually enter into the personalities that were present. As I said on Sunday the events of Good Friday offer healing for shame. If you can recognize the significance of Good Friday you will truly experience healing from shame.
Saturday we will be serving our Community Dinner (7ATE9) from 4-6pm. We’ll send out the menu later but its always good. It is a great opportunity to bring a friend to experience Bloor Central life, or come and make a new friend.
Sunday is our Easter Sunday service. It is the height of Christian celebration around the world and we are part of it. It is a day in which we recognize “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). We kick things off at 10am - see you Sunday.
Now, can we turn our thoughts to this day? Of all of the events leading up to Good Friday the most powerful is Jesus taking the roll of a servant. As the disciples gathered for a meal it was traditional that someone would take the humble position to wash the feet of the others. I consider it an incredible expression of love that Jesus would willingly take that servants roll knowing that those he was serving would abandon him within hours. I love the passage below that holds much significance for Bloor Central life.
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet - John 13
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.