What
happened at the Last Supper (Maundy Thursday)?
Christ celebrated the Jewish feast of the Passover with His
disciples and He instituted the Eucharist (communion) and the New Covenant. God
promised that we would get to know Him and love Him, that His law would be
written in our hearts, that our sins would be forgiven and that we would be His
loving children.
The bread and wine represents the body and blood of Christ
which would be sacrificed for all mankind.
“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to
them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of
me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup
is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
We are no
longer separated from Our Father.
The veil of sin which covers our understanding of God, also
separates us from God and prevents us from being in the presence of God. When
Christ died on the cross, the temple curtain which separated God from man was
torn down the middle, allowing us to be in the presence of God forever. Whoever
confesses their sins and agrees to never do them again and accepts Christ as
their Redeemer will be forgiven by the Father and will be allowed to be in the
presence of God for eternity.
If we only knew the 'damage' that is done by sin
in our lives, we would hate sin and stay as far as possible away from it. The
choices we make when we sin, keep us away from God's love & blessings and
keep us from living our life to its fullest. We desperately need Christ Our
Savior to bring us back to be in union with Our Father in Heaven.
What else
did Jesus say at the end of the Last Supper?
“(Father) I do not ask that you take them out of the world,
but that you keep them away from the evil one. They are not of this world, just
as I am not of this world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As
you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their
sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not
ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their
word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you,
that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent
me.”
"Maundy"
means 'command' in Latin.
Here is Jesus' command to us: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By
this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one
another.” (John 13:34-35).