The Last Command

“(The Lord’s Supper) held such a strong place in Paul’s own thinking that he could speak of the very action of the meal as ‘proclaiming the death of the Lord until he comes.’ Doing it said it. Touch this symbol, then, and you touch a nerve centre.”  N. T. Wright, The Meal Jesus Gave Us, p. 39

If you ask a Christian the essence of the faith, it’s likely that you’ll hear a simple text offered as sound bite.  Usually its John 3:16 and that of course is not a bad place to start at all.  In other places, I have suggested that 1 Peter 2:9-10 is equally as pithy and even more powerful.  And of course many of us would immediately go to the “Great Commission” of Matthew 28:19-20.

But consider this question: What did Jesus emphasize in his last gathering with his disciples? 

What did he command his disciples to do with nearly his last words before death?  So, what is the essence of the Christian faith, the great “So what?” of our discipleship.

I believe it is none other than the “New Commandment” of John 13:34-35.  (The name “Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin words “Mandatum Novarum”: New Commandment.)

But let’s set the scene again.

Most scholars would say John’s gospel account is a highly edited, deeply symbolic account meant to communicate the lasting theological significance of Jesus’ actions. It’s not that John “made this up”, it’s just that when his account was written a good 50 years after Jesus’ death, they had had plenty of time to reflect on what Jesus said and did and choose to emphasize what was most important.

In John’s account, the disciples have gathered to celebrate the Passover, the great saving act of God for his people.  The dinner was and is highly ritualized and they expected nothing different than for Jesus to lead them in the ancient rite that would celebrate what God did in saving his people from Egypt.

And Jesus keeps “messing with” the tradition and gets them all confused. 

First he acts like a simple slave and washes their feet (v. 1-9).  They haven’t even started the meal yet and Jesus is teaching his disciples about their vocation.  They are to do what he does.  They are to act like he acts.  Whatever happens to him will happen to them.

Then on the heels (pardon the pun) of that odd action, he declares that one in the room is about to betray him.  He doesn’t reveal the betrayer to stop the betrayal, but instead to assure the disciples “I tell you this now, so that when it happens you will believe I am the Messiah.”

In John’s account, he doesn’t give us the actual “words of institution.”  But we know from the other accounts that Jesus changed the expected Passover rite so that from now on every one of their meals together would be a reminder of the “new covenant” that he made with them in that upper room.  In John, Jesus just feeds Judas the bread of honor.  He loves and honors his betrayer.  In essence “offering himself up” in that one act. 

The sacrificial lamb to the slaughter.  The one whose body will be given, blood shed.  In telling of Jesus offering the bread to Judas, John reminds his readers of what they know so well from the words they practice at every meal:  Jesus is the one offered up in this new covenant that will free us all from the oppression of slavery and death.

And then he gives them their commandment:
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (NLT)

Jesus is preparing to die, predicts that Judas will betray him, that Peter will fall away and that he is going to die. He offers himself to his betrayer and what does he tell them with his last words?

NOT teach each other.  Not encourage each other. Not rebuke each other. Not correct each other.  But...“Love each other. There are lots of people following lots of teachers in the world, lots of “disciples” following lots of Rabbis.  If you want to prove to the world that you belong to me: Love each other.” 

This is the New Commandment; the response to what Jesus offers as the New Covenant.

John then gives us three chapters (14-17) of Jesus’ teaching to equip them for that task.  To love each other for the rest of their lives no matter what, by the power of the Spirit that will be given to them in obedience to the teachings that he has given them, loyal and connected to Jesus like branches on a vine, in the face of whatever opposition the world throws at them.  He then prays for them and asks God to protect them and in their loving each other, help them to fulfill his ministry to the world.

That’s the essence of Christian faithfulness: 

All that we do is to demonstrate to the world that we belong to Jesus, by the way we love each other, by the power of the Spirit, in obedience to Jesus words, rooted in Jesus’ presence, in the face of the world’s opposition, until Jesus returns. 

And tonight, we'll witness once again, the "full extent of God's love" for his world.  The love we proclaim with our lips and demonstrate with our lives, first to each other and then to God's world.

“(The Lord’s Supper) held such a strong place in Paul’s own thinking that he could speak of the very action of the meal as ‘proclaiming the death of the Lord until he comes.’ Doing it said it. Touch this symbol, then, and you touch a nerve centre.”  N. T. Wright, The Meal Jesus Gave Us, p. 39

If you ask a Christian the essence of the faith, it’s likely that you’ll hear a simple text offered as sound bite.  Usually its John 3:16 and that of course is not a bad place to start at all.  In other places, I have suggested that 1 Peter 2:9-10 is equally as pithy and even more powerful.  And of course many of us would immediately go to the “Great Commission” of Matthew 28:19-20.

But consider this question: What did Jesus emphasize in his last gathering with his disciples? 

What did he command his disciples to do with nearly his last words before death?  So, what is the essence of the Christian faith, the great “So what?” of our discipleship.

I believe it is none other than the “New Commandment” of John 13:34-35.  (The name “Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin words “Mandatum Novarum”: New Commandment.)

But let’s set the scene again.

Most scholars would say John’s gospel account is a highly edited, deeply symbolic account meant to communicate the lasting theological significance of Jesus’ actions. It’s not that John “made this up”, it’s just that when his account was written a good 50 years after Jesus’ death, they had had plenty of time to reflect on what Jesus said and did and choose to emphasize what was most important.

In John’s account, the disciples have gathered to celebrate the Passover, the great saving act of God for his people.  The dinner was and is highly ritualized and they expected nothing different than for Jesus to lead them in the ancient rite that would celebrate what God did in saving his people from Egypt.

And Jesus keeps “messing with” the tradition and gets them all confused. 

First he acts like a simple slave and washes their feet (v. 1-9).  They haven’t even started the meal yet and Jesus is teaching his disciples about their vocation.  They are to do what he does.  They are to act like he acts.  Whatever happens to him will happen to them.

Then on the heels (pardon the pun) of that odd action, he declares that one in the room is about to betray him.  He doesn’t reveal the betrayer to stop the betrayal, but instead to assure the disciples “I tell you this now, so that when it happens you will believe I am the Messiah.”

In John’s account, he doesn’t give us the actual “words of institution.”  But we know from the other accounts that Jesus changed the expected Passover rite so that from now on every one of their meals together would be a reminder of the “new covenant” that he made with them in that upper room.  In John, Jesus just feeds Judas the bread of honor.  He loves and honors his betrayer.  In essence “offering himself up” in that one act. 

The sacrificial lamb to the slaughter.  The one whose body will be given, blood shed.  In telling of Jesus offering the bread to Judas, John reminds his readers of what they know so well from the words they practice at every meal:  Jesus is the one offered up in this new covenant that will free us all from the oppression of slavery and death.

And then he gives them their commandment:
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (NLT)

Jesus is preparing to die, predicts that Judas will betray him, that Peter will fall away and that he is going to die. He offers himself to his betrayer and what does he tell them with his last words?

NOT teach each other.  Not encourage each other. Not rebuke each other. Not correct each other.  But...“Love each other. There are lots of people following lots of teachers in the world, lots of “disciples” following lots of Rabbis.  If you want to prove to the world that you belong to me: Love each other.” 

This is the New Commandment; the response to what Jesus offers as the New Covenant.

John then gives us three chapters (14-17) of Jesus’ teaching to equip them for that task.  To love each other for the rest of their lives no matter what, by the power of the Spirit that will be given to them in obedience to the teachings that he has given them, loyal and connected to Jesus like branches on a vine, in the face of whatever opposition the world throws at them.  He then prays for them and asks God to protect them and in their loving each other, help them to fulfill his ministry to the world.

That’s the essence of Christian faithfulness: 

All that we do is to demonstrate to the world that we belong to Jesus, by the way we love each other, by the power of the Spirit, in obedience to Jesus words, rooted in Jesus’ presence, in the face of the world’s opposition, until Jesus returns. 

And tonight, we'll witness once again, the "full extent of God's love" for his world.  The love we proclaim with our lips and demonstrate with our lives, first to each other and then to God's world.