Lesson 5

Lesson 5                                                 

Day 5 of Holy Week-Thursday     

There is a great deal that happens on this Thursday of Holy Week. This is the day that we remember and celebrate when we come to the Lord’s Table.

First though, we need to head back to the Old Testament. It is there that we learn how God’s chosen people first celebrated Passover!  That celebration is what we commemorate as Holy Thursday or the Last Supper. This reading is separated into three parts so that you might stop and think about each section before going on to the next one.

Exodus 12:1-4

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ² “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. ³ Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb^[a] for his family, one for each household. ⁴ If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.

Exodus 12: 5-10

⁵ The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. ⁷ Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. ⁸ That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. ⁹ Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. ¹⁰ Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.

Exodus 12: 11-14

¹¹ This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.

¹² “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

¹⁴ “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.

Altogether, this is a fairly long passage about Passover and all the rules that the people had to follow. It is important to understand that these requirements were given for a purpose…

Having read the Scripture, quickly journal what you learned about the meaning of Passover to these people:

Stop and take time to think about this….

1. Why did the lamb need to be an unblemished lamb?

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2. What is the meaning of the blood placed on the door post?

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3. Why were they instructed to eat in haste?

Now we move to the New Testament text; we need to not only read this but also to “hear” the threads, the connections to the Old Testament.

(let’s take time to read )

1 Corinthians 11: 23-26

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Paul is teaching us here about the Last Supper. He helps us understand the bread and the cup.  Can you see any comparisons between the Hebrew text and the New Testament text?   ________

If so, how?

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When we celebrate Holy Communion in church, what does this mean to you?

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Have you ever participated in a Seder Meal? If so, what meaning did it bring to your life?  If not do you have a desire to do so?

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Here is another Scripture I want you to read and think about.

(Now let us read)

John 3:31-35

³¹ The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. ³³ Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God^[a]gives the Spirit without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

In this passage we read about God and God’s words of truth. We read about the Spirit being given without limitation.

How might we see God’s Spirit working actively in our lives (actively)?

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How might we be open to the movement of God’s Spirit in our daily lives?

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How might we recognize that it really is God’s Spirit that is moving and not just our own decisions?

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As we move through the remaining part of Holy Week, let us take time daily to reflect on all that we have learned through this study and how God has revealed himself through our conversations.

If you are a FB fan, ask me to join our closed ACC Bible Study FB group. We will be discussing our thoughts there.

Until next week! Ask God to show you how to worship Him freely and openly or, maybe, you will need to go for a walk and hear the rocks singing!

Lesson 4

Lesson 4

Day 4 of Holy Week-Wednesday

There is a great deal that happens on this Thursday of Holy Week. It begins early in the morning and there is a lot of information in John 13: 21- 16:33

In order that we get the most out of this week; we need to read this.

John 13:21-16:33

This week’s reading is very long, but it tells us so much about how Jesus was trying to prepare his disciples for the days ahead.   

I would encourage you to go back to the beginning of chapter 13 and begin reading from there…after all, my first question comes from there. J

Jesus begins to wash the disciple’s feet.  Have you ever had your feet washed as a part of a repentance service or a Maundy Thursday service?

If so, what did you experience?

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Vs. 31-38 tells us that Peter will deny Jesus before the crowds of people:

³¹ When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

³³ “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

³⁶ Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

³⁷ Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

³⁸ Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”

Have you ever found yourself in a place in your life that you became afraid and wondered about denying your faith in Jesus?  If so, pray about that time and ask God to reveal why you were afraid.  If not, thank God during your prayer time that you were able to rely on the strength given through the Holy Spirit.

Take time to journal your thoughts on this passage and your walk with God.

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How about this Scripture:

     Hebrews 12: 1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Who might be your cloud of witnesses? Do you think everyone will list the same ones?

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Isaiah 50:4-9

This reading begins to share a prophecy about what Jesus would suffer at the hands of the Roman soldiers. If this interest you look up other passages in the OT that prophesy about the coming of a Messiah and what will happen to Him. That would make a good blog note.

“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. ⁵ The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away. ⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me,
 my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face
 from mocking and spitting. ⁷ Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
 I will not be disgraced. Therefore, have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. ⁸ He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! ⁹ It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.”

How would you handle this kind of physical torture? Can you even imagine not saying anything? Yet Jesus did not say a word through his entire ordeal. How do you think He was able to do that?

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We need to take time this week to reflect on our own ability to see this day as Jesus saw it … First, he shared with his disciples by washing their feet…then moved (moving) toward Peter’s denial…and that just gets us through chapter 13! 

Finally, you still have John 14 through 16 to contemplate.  Please blog about thoughts and questions from these chapters.

John 14 and John 15 and John 16

So much material to reflect on!!! What are 3 things that resonate with your heart?

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I would ask that you think about this.  Don’t stop there.  Journal it or talk about it with someone else.  Putting it into actual words either shared with someone else or written is more powerful than your thoughts alone. 

If you are a FB fan, ask me to join our closed ACC Bible Study FB group. We will be discussing our thoughts there.

Until next week! Ask God to show you how to worship Him freely and openly or, maybe, you will need to go for a walk and hear the rocks singing!