Maundy Thursday - I Corinthians 11:23-26

The room had been cleaned, the food had been bought, the table had been laid. Jesus had his disciples gathered in a rented “upper room” to celebrate the Jewish Feast of the Passover. This is a meal that they would have celebrated religiously every year of their lives.This particular year, however, Jesus introduced some major differences into the Passover proceedings. First, Jesus himself took the role that would have belonged to one of the lowest servants in the rented house and proceeded to wash the feet of his disciples. It’s as if the CEO of Starbuck’s would be sighted cleaning the bathrooms in a local chain. Jesus forever demonstrated the true nature of Christian leadership.Even more significantly, Jesus transformed the unleavened bread of the Passover for his disciples and presented it to them as his own body, broken for them. And Jesus took the cup of gratitude and presented it to his followers as the cup of the New Covenant, a cup given in his very blood for the complete forgiveness of all of their sins.2,000 years later - today! - Jesus’ followers will still “take, eat and drink, remember and believe” that God’s perfect Passover Lamb was given to take away the sins of the world.Activity: Find a medium sized serving bowl or vase, clear glass or transparent if possible. Fill it up with water. Place some of your chosen rocks in the water, perhaps even give them a little bath. Notice how they brighten in color when they are wet. This is what happens in the waters of baptism when God washes us. This is what happens when we give and receive acts of service like Jesus offered his disciples by washing their feet before the Passover meal.