Maundy Thursday (9 April 2020)

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: Exodus 12:13
Theme: The Blood of the Passover


Dear followers of the Saviour,

There are very few truly unprecedented global events in the history of humanity. A couple come to mind- the flood at the time of Noah, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The coronavirus pandemic is widely described as unprecedented. Undoubtedly, these claims have some justification. No one knows how far-reaching it might be or how the situation will end up. History repeats itself. Certainly, there have been many significant plagues throughout the ages. The plague that particularly concerns us on this Maundy Thursday, was the tenth and final plague on the Egyptians, the death of the firstborn. It was the final measure to force Pharaoh’s hand. God Himself would not spare His own Firstborn Son. Only Jesus’ sacrifice could end the plague of eternal death.

Historically, we may feel far removed from these events that happened some 1500 years before the time of Christ. But the entire scope of the exodus and all that it entailed was pointing forward. It was pointing forward to the one sacrifice, to the one Lamb whose blood could truly redeem. God told Moses, “I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. “1 The deliverance of God’s people from bondage wasn’t simply a rescue operation. It was an execution of judgment against pagan idolatry. The ten plagues were judgments against the idols of Egypt.

The ancient Egyptians recognized a multitude of greater and lesser deities. Their idols were believed to control all aspects of life, the weather, the agricultural seasons, birth, death, all expressions of good and evil. Cultic rituals were carefully followed to appease them. Yet, at every turn, they were bested by the God of Israel, these slave people upon whose forced labor the Egyptians had built their empire over the previous four hundred years. The God of the Hebrews played second fiddle to no one, prompting Pharaoh’s magicians to say, “This is the finger of God.”2

Since the Hebrew slaves lived among the Egyptians, it took some precise action to spare them. The principal identification for allegiance to Yahweh was lamb’s (or goat’s) blood smeared over the doors of their dwellings. That truth can be shot like an arrow whizzing through centuries of time until it lodges in the proclamation of John the Baptist announcing, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”3 God said to the Israelites, “When I see the blood I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you.”4 They were then to eat in haste, staff in hand, sandals on their feet ready to leave for the Promises Land. Through the of the blood of THE Lamb, the angel of death passes over us. We’ve been delivered from the tyranny of slavery to sin. We’re welcomed at the gate to the Promised Land above.

It was no coincidence that Jesus was crucified during the Passover. His was the final bloodletting and it was part of planned obsolescence for cultic sacrifices. It was also no accident that Jesus established Holy Communion at this time. Here we are on Thursday of Holy Week, the day of the Last Supper and the institution of the Lord’s Supper and we are unable to celebrate the sacrament. How long our celebrations will be delayed no one knows at this point. We are foregoing the Lord’s Supper in the interest of protecting the vulnerable. It’s a deprivation we accept under some duress and with great yeaning. Our time of fasting can also be a time of strengthening. Fasting has long been a discipline with spiritual and physical benefit. If ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ our hearts should be truly raptured when we’re freed to receive this blessing again. The Israelites had the manna and the quail. We have the body and blood of Christ. They had the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. We have the word and Spirit. Even while isolated from other people, God is near to us.

Social distancing was also prescribed in biblical times, particularly for different types of leprosy. Jesus was frequently criticized for His contact with those who were unclean, including those who had communicable diseases. From the standpoint of the Holy God every one of us has a disease much worse than the coronavirus. Sin makes us unclean. It is a terminal illness. We may think we are asymptotic. We may think we’re not a threat to ourselves or others. We may think we’re not contagious. But the truth is otherwise. We spread our sin everywhere in every faithless act, in every selfish deed. When sin causes consequences we can’t avoid, we’re apt to manage it by relying on human effort.

Just as the short-sighted Israelites were foolish to want to return to Egypt, we’re foolish to want to turn from the gospel of grace. When offered freedom, yet with temporal uncertainty, they still longed to return to the familiarity of slavery. Our natural selves are always tempted to return to the agenda of the law. That is, we naturally think that if only we’re a little better, that we try a little harder, that we make an honest effort, God will be impressed and grant us His blessing. Thus, we look for security from God based on our efforts, judged by our own standards of righteousness. In foolish self-confidence we think God is obliged to recognize our good works. The apostle Paul strongly rebuked this tendency in the Galatians when he said, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? ...Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?...After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort.”5 No, dear friends, the goal has already been attained and the Saviour gifts it to us.

Adversity builds the resilience of faith. For some believers this is an exceptional time of adversity. Pillars of certainty are being toppled: financial stability, medical and health security, relationship normalcy. Can we recognize which ones have become idols that we worship instead of blessings for which we give thanks? Will these events cause us to reassess what we value most? One of the Scriptures for this Sunday’s celebration of Easter encourages us to set our minds on high and holy things, not on fleeting and worldly things. Many silver linings will be found in this dark cloud of turmoil.

Life is in the blood. The life of Jesus was sacrificed for you. His blood was poured out for you. He died a physical, historical death. He rose bodily from the grave. He ascended to the Father’s hand of power. He possesses an indestructible life. The plaque we’re experiencing known as the coronavirus will go down in history as a notable pandemic. Still, it too, will pass. But the Father’s kingdom will never pass away. Nothing can separate us from the Lamb of God, Jesus, the Saviour, Christ, the Redeemer, not even death. He leads His people on one final exodus to the Promised Land of heaven. Amen.

+ In nomine Jesu +

Maundy Thursday
9 April 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 Exodus 12:12 2 Exodus 8:19
3 John 1:29 4 Hebrews 12:13
5 Galatians 3:1-3