1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,720 Welcome to the New Mercies podcast. My name is Anthony Caldwell and I am so excited to 2 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:18,580 bring to you episode number nine. This is a very special episode. The next couple of 3 00:00:18,580 --> 00:00:25,700 days we are looking at Easter and the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 00:00:25,700 --> 00:00:30,760 And we are today celebrating Maundy Thursday. And I want to just give you a little bit 5 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:36,560 of explanation as to what Maundy Thursday is. If I'm totally honest, when I was a teenager 6 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,160 we had a special service at our church on Thursday night and it was called the Maundy 7 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:48,080 Thursday service. I was wondering why everyone was mispronouncing the word Monday. And I 8 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:53,720 was also confused why is it called Monday Thursday. Until as I grew in my understanding, 9 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,760 asked a lot of questions, did a lot of research, I realized it was not Monday Thursday. It 10 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:07,600 was indeed Maundy Thursday. And that word Maundy comes from a Latin word, Mondatum. Mondatum 11 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:14,240 is where we get the word mandate. And so this word is, if it's translated directly to English, 12 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:21,440 is command. This is the day we celebrate Jesus' last supper and his last few moments before 13 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:27,240 he goes and gets betrayed and gets crucified. And we know that he tells the disciples that 14 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:33,400 he has a new commandment. He says, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. 15 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:40,080 Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will 16 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:46,980 know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. This is the command, 17 00:01:46,980 --> 00:01:53,960 this is the mandate from Jesus to his disciples moments before he is betrayed, moments before 18 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:59,680 he is even left alone by his disciples as they fall asleep in the garden. This is a 19 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:06,240 big, big deal. And it's his last mandate to the group of disciples before he goes and 20 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:12,120 experiences separation from his Father in heaven, separation from all that is holy, 21 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:17,880 all that's perfect when he has to take on the sin of the world and die in our place, 22 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:23,960 this beautiful scene that we celebrate. But today we celebrate that new command, that 23 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:29,400 new commandment that he gave us, that new mandate that he says, here's what you need 24 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:34,900 to be about. As he is with his disciples, he's just washed their feet, he's teaching 25 00:02:34,900 --> 00:02:39,900 them and he's training them. This is his last words. These are the last things he chooses 26 00:02:39,900 --> 00:02:45,420 to say to his disciples before the biggest moment in the history of the world. If it's 27 00:02:45,420 --> 00:02:52,760 his last words, we probably should pay attention to them. Today as we celebrate Maundy Thursday, 28 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:58,440 we need to understand and realize Jesus gave us a command. He gave us a last command while 29 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:05,000 he was still with his disciples that resonates in our lives today. If you can be about anything 30 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:11,640 today, let the new commandment that he gives us that we love one another. Not just the 31 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:18,600 way that we understand love in the human world, but Jesus says just as I have loved you, you 32 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:26,160 also are to love one another. And if you do that, by that everybody will know that you're 33 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,920 my disciples, that if you have love for one another. Here's what Jesus is saying. The 34 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:38,600 world is mean. People around can be mean. People around can be miserable. People around can 35 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:45,360 be selfish. And that's the way of the world. Selfishness, anger, bitterness, grieving, 36 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:54,120 hurting, all of those pieces are what the world creates in us. But Jesus says, be loving. 37 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:59,000 Have the love for one another that I have loved you with. You know, Jesus was completely 38 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:05,040 selfless. He was never thinking of himself alone. He was always glorifying God. He was 39 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:11,360 always helping others. He was always reaching out to other people in need and showing love 40 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,800 and care that was impartial. He didn't, it didn't matter where you came from. It didn't 41 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,800 matter what family you were born into. Didn't matter what nation you were born into. Jesus 42 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:27,440 showed love because he is love, because he cares so much for us. And then he takes on 43 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:34,840 this love that he is commanding us to live. He takes this on in just a few hours and is 44 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:41,860 crucified. Not because he did anything wrong, but because he loved us. Today, I hope you 45 00:04:41,860 --> 00:04:57,520 are encouraged. Live out this new commandment that Jesus gave us on this Monday, Thursday.