Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2019)
Illustration
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
The Pittsburgh Pirates had their last great baseball season in 1979. The Pirates had 98 wins and 64 losses that year and captured the National League East Division title by two games over the Montreal Expos. The Pirates then beat the Cincinnati Reds to win their ninth National League title, and they defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win their fifth World Series title.
One of the leaders of the team was first baseman Willie Stargell. His teammates called him “Pops” because of his leadership both on and off the baseball field. At his leading, the team was nicknamed “The Family” because of their close relationship. Stargell said of the family experience, “We won, we lived, and we enjoyed as one. We molded together dozens of different individuals into one working force. We were products of different races, were raised in different income brackets, but in the clubhouse and on the field, we were one.”
Ron L.
* * *
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Saved by blood. It sounds a bit odd, I know. However, for the people who’ve written testimonies on the American Red Cross website, it’s anything but strange. A woman named Amy wrote about her open-heart surgery. She’d gone through the process to donate her own blood, so if everything went as it was supposed to, all would be fine. It didn’t. The surgery had complications and more blood was needed, much more. She said, “There was a lot of waiting and praying. If it wasn't for the actions of the Red Cross and those who donated blood I wouldn't be here today.”
Amy isn’t the only one to know the saving power of blood. The Israelites during the final plague on Egypt experienced it, too. God wouldn’t allow a destructive plague to strike any house marked with the blood of the Passover lamb. It would be spared. The blood of the lamb upon the door was a visual sign or token to the people of Israel of God’s protection. The Israelites were supposed to tell the story to their children and grandchildren, in order that they may know and trust the Lord. The blood of the lamb marked God’s people then and still does today. If you’ve been washed in the blood of the Lamb, death cannot touch you. The blood of Jesus brings life.
Bill T.
* * *
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
No one knows if they were Jews fleeing the Assyrians, or later the Babylonians, or exactly when they got there, but there was a garrison of Jewish mercenaries on the Egyptian island of Elephantine during the fifth century, B.C, hired by the Persians to keep the peace. Generation after generation they lived there with their families, and they left behind a treasure trove of documents mostly concerned with weddings, divorces, business loans, building permits, and other transactions.
But there’s this one letter, dated 419 B.C., from a Jewish official named Hananiah, who seems to have come to Egypt on official business, that is especially intriguing. The letter is fragmented, but it seems to include instructions on how to hold the Passover. He emphasizes his authority comes from the Persian Emperor Darius.
Were the Jews of Egypt conducting the Passover correctly? Were they conducting it at all? It’s hard to say. What’s important to remember is that we pass along clearly instructions for our important observances -- Communion, for instance, or Baptism.
(For more information go to “Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C.,” edited, with translation and notes by A. Cowley, 1923, pp. 60-65)
Frank R.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
With Communion happening as frequently as it does in many congregations, it may be hard to get excited about the commemoration of the event that started it all. But insights by John Wesley and Martin Luther make it difficult ever to take it for granted again. Wesley first:
The grace of God given herein confirms to us the pardon of our sins, and enables us to leave them. (Works, Vol.7, p.148)
The Lord’s Supper is an event that makes it possible for us to leave our sins behind! Luther next:
... Christ used bread and wine for His Supper, because as many kernels, each having its own body and form are ground together, becoming one bread, so every human being is an individual kernel, that is, his own person and a separate creature. But because we are all partakers, we are all one bread and body and are called one lump. (Complete Sermons, Vol.6, p.45)
In the sacrament we become one, without losing ourselves. All that is left behind in The Lord’s Supper is our sins and our loneliness. The Institution of The Lord’s Supper we celebrate this day is indeed something really to celebrate and get excited about.
Mark E.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The words in 1 Corinthians 11 remind of us of our celebrations of Holy Communion or the Eucharist. We her these words, or something similar to them, each time the Words of Institution are offered at Christ’s table. We can hear them frequently enough that we take them for granted; we don’t really hear them. But think for a moment what the words say to us. Think for a moment about the people with whom Jesus shared this bread and this cup. There was, at the table, one who would betray him, one who would deny him, and many who would abandon him. Yet, Jesus broke the bread and gave it to all of them – no exceptions. Jesus poured the cup and shared it with all of them – no exceptions. This is the essence of the love of God – shared with all of us – no exceptions. Can we do any less?
Bonnie B.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Jesus is giving meaning to the bread and wine. His body represented bread and blood represented wine.
We have many symbols today. The wedding ring is one and so is a white wedding dress...Thanksgiving dinner could be another and so is a Christmas tree.
A funeral can be full of symbols of people we love and for some who have made themselves famous through a good or not so good life.
The present fight over Civil War statues is still being fought.
What Jesus passed on that night has been passed on for hundreds of years and members in most churches experience it on this evening.
Do we receive it because it is a tradition or because we feel our Lord’s presence in our heart?
Do we believe the pledge to the flag when we say it, or is it just a tradition?.
Do couples being married really believe their pledge to a life time of faithfulness? Does that pledge come and go on and off over the years?
As we sit down to eat, do we all wait for someone to say the prayer? Do we feel it is really important?
Why do we come to church? Is it a moving experience for everyone every week? Do we feel that the pastor thinks so? Can we feel it if the pastor thinks it’s a moving experience? Let’s not take a vote.
Bob O.
* * *
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
The footwashing in John 13 is extraordinarily shocking. Not Just Yicky. Shocking. Roman society was built around concepts of shame and honor. Some Romans would literally die rather than endure something that reflected shamefully on them and their family.
High on that list would be that free-born men and women, especially among the nobility, would never perform work normally accorded to a slave. Work like washing someone’s feet, for instance. This was simply not done. Having bathed before travelling to a friend’s house for dinner, one would expect to arrive clean except for the feet, since one would normally travel barefoot or in sandals. The feet would get filthy on the journey. Basins of water might be left out by the host so people could wash their own feet, or a slave might be assigned this onerous task. But there is no instance that is known from the Graeco-Roman world of a superior washing the feet of an inferior -- until Jesus girded himself with a towel and washes the feet of his disciples. As John makes clear, at first they watched in stunned silence until at last Simon Peter objected. At that point Jesus explained that he was setting an example, that the one who wished to be greatest must be the greatest servant.
Frank R.
* * *
John 13:1-17 31-35
Arthur Ashe, the tennis great, once said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost.” I read a story about a small, dusty town in western Oklahoma. One November, a young single mother who was struggling to make ends meet, felt compelled to give to others. She didn’t have a lot of extra time, as she worked as many hours as she could at a local convenience store, barely making enough to get by. She also had to take care of her small child and assist an elderly relative who lived in the same town. However, the urge to serve others was strong, so she called her local nursing home to see if she could volunteer. She’d learned to cut and style hair but hadn’t been able to work in that field. Early Thanksgiving morning she took her small child with her to the nursing home. While there, she styled the hair of many residents. Most talked very little if at all. She happily worked, styling hair for all of them. So that they might look nice for that special day. With just a few hours of her time, she brightened many lives by giving of her time and talents.
Asked later why she was willing to go through so much to serve, she replied, “I just needed to give. I made them happy that day. I made a difference.” That’s the lesson Jesus is demonstrating in this passage. He loved his disciples to the end and demonstrated that love. He washed their feet. Jesus challenges us to serve, too. Will we?
Bill T.
* * *
John 13:1-17 31-35
Saint John Chrysostom is an early church Father. He became the Archbishop of Constantinople in 398. During his life he was known simply as John, but after his death he was given the Greek surname “Chrysostom” meaning “golden-mouthed,” because of his eloquent oratory skills. He is been best known to us today as Saint John Chrysostom. Allegory was the common preaching style in the first centuries of the church. Chrysostom broke with this model by using the plain and common language of the people.
As a bishop he was a spokesman for the people. He was known for his denunciation of the abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders. His ascetic lifestyle also became a source of contention for those authoritarian figures who abused their positions to gain personal wealth. Chrysostom was unrepentant in challenging the social injustices perpetrated by those in authority, which caused him to be arrested and banished to Comana in Pontus, which today is Turkey. Having been severely mistreated while in captivity, he died on a forced march on his way to exile in Comana, which was the farthest point of the empire. His death came on September 14, 407.
In his sermon on Psalm 127:1, he professed that only the Holy Spirit specifically protects our faith. In that sermon, Chrysostom said, “Because there are many robbers and thick darkness, and the devil is still at hand to plot against us; and we know not what is the hour, what the occasion is for him to set upon us.” Chrysostom expressed that the Holy Spirit will protect us. The protection of the Holy Spirit is provided for us when we dwell in the house of the Lord. He continued to preach, “This is our wall, this is our castle, this is our refuge. If therefore he dwells in us and is himself our guard, what need is there for the commandment? That we may hold him fast, may keep him…”
Ron L.
The Pittsburgh Pirates had their last great baseball season in 1979. The Pirates had 98 wins and 64 losses that year and captured the National League East Division title by two games over the Montreal Expos. The Pirates then beat the Cincinnati Reds to win their ninth National League title, and they defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win their fifth World Series title.
One of the leaders of the team was first baseman Willie Stargell. His teammates called him “Pops” because of his leadership both on and off the baseball field. At his leading, the team was nicknamed “The Family” because of their close relationship. Stargell said of the family experience, “We won, we lived, and we enjoyed as one. We molded together dozens of different individuals into one working force. We were products of different races, were raised in different income brackets, but in the clubhouse and on the field, we were one.”
Ron L.
* * *
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Saved by blood. It sounds a bit odd, I know. However, for the people who’ve written testimonies on the American Red Cross website, it’s anything but strange. A woman named Amy wrote about her open-heart surgery. She’d gone through the process to donate her own blood, so if everything went as it was supposed to, all would be fine. It didn’t. The surgery had complications and more blood was needed, much more. She said, “There was a lot of waiting and praying. If it wasn't for the actions of the Red Cross and those who donated blood I wouldn't be here today.”
Amy isn’t the only one to know the saving power of blood. The Israelites during the final plague on Egypt experienced it, too. God wouldn’t allow a destructive plague to strike any house marked with the blood of the Passover lamb. It would be spared. The blood of the lamb upon the door was a visual sign or token to the people of Israel of God’s protection. The Israelites were supposed to tell the story to their children and grandchildren, in order that they may know and trust the Lord. The blood of the lamb marked God’s people then and still does today. If you’ve been washed in the blood of the Lamb, death cannot touch you. The blood of Jesus brings life.
Bill T.
* * *
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
No one knows if they were Jews fleeing the Assyrians, or later the Babylonians, or exactly when they got there, but there was a garrison of Jewish mercenaries on the Egyptian island of Elephantine during the fifth century, B.C, hired by the Persians to keep the peace. Generation after generation they lived there with their families, and they left behind a treasure trove of documents mostly concerned with weddings, divorces, business loans, building permits, and other transactions.
But there’s this one letter, dated 419 B.C., from a Jewish official named Hananiah, who seems to have come to Egypt on official business, that is especially intriguing. The letter is fragmented, but it seems to include instructions on how to hold the Passover. He emphasizes his authority comes from the Persian Emperor Darius.
Were the Jews of Egypt conducting the Passover correctly? Were they conducting it at all? It’s hard to say. What’s important to remember is that we pass along clearly instructions for our important observances -- Communion, for instance, or Baptism.
(For more information go to “Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C.,” edited, with translation and notes by A. Cowley, 1923, pp. 60-65)
Frank R.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
With Communion happening as frequently as it does in many congregations, it may be hard to get excited about the commemoration of the event that started it all. But insights by John Wesley and Martin Luther make it difficult ever to take it for granted again. Wesley first:
The grace of God given herein confirms to us the pardon of our sins, and enables us to leave them. (Works, Vol.7, p.148)
The Lord’s Supper is an event that makes it possible for us to leave our sins behind! Luther next:
... Christ used bread and wine for His Supper, because as many kernels, each having its own body and form are ground together, becoming one bread, so every human being is an individual kernel, that is, his own person and a separate creature. But because we are all partakers, we are all one bread and body and are called one lump. (Complete Sermons, Vol.6, p.45)
In the sacrament we become one, without losing ourselves. All that is left behind in The Lord’s Supper is our sins and our loneliness. The Institution of The Lord’s Supper we celebrate this day is indeed something really to celebrate and get excited about.
Mark E.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The words in 1 Corinthians 11 remind of us of our celebrations of Holy Communion or the Eucharist. We her these words, or something similar to them, each time the Words of Institution are offered at Christ’s table. We can hear them frequently enough that we take them for granted; we don’t really hear them. But think for a moment what the words say to us. Think for a moment about the people with whom Jesus shared this bread and this cup. There was, at the table, one who would betray him, one who would deny him, and many who would abandon him. Yet, Jesus broke the bread and gave it to all of them – no exceptions. Jesus poured the cup and shared it with all of them – no exceptions. This is the essence of the love of God – shared with all of us – no exceptions. Can we do any less?
Bonnie B.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Jesus is giving meaning to the bread and wine. His body represented bread and blood represented wine.
We have many symbols today. The wedding ring is one and so is a white wedding dress...Thanksgiving dinner could be another and so is a Christmas tree.
A funeral can be full of symbols of people we love and for some who have made themselves famous through a good or not so good life.
The present fight over Civil War statues is still being fought.
What Jesus passed on that night has been passed on for hundreds of years and members in most churches experience it on this evening.
Do we receive it because it is a tradition or because we feel our Lord’s presence in our heart?
Do we believe the pledge to the flag when we say it, or is it just a tradition?.
Do couples being married really believe their pledge to a life time of faithfulness? Does that pledge come and go on and off over the years?
As we sit down to eat, do we all wait for someone to say the prayer? Do we feel it is really important?
Why do we come to church? Is it a moving experience for everyone every week? Do we feel that the pastor thinks so? Can we feel it if the pastor thinks it’s a moving experience? Let’s not take a vote.
Bob O.
* * *
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
The footwashing in John 13 is extraordinarily shocking. Not Just Yicky. Shocking. Roman society was built around concepts of shame and honor. Some Romans would literally die rather than endure something that reflected shamefully on them and their family.
High on that list would be that free-born men and women, especially among the nobility, would never perform work normally accorded to a slave. Work like washing someone’s feet, for instance. This was simply not done. Having bathed before travelling to a friend’s house for dinner, one would expect to arrive clean except for the feet, since one would normally travel barefoot or in sandals. The feet would get filthy on the journey. Basins of water might be left out by the host so people could wash their own feet, or a slave might be assigned this onerous task. But there is no instance that is known from the Graeco-Roman world of a superior washing the feet of an inferior -- until Jesus girded himself with a towel and washes the feet of his disciples. As John makes clear, at first they watched in stunned silence until at last Simon Peter objected. At that point Jesus explained that he was setting an example, that the one who wished to be greatest must be the greatest servant.
Frank R.
* * *
John 13:1-17 31-35
Arthur Ashe, the tennis great, once said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost.” I read a story about a small, dusty town in western Oklahoma. One November, a young single mother who was struggling to make ends meet, felt compelled to give to others. She didn’t have a lot of extra time, as she worked as many hours as she could at a local convenience store, barely making enough to get by. She also had to take care of her small child and assist an elderly relative who lived in the same town. However, the urge to serve others was strong, so she called her local nursing home to see if she could volunteer. She’d learned to cut and style hair but hadn’t been able to work in that field. Early Thanksgiving morning she took her small child with her to the nursing home. While there, she styled the hair of many residents. Most talked very little if at all. She happily worked, styling hair for all of them. So that they might look nice for that special day. With just a few hours of her time, she brightened many lives by giving of her time and talents.
Asked later why she was willing to go through so much to serve, she replied, “I just needed to give. I made them happy that day. I made a difference.” That’s the lesson Jesus is demonstrating in this passage. He loved his disciples to the end and demonstrated that love. He washed their feet. Jesus challenges us to serve, too. Will we?
Bill T.
* * *
John 13:1-17 31-35
Saint John Chrysostom is an early church Father. He became the Archbishop of Constantinople in 398. During his life he was known simply as John, but after his death he was given the Greek surname “Chrysostom” meaning “golden-mouthed,” because of his eloquent oratory skills. He is been best known to us today as Saint John Chrysostom. Allegory was the common preaching style in the first centuries of the church. Chrysostom broke with this model by using the plain and common language of the people.
As a bishop he was a spokesman for the people. He was known for his denunciation of the abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders. His ascetic lifestyle also became a source of contention for those authoritarian figures who abused their positions to gain personal wealth. Chrysostom was unrepentant in challenging the social injustices perpetrated by those in authority, which caused him to be arrested and banished to Comana in Pontus, which today is Turkey. Having been severely mistreated while in captivity, he died on a forced march on his way to exile in Comana, which was the farthest point of the empire. His death came on September 14, 407.
In his sermon on Psalm 127:1, he professed that only the Holy Spirit specifically protects our faith. In that sermon, Chrysostom said, “Because there are many robbers and thick darkness, and the devil is still at hand to plot against us; and we know not what is the hour, what the occasion is for him to set upon us.” Chrysostom expressed that the Holy Spirit will protect us. The protection of the Holy Spirit is provided for us when we dwell in the house of the Lord. He continued to preach, “This is our wall, this is our castle, this is our refuge. If therefore he dwells in us and is himself our guard, what need is there for the commandment? That we may hold him fast, may keep him…”
Ron L.
