What does Maundy mean?

The word "Maundy" has its roots in the Latin text of John 13:34 where Jesus gave a new commandment to "love one another" (maundatum novu). Translated literally from Latin, Maundy Thursday means "new commandment Thursday," pointing us to how the events of Thursday and Friday demonstrate how much Jesus fulfilled his own commandment by loving on his disciples, washing their feet and dying on the cross out of love for all of creation.

How do I plan a Maundy Thursday worship service?

When is Maundy Thursday?

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter.

What colors could I use for Maundy Thursday?

You could consider using purple, red, or white.

What themes could I use for Maundy Thursday?

• A new commandment: love one another (See Love one another and Christian fellowship and servanthood)
• The Lord's Supper (See Gospel accounts of the Last Supper and Feasting with God)

What three stories does Maundy Thursday remember?

Maundy Thursday and washing the disciples' feet

Because in John 13 Jesus took it upon himself to do the servant's job of washing the disciples' feet, some Maundy Thursday services feature a pastor or other leaders washing the feet of various members of the congregation. In Roman Catholic worship, the pope himself typically washes the feet of poor persons in Rome. No tradition claims that foot washing is sacramental, and it is unclear whether Jesus intended this gesture be something to be repeated in a literal way in centuries to come. In that time in history, however, having one's feet washed before a meal was both an act of hospitality performed by lowly servants (it may not always have been a pleasant task) and a nod to good hygiene for people who often reclined at floor-level tables to eat. Jesus made it clear that the act was symbolic of something that needs to characterize the lives of his followers at all times: humble, loving service. When Jesus says in John 13 that he has left them an example, he did not mean the foot-washing act per se but the attitude of the heart that allowed the master to stoop down and take on the role of a servant (cf. Phil. 2). What "foot washing" may mean in other cultural contexts has varied over time. Perhaps it means washing up the dishes after a meal, giving up a good seat at a concert (or even a worship service!) to someone else while you take an obstructed-view seat, not joining elite members-only clubs that discriminate against people of other races or socioeconomic statuses, or volunteering to serve soup at a homeless shelter. It is the attitude of humility and a desire to serve in love—even if that means taking on a position in the lowliest station in society—that is to be the hallmark of all those who claim to live under the lordship of the ultimate servant, Christ Jesus.

Maundy Thursday and the Lord's Supper institution

Jesus' institution of the Lord's Supper was built upon the chassis of the traditional Jewish observance of the Passover meal, the Seder. The Seder remembers Israel's final meal before the exodus from Egypt. This meal answers the question traditionally asked at the start of the meal (usually by a child): "Why is this night different from all other nights?" The meal's menu includes the unleavened bread and bitter herbs signifying a meal eaten in haste as Israel prepared to flee that land of slavery. Lamb is eaten as a remembrance of the blood of lambs painted upon the doorposts of Israelite houses, a sign observed by the angel of death to pass over the firstborn in that home. Into this traditional remembrance, Jesus introduced new meaning. The bread was no longer a reminder of a hasty meal but now symbolized his own soon-to-be-slain flesh. The second cup of wine drunk after the Seder, the cup of blessing, then became a sign of a new covenant, symbolizing Jesus' own soon-to-be-shed sacrificial blood.

One wonders what went through the minds of the disciples as suddenly Jesus altered a memorial meal each disciple knew by heart. Imagine today witnessing a baptism in a church at which the minister suddenly began to use completely new language to describe what was going on and asserting that the meaning of this washing with water pointed to the need to do a cleansing of polluted areas of the planet. Surely we would be startled and perhaps scandalized to see a traditional sacrament being turned on its head! Something like that may have occurred to the disciples, too, as Jesus now became the sacrificial lamb in a new meal in which his own flesh and blood—the sacrifice he offered—became the sole focus. But insofar as Jesus turned the traditional meal eaten by God's covenant people into a new covenant sacrament, we are reminded that the whole of scripture finally narrates but one sacred story: Jesus as the Christ of God is the climax of, and in most ways the whole point of, the entire narrative.

Maundy Thursday's command to love

In John 13:14, Jesus commands his disciples to love one another. This was perfectly demonstrated in the events that followed.

Bible passage ideas for Maundy Thursday

Gospel accounts of the Last Supper

• Matthew 26:17–46
• Mark 14:12–72
• Luke 22:1–46
• John 13:1–17

Love one another

• John 15:1–17, love each other and bear fruit
• Ephesians 4-5, walk in love
• Hebrews 10:19–25, spur one another on toward love
• 1 John 4:7–21, let us love one another

Christian fellowship and servanthood

• Luke 22:24–27, the first and the last
• Acts 2:42–47, everything in common
• Philippians 2:1–18, be humble as Christ
• Galatians 3:23–29, one in Christ
• Colossians 3, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts

Feasting with God

• Exodus 12:1–14, the first Passover
• Psalm 23, You prepare a table before me
• Isaiah 25, God's eschatological feast
• John 6, Jesus provides a feast
• 1 Corinthians 10:14–22; 11:17–34, proclaiming the Lord's death

Sermon ideas for Maundy Thursday

"For Catholics, the celebration of Mass is a sort of re-entering into the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. It is not for us merely a re-enactment of the Last Supper." Luke Doherty on Torch

"A clear invitation to families to join all God's people to hear the stories of the most important days of the year and to celebrate the sacrament that was introduced on that night is needed.  It also helps to include children in some way in leadership." Carolyn C. Brown on Worshiping with Children

"Blessed are you, Lord our God, Creator of the Universe. Through your work, all things were made, and by your goodness we have this food to share. Blessed be God forever. Amen." Service Outline by Rhonda Brink on Reformed Worship

"Jesus, eating a final supper with his friends, blessed and broke bread and poured out a cup of wine, sharing these tokens with them as a confirmation of the life he had lived and a sign of what was to come." Pat Bennett on Global Worship 

"It is right for the psalmist [in 116] to lavishly praise God who spared his life and makes good on his promise to deliver, redeem, and bring out those who are facing death. But what of the timing of this psalm—Maundy Thursday? Is it right to allow for such unadulterated joy given that Good Friday lies in the wait? Actually, yes. . . . This psalm speaks to the radical trust we can put in a God who is unceasingly mindful of us and sees our tears, our stumbling, and the death that seeks us out." Danny Quanstrom on A Plain Account

Find more sermon ideas for Maundy Thursday on Zeteosearch.org.