Maudy Thursday, Holy Week Family Devotional

Shorter Catechism Questions #138

What does the bread represent?

Christ’s body sacrificed for our sins.

Read John 18:1-11

After Jesus and His disciples finished the Passover Feast, they went to a garden to pray. Judas was one of Christ’s disciples, but he had betrayed Jesus. He had left quietly to go and tell the Jewish leaders where Jesus was in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. But none of this surprised God. He was in control of all things.

While Jesus and His disciples were in the garden, Judas came with a group of soldiers and officers. They had torches and weapons. Jesus knew why they were there. He went to them and asked them who they were looking for. They said Jesus. Jesus answered, “I am He.” In those three words, Jesus told who He was, but he also told them that He was the only Son of God. It says that when Jesus said those words, the soldiers fell to the ground. Jesus’ words were that powerful!

Then Jesus surrendered himself. But Peter, his disciple, became scared. He felt out of control. Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of a servant. Jesus immediately stepped forward. In the book of Luke it says He touched the servant’s ear, and it grew back. Jesus rebuked Peter because He knew it was time for His sacrifice for our freedom. Jesus understood that His surrender meant we would be free to know God’s love for us.

· Describe a time when you felt out of control. How did it make you feel?

· How do you think Jesus felt when He saw Judas and the soldiers?

· How do you think Peter and the soldiers felt when they saw Jesus heal the servant’s ear?

· How does it make you feel to know that Jesus willingly sacrificed himself so that you could know God’s love?

· Thank God for sending us Jesus. Thank Him that Jesus was willing to surrender himself so that we would never have to be in bondage.

Sing verse 1 of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”

Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above; praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love.

Robert Robinson, 1758