Maundy Thursday

As Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, he did not come to abolish the OT scriptures, but to fulfill it. We see this truth illustrated in verses 12-26.

Jesus sent some of his disciples ahead into Jerusalem to prepare for the Passover. They didn't have to make reservations; Jesus gave them directions to find a fully-furnished room. The disciples still had to prepare the meal. Not everything was handed to them. I think this is how God works sometimes. He gives us just enough support for us to complete the tasks laid out before us, but we're expected to finish the job.

It must have torn Jesus apart when he announced that one of the Twelve would betray him. "For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him" (verse 21a). This is a fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures, not a replacement.

In the midst of the Passover supper, Jesus relabels some of the traditional elements. The unleavened bread becomes his body, and one cup of wine becomes his blood. Again, Jesus is a fulfillment of the Old Testament, not a replacement.

Surprisingly, right after the meal Jesus and his disciples leave for the Mount of Olives. If they'd stayed inside, Jesus would have been protected. But once he stepped over the threshold, he became like one of the Egyptian firstborn sons. And like an Egyptian son, he paid with his life. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament, he didn't replace it.