Go! And Remember the Lamb - Maundy Thursday Communion Sermon
Introduction: A Night to Remember
Church, tonight is not just another Thursday evening. Tonight is a holy moment—a sacred pause in the middle of the Passion Week. It is Maundy Thursday, the evening Jesus gathered with His disciples, washed their feet, broke bread, and spoke words that would echo into eternity.
Tonight, our call is simple yet profound: Go! And Remember the Lamb.
I. Go! And Receive the Humility of Christ
John 13:3–5 (NLT): “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.”
Jesus, fully aware of His divine authority, chooses not to demand honour—but to kneel and wash. The Greek word for “wash” here is ??pt? (nipto), used for ritual cleansing—yet the one doing the cleansing is the one who is cleanest of all.
This is the King of Glory, on His knees, scrubbing the dust from the feet of those who would soon deny Him, doubt Him, and abandon Him.
What does true greatness look like? It looks like a towel, not a throne.
It looks like serving, not being served.
We cannot come to the Lord’s Table tonight with pride. We come with washed feet and open hearts, ready to serve others in the same humility Christ displayed.
Author and Preacher Francis Chan said “God’s definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love.”
Church, let’s allow that truth to settle deep within us tonight. God isn’t impressed by our titles, our bank balances, our Instagram followers, or how many Bible studies we attend. His standard is simple—love. Not sentimental, shallow, feel-good love. No—agape love. Sacrificial, servant-hearted, Christ-reflecting love.
It’s not how loud we sing, how eloquently we pray, or how many good deeds we stack up—it’s how well we love one another.
Jesus said it clearly in John 13:35: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
So tonight, as we come to the Lord’s Table, let us remember: the One who gave His body and blood for us is the same One who calls us to lay down our lives for others. Love isn’t optional in the Christian life—it’s the very evidence that Christ lives in us.
II. Go! And Remember the Blood That Was Shed
Luke 22:19–20 (NLT): “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.’”
This is the moment Jesus gives new meaning to the Passover. The cup He mentions—the new covenant—points us back to Jeremiah 31:31–34, where God promised a new relationship sealed not by law but by love, written not on tablets of stone but on hearts.
The Greek word d?a???? (diatheke) means "covenant"—a binding promise ratified by sacrifice. This is not a symbol alone—this is a declaration of a spiritual reality.
Hebrews 9:14 (NLT): “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God.”
The blood of Jesus is not a metaphor—it is a cleansing agent for the soul.
Tonight, we remember the blood not only poured out for us, but also in place of us.
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Morality may keep you out of jail, but it takes the blood of Jesus Christ to keep you out of hell.”
Now that’s a statement that stops you in your tracks. Because you see, Church, morality might clean the outside of the cup—it might polish your reputation and earn you the applause of others—but it cannot cleanse the stain of sin from the soul.
The truth is, no amount of good behaviour, no list of noble deeds, no religious routine can rescue a person from eternal separation from God. Only the blood of Jesus can do that. Only His perfect sacrifice on the cross is enough to cover our guilt and secure our salvation.
Morality is good, but it’s not God.
Morality may make you respectable, but it will never make you righteous.
Only the blood of Jesus can transfer us from death to life, from condemnation to freedom, from hell to heaven.
So tonight, let us not boast in our goodness. Let us boast in the cross. Let us remember—it’s not about being good enough, it’s about being washed by the blood of the Lamb.
III. Go! And Behold the Lamb of God
Exodus 12:5–7, 13 (NLT): “The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects… They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes… But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign… When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”
Maundy Thursday is not just a New Testament moment. It reaches all the way back to the Exodus. The Israelites were instructed to use the blood of a spotless lamb—??????? (tamim) in Hebrew—meaning blameless, without flaw.
Fast forward to John 1:29, and we hear John the Baptist cry: “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Jesus is the fulfilment of the Passover.
The Lamb was slain. His blood was applied. And death passed over.
Imagine standing behind that blood-stained doorframe in Egypt. Inside is safety, outside is judgement.
That’s us, church. Standing behind the blood of Jesus. Safe, secure, and saved.
Church, listen to these powerful words from Author and Preacher Tim Keller: “Jesus is the true and better Passover Lamb. He was killed so that the angel of death would pass over us.”
That’s not just poetic theology—it’s Gospel truth!
In the first Passover, the blood of a spotless lamb was painted on doorposts to mark God’s people for protection. But that was only a shadow. Jesus is the substance. His blood doesn’t just cover our doorposts—it cleanses our hearts. The wrath of God passes over us not because we are worthy, but because the Lamb was slain in our place.
So tonight, as we remember Maundy Thursday, we’re not simply looking back to Egypt—we’re looking to Calvary. Because the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world has made the ultimate Passover possible.
Hallelujah! Death has passed over. Grace has arrived. The Lamb has triumphed.
IV. Go! And Love One Another
John 13:34–35 (NLT): “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
This is where the name "Maundy Thursday" comes from—the Latin mandatum novum, meaning "new commandment."
And what is the command? Not just to love as we are able—but to love as He loved.
The Greek word here is ??ap?? (agapao)—sacrificial, unconditional love. This isn’t feelings-based love; it’s cross-shaped love.
To remember the Lamb is to imitate the Lamb. To break bread tonight is not just to reflect—it is to recommit ourselves to agape love in action.
Listen to this profound statement from Author and Preacher John Stott: “The essence of love is self-sacrifice. The essence of sin is self-centredness.”
Church, this cuts to the heart of the Gospel. Jesus didn’t just show love—He became love. And that love was sacrificial. When we look at the cross, we see the selfless act of the Son of God, laying down His life, not for His own benefit, but for ours.
Contrast that with sin, which is fundamentally the opposite. Sin is when we turn in on ourselves—when we live for our own gain, our own pleasure, our own glory. Every sin we commit is an expression of putting self at the centre, whether it’s through pride, greed, anger, or even fear.
But the beauty of the Gospel is this: Jesus’ self-sacrifice is the cure for our self-centredness. He invites us to take up our cross and follow Him, to lose our lives in order to find them. When we love sacrificially, when we live for others, we reflect Christ Himself.
So, if you want to know what real love looks like, look at Jesus on the cross. And if you want to know what sin looks like, look at the ways we turn inward instead of outward. But here’s the good news: He died to free us from that self-centredness.
Gospel Presentation:
Jesus Christ—the sinless Lamb, the humble Servant, the Saviour of the world—came to take our place. He took your sin, your shame, your death, and mine. His blood speaks a better word. His cross builds a better covenant.
If you’ve never surrendered your life to Him—do not leave this moment behind.
The Lamb has been slain. The blood has been shed. Will you trust in Him today?
Application and Call to Action:
Tonight, as we approach the Table of the Lord:
Let us remember the humility of Jesus and humble ourselves.
Let us remember the blood and repent of anything that dishonours it.
Let us remember the Lamb and rejoice in our salvation.
Let us remember the commandment and reflect His love in the world.
Go! And remember the Lamb—not just tonight, but every day.
Go! And live as people redeemed. Go! And love with holy abandon.
Go! And never forget the One who first loved you.
Invitation to Faith:
If tonight the Holy Spirit has stirred your heart—come to the Lamb. Confess your sin. Receive His forgiveness. Put your trust in the One who gave His body and shed His blood for you.
The door is open. The blood has been applied. Will you enter in?
Communion:
Church, as we come to this sacred moment, I invite you to take the emblems before you—the bread and the cup—as symbols of Christ’s body broken for you and His blood shed for your salvation.
Let us approach this table not in mere ritual, but with reverence and gratitude, remembering the incredible price paid on our behalf.
As we partake, may we reflect on His selfless love, His sacrifice, and His invitation to us to walk in the fullness of His grace.
Let these elements remind us of the depths of His love and the new life we have in Him.
Take and eat, take and drink, in remembrance of the Lamb who was slain for you, and let your heart be filled with awe and worship.
End:
As we come to the close of this holy evening, let us leave this place with hearts filled with gratitude and awe, having partaken of the symbols of the body and blood of our Lord.
Tonight, we have remembered His humility, His sacrifice, and His call to love as He loved.
But let us also go from here with a renewed sense of purpose—to love sacrificially, to serve selflessly, and to live in the light of His great love for us.
May the truth of His sacrifice shape every moment of our lives, and may His example of self-giving love empower us to live with greater devotion to Him and to one another.
Now, as we depart, may we go forth with a heart full of praise, knowing that the Lamb has been slain, the victory is won, and we are forever secure in His love. Go in peace, and may His love go with you.
