You're listening to Mountain View Church Audio, Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City Whitehorse UConn. Here's this week's message. When I think about Maundy Thursday and what it means to me, the disciples in that dinner, they had no idea what was coming. They were just having a dinner with their buddies and Jesus. They had no idea what was going to happen that weekend. Jesus knew, but they had no idea. So they're kind of in this blissful ignorance. And when I think about what it must have been like for them at the end of that weekend and everything that happened there and how struck they were by how profound it all was and what it meant for them, I think that's what Maundy Thursday represents to me now.
Before I knew Christ, I knew nothing. I had no idea what was going on. But once I understood what he did for me on that weekend, it is profound and has changed everything for me. Monday, Thursday. You know, there's so much that happens in this evening. It's actually wild. The final instructions that Jesus gives to his disciples, the big reminders, the washing of the feet, the king of the universe bending down and washing filthy feet, the agony that he goes through in the Garden of Gethsemane and how he asks for a different way, but then quickly is obedient to the Father's will. And just all of those things are just so deep and hard to cover in one minute. But I think the biggest thing that stands out to me was...
the forgiveness of sins and all sins. And I think of Judas and the decision that he made to betray Jesus. But Jesus shared bread with him and washed his feet. And he knew that he was going to be betrayed by Judas. And unfortunately, Judas didn't hang on and repent to Jesus. But we know that if he did, Jesus would have forgiven his sins because his grace covers all sins and there are no sins that are too big for Jesus to forgive. What if you knew someone close to you would betray you or close friends deny you and left you alone?
would you still love them the same way? That's not just a question. That's exactly what Jesus faced on the night we call Monday, Thursday. Hi, thanks for being here. Wherever you're watching from, maybe in your home, your room, maybe late at night, or maybe you're just scrolling, I believe this moment matters. My name is Byron, and I serve as the Filipino pastor at Mountain View Church.
And if you're looking for a church community or you simply want to connect with us, I'd love to invite you to visit mountainview.church.com. We would love to connect with you. Today, we remember something sacred. Not just an event, but a moment that reveals the heart of Jesus. Today is Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning command. Because on this night,
Jesus said in John 13, verse 34, You also are to love one another. You see, what makes this powerful is that Jesus didn't just say it in words. He showed it in action. And today, we are not just remembering what happened. We are learning how to live with it. Picture the moment. It's evening in Jerusalem.
And the city is full because it's Passover. Then Jesus gathers with His disciples in an upper room. There's bread. There's wine. But you know what? There's also tension. Because Jesus knows that one will betray Him. The cross is near. And one will deny Him. And all will scatter after. And yet, even He knows all these things, He stays. He leans in. And He loves. My friend,
God's message for us today is entitled, Love That Serves Until The End. You see, when we are pressured, our true nature is revealed. But Jesus shows us something different. And the first thing we see that night is this. Before Jesus speaks a command about love, He gives a picture of love. He shows us that real love begins with humility. A love that humbles itself. It was mentioned in John 13.
John tells us that Jesus, in that room, gets up from the table. And after he gets up from the table, he takes a towel, and then he kneels down and begins to wash his disciples' feet. Now imagine this. In their culture, this was the lowest job. People walk on dusty roads wearing only sandals. Of course, your feet will get dirty. And washing feet was something only a servant will do. So you see, everyone was just observing.
No one volunteered to wash their feet. Maybe they're thinking, no, I'm not going to do that. Oh, no, that's not my role. Maybe they're just saying to themselves, someone else will do it anyway. And they're right. Because no one among the disciples stands up. It was then that Jesus himself stands up. And what happens next? The king becomes a servant. He washed all his disciples' feet, even Judah's feet. So you see, before Jesus carried the cross,
He chose to serve first. And in their culture, this was the lowest task, to serve. But Jesus shows us that real love is not about position. It's about your posture. So probably in your church or in your community or even in your family, you might have seen this kind of love, the love that humbles itself. You might see that this kind of love manifested not on stage that people will see, but in quiet service or maybe hidden service.
Just like people sitting up chairs in your church probably. Preparing the set up for recording like this. Or preparing food in the house. Serving without waiting or expecting any recognition. And that's what exactly Jesus was doing. So how can we apply that? Remember, that's what Jesus is showing to us. That real love doesn't ask, do people see me doing something? Or do people see me serving? No, it won't ask like that. Real love will ask who needs.
Me right now. Who needs my service right now? My friend, maybe right now you feel like you've been overlooked. Maybe you feel that you are unappreciated. Nobody appreciates what you have done. Or maybe you are tired of always giving. Remember this. Nothing you do in love is ever wasted. God sees it all. So, Monday, Thursday does not stop with a towel and a basin. The humility of Jesus leads us to something deeper.
Because you know why? The same Savior who knelt to serve the disciples would soon go to the cross to give himself up. So point one that we have mentioned right now about love gives or being humble shows us the posture of his love. The next point shows us the price of his love. And what's the price of his love? Because Jesus' love is a love that gives sacrificially. That same night, Jesus shared the meal.
With the fossils. But it pointed out to something greater. The cross. It's just a meal, but it's pointing out to the cross. The towel that Jesus bring when He washed the disciples' feet showed His humility. And the cross, the cross, that soon He will be facing, showed His sacrifice. Because whether we like it or not, love always costs something. Love will cost you your time. Love will cost you your comfort and your convenience.
But real love anyway will give it away. That's real love. They don't care about the time, the comfort, the convenience that cost them. They just want to give love away. Some of you are tired from giving. Hear this. Listen carefully. God sees every sacrifice you made in love. And nothing that you surrender to Him is lost. That's why don't be afraid to surrender to Him in everything you have. Because whatever you surrender to God is never lost.
And nothing that you give to Him is ever forgotten. And yet, there is one more layer to this kind of love. Because Jesus did not only love humbly, He did not only love sacrificially, He also loved faithfully. Maybe sometimes we are unfaithful to Him for most of the time. We don't love Him like the way He loved us. But Jesus loved us faithfully and it never changed. His love did not stop when people failed Him. No.
His love goes on. He continues to love us. Even if we fail, even if we sin, He still continues to love us. And that may be the hardest part for us. Not stop loving. Because Jesus' love endures to the end. So using the opening verse of John chapter 13, at the last part of the opening verse, it was mentioned there that He loved them to the end. Imagine. Jesus never stopped loving them. Even He knows everything was in their heart.
Even he knows that they will all fail him in the future, but he loved them to the end. Even knowing that Judas would betray him. And he also knew that Peter would deny him. But still, Jesus loved them. Jesus did not love based on their actions or their performance. He loved because that is his nature. So see, we humans, we open love conditionally. Like, we just love to those people like...
The lovable people or those people that are easy to go along with, we often love them. But Jesus calls us higher, a higher calling which says that we must love even when it's hard, forgive when it hurts, and stay faithful even when it's not returned or even if your love is not reciprocated or no love in return, but still you have to love and to be faithful. So you see, maybe someone hurt you, but remember this.
We don't love because it's easy. We love because Jesus loves you and me first. So now the question becomes very, very personal. The question for you and me. What does this kind of love look like outside the upper room? I mean, what does it look like in real life? In ordinary moments? In your daily life? And mine? How does it look like? Because Monday, Thursday is not just something to admire or to remember. It is something to live by.
We must live to its spirit. We must live to what it showed us, its purpose. So how does this look like today? It may not be an upper room in Jerusalem, but it still looks familiar today. Why? Because today, it looks like a church gathering where people worship together, yes? Or it looks like today, it looks like a family sitting around the table, praying before meal.
Or it looks like a believer at home watching online sermons, preparing communion. Or it looks like someone choosing to serve quietly without recognition. And today, it even looks like forgiving someone who hurt you. Or helping someone who cannot repay you. Loving even when it's difficult. You see, it may not look the same 2,000 years ago, but it carries the same spirit.
And message. And what that message is? Love one another as I have loved you. And today, we don't just talk about that love. We remember it. And we receive it. And we respond to it. Because on that same night, Jesus gave them something to remember Him by. And it's the same for us. Today, we did not only hear His message about love, about that Monday, Thursday.
you also give us something to remember today. If you're joining online, prepare your elements now because today we're doing the communion or the Lord's Supper. That's one of the two things that Jesus asked us to do or to remember Him. To gather together and remember what He did 2,000 years ago with your friends, with your family. So you can prepare if you have it with you now.
A bread or crackers and juice. Then we can pause as you take your elements. And as you take your elements and as we pause, this will be a moment of reflection. So let us pause and reflect. In 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23, it was said that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, you see, he was betrayed and still he gave. What did he give? He took the bread.
And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. You see, Jesus' body was broken so we could be made whole. Take a moment to remember his love. Let's partake the bread together. In the same way also he took a cup after supper saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink in remembrance of me. But Jesus' blood was shed so we could be forgiven. Now as we prepare to drink this cup, examine your heart.
Bring everything to Him. Your problems, your trials, and even your sins, you offer them to Jesus. Bring it all to Him. Let's drink together. Let us pray. Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us to the very end. Thank You for being faithful, Lord. And thank You for Your body and Your blood that You gave us. Teach us to love like You, Lord. Teach us to love with humility. And teach us to sacrifice and to love with faithfulness.
And Lord, let our lives reflect what we have received from you today. In Jesus' name, Amen. So my friends, remember this, love like Jesus, serve humbly, give sacrificially, and remain faithful to the end. Thank you for watching and listening with us here at Mountain View Church. If you want to learn more, just go to our website, mountainview.church.
Or you can subscribe to our YouTube channels and podcasts as you continue your faith journey with us. And just an announcement for everyone. This Friday, which will be a good Friday, we will have two gatherings if you want to come in person. It will be 4 o'clock in the afternoon and the second service will be 6 o'clock in the evening. And then we'll see you again on Easter Sunday, which we'll have three gatherings. 9.30 in the morning, 11 a.m.
and then one in the afternoon, which is 3 p.m. You can register at mountainview.church slash Easter to reserve your seats. And there will be also baptism during Easter Sunday. If anyone of you, from your family or your friends, they will decide to follow Jesus through water baptism, then this Easter Sunday is a good start. For more information about baptism, just visit mountainview.church slash baptism.
And as for our discussion question and prayer focus, my friends, gather together with your family or your friends and then share the same. We ask this question to each one of you and reflect. Ask, who is one person God is calling you to love, serve, or forgive this week? And what will you do about it? And then pray that the Lord will help you love like Him, give you the humility to serve, the grace to forgive.
and the strength to follow through. Again, thank you for watching. God bless.