A table set for thirteen. A solemn meal with bread and wine. An ominous prediction. A garden. A desperate prayer. Betrayal. Arrest. Denial. Denial. Denial. The crow of a rooster. The bitter cry of a man in the streets of Jerusalem.
These are the events of Maundy Thursday. I just returned home from the Service of Shadows at my church where we listened to the narrative and watched the room become more and more dim with each dark detail. It was our sin that weighed so heavily upon Jesus that night as he prayed for the will of his Father to be done. We will never know the "fearful weight of [his] true obedience," but we can prayerfully sing these words:
Your will be done, my God and Father
As in Heaven, so on Earth
My heart is drawn to self-exalting
Help me seek Your kingdom first
As Jesus walked, so I shall walk
Held by Your same unchanging love
Be still my soul, O lift your voice and pray
"Father, not my will but Yours be done"
How in that Garden He persisted
I may never fully know
The fearful weight of true obedience
It was held by Him alone
What wondrous faith to bear that cross
To bear my sin, what wondrous love
My hope was sure, when there my Saviour prayed
"Father, not my will but Yours be done"
When I am lost, when I am broken
In the night of fear and doubt
Still, I will trust in my good Father
Yes, to one great King I bow
As Jesus rose, so I shall rise
In ransomed glory at the throne
My heart restored, with all Your saints I sing
"Father, not my will but Yours be done"
As we go forth, our God and Father
Lead us daily in the fight
That all the world might see Your glory
And Your Name be lifted high
And in the Name we overcome
For You shall see us safely home
Now as Your church, we lift our voice and pray
"Father, not my will but Yours be done"
Maundy Thursday Reading:
Matthew 26:17-25
Mark 14:12-72
Luke 22:7-62
John 13:1-38
Comments