thursday

yesterday was a rest day, so today is some heavy reading. or skimming. whatever you prefer.
​today we're reading John 13-17. 

read today's text

Today is, if not the most powerful, one of the most powerful and transformative points in the Gospel in my eyes. Today we get to experience Jesus as a brother and a friend.
Growing up, I often saw today as a time to remember Communion. This would have been the day it occurred on. However, I want to settle on the whole night. 

John 13-17 take place in the Upper Room. 

This passage is referred to as the Upper Room Discourse. This is the disciples' final night with Jesus. After spending three years with Him on his ministry watching and listening, they have come to a point in which He knows He is about to die. 
There's something so powerful and moving about this text.
Every year on Maundy Thursday, I become more and more in love with the intentionality of the Father. I get so emotional thinking about it, and am honestly emotional writing about this. Jesus tells them not only that they are about to betray Him, but they are about to deny Him. I cannot even imagine the distress in His voice when He predicts this, and I really can't imagine what listening to Jesus say these words must have been like.

After spending three years with Jesus, He expects them to disrespect Him like that?

He does. And yet, He keeps talking. He begins to comfort them; reminding them that even though He knows their inevitable failures and mistakes that He still offers a place for them (and us). He promises them the gift of the Holy Spirit; reminding them that He came to us for a reason. He reminds us that our goal in life is not to stay here forever, but to be reunited with the Father; and that is why He came to us. He continues on with these teachings, these final teachings that He hopes will remain on the disciples hearts. He continues reminding them that although this time will ensue grief, our grief will turn into joy.  

And then, He prays. 

I imagine at this time, Jesus had made his way into the Garden. He begins praying.
This prayer reveals the utmost love for His disciples and for all of us today. Why?
Imagine the Savior of the world, on His knees, praying for our hearts today. In his kindness, knowing the amount of betrayal, denial, pain, suffering, and eventually death He is about to endure: He prays for us. He prays that we will experience the same love that the Father had for Him, long before we even existed.
Jesus as a brother and friend. 
Jesus praying for us as if we are his long lost friends, that we may find Him and know Him again. 

Fortunately and unfortunately, this isn't the end of the story. 

Just as Jesus had predicted, He is found in the Garden by his betrayer: Judas. 
Found, arrested, and taken. 
This story is a reminder that no matter how much love God has for us, we will still fall short.
We will still sin. 
We will still betray Him. 
We will still deny Him. 
And yet, the story continues.