A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35 NIV).
For believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, this week is the most sacred and important week on the church calendar. Beginning with Palm Sunday, which celebrates the triumphal, yet humble, the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem to observe the Passover, the week includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Churches around the world conduct special services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday to remember Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Less common are Maundy Thursday services that commemorate the Lord’s Supper, or Last Supper, that Jesus observed with His disciples. For those unfamiliar with the term, “maundy,” the word is derived from the Latin word meaning “command.” The above passage is recorded in the Gospel of John as Jesus’ final charge to his disciples during that meal. That charge also applies to all who would follow Jesus throughout history. The distinguishing characteristic that should prevail in all followers of Christ is love. But, not love as the world defines the term; instead, for the believer love is defined in terms of how Jesus loved us–unconditionally, sacrificially, and with a servant’s heart. Love is our greatest tool for sharing the Gospel. The Apostle Paul reminds us that without love we are only “a noisy gong or clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV). There’s nothing attractive about those sounds.
This is why I love the tagline for our month of service: Love Does Because Love Did. If we are to love as Jesus loves us, it involves more than just affection or emotional feelings towards others. It requires us to act. It includes sacrificial service to others and acts of charity. It requires forgiveness, acts of mercy, and extensions of grace. As the old campfire song reminds us, “Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
If your church does not conduct Maundy Thursday services, I cordially invite you to join us this Thursday evening at 6:30 in the LPAC for our Family Worship Night. During this service, we will celebrate the culmination of our Love Does Because Love Did month of service. I am proud of the efforts of the entire LCA community to serve others through a local ministry called Grace Bridge. Come celebrate with us as we worship the Savior who loved us so much that He was willing to carry our sins to the cross, suffer the most excruciating pain imaginable, and ultimately die so that we might live. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
Bill McGee is in his sixth year as Head of School at Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco, Texas. He is a veteran educator who has 40 years of experience serving in public and private schools, including 30 years serving as head of private schools in Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.Legacy Christian Academy is Frisco's preeminent Pre-K through 12 Christian school committed to educating students in a college preparatory environment balanced in academics, athletics, and fine arts–all within the context of a biblical worldview. For more information on Legacy, visit our admissions page.