Mark 14:12-26

Maundy Thursday | March 28, 2024 | Mark 14:12-26 | David H. Brooks |

On a recent commercial for the financial services firm Nerdwallet, a “Future You” was complaining about how “You” were always making her life hard.  Nerdwallet wants you to buy something now to help “Future You,” but the idea that what you choose to do now will help or hinder the future you is a powerful one, for the choices you make now can help the you of the future save time, be healthy, and achieve other worthwhile goals.

God also cares about the future you. Over these weeks of Lent, we have been guided by the Servant Songs of Isaiah, those four poetic descriptions of the Servant of God who, under God’s hand, establishes justice, brings light and salvation to the nations, teaches the ways of God to those prone to wander, and provides healing to those wounded by sin and iniquity—in other words, us. Isaiah saw a future where his people would be blessed, redeemed, restored. In his songs, Isaiah reaffirmed that the Lord God had not forgotten his people.

I say it again: God cares about the future you. Mark says that this night occurred on the day “customary” to sacrificing the Passover lamb, a reminder to us that the events we are about to recall and celebrate are rooted in a far older work of God to secure the future for his people. Long ago, Joseph went down to Egypt in bondage—surely a disaster for his future self! —but, as he would assure his brothers when they were reunited in the midst of a terrible famine, “do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Gen. 45:5). Israel went down to Egypt, and this night is the reminder to all those who call upon the name of the Lord that God kept his promise to Abraham by bringing Abraham’s children out of bondage to give to them a land flowing with milk and honey.

We hear this story from Mark, the beginning portions of his account of the Passion, and in it we encounter all the things we fear about our future selves: will someone near to us betray, abandon, disappoint us? Will we prove to be clueless, faithless, worthless? Will we be helpless, friendless, Godless? Our future selves seem beyond help.

But God, in measureless love, moves to secure the future for us. In discussing Isaiah’s Servant Songs, we have celebrated how Isaiah’s future hope is our present reality. But there is another song, a new song: in Revelation 5 the Church is gathered, praising God and singing the song of triumph for the Lion of Judah that is the Lamb that was slain. John gives us a song for our future selves, a song full of victory and joy. Tonight, God provides the Passover lamb, for He is doing as he has always done, caring for us in all times and in all places. So let us give our future selves a gift: look on the Son who has come to serve! Listen to his word of truth and grace! Learn from him how to walk as a people redeemed by God! Lift him up in your daily life! And get ready to sing the new song of celebration.

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Pastor Dave Brooks

Raleigh, NC USA

Pr.Dave.Brooks@zoho.com