Thursday Afternoon 4.5.2026

     I like to listen to music when I work. I have become very fond of some contemporary “classical” composers, (Arvo Pärt, Max Richter), listen to a lot of J.S. Bach, and spin a little Jazz for a change of pace. And of course, I occasionally play the music of my youth. The playlist feature on Spotify also offers an interesting thematic twist. I have a specific playlist for Monday morning. It consists of a few classic rock-pop songs that…all include the word Monday.  I also will listen to Moody Blues Days of Future Passed on Tuesdays because (you may not know this) it is an entire album set on a Tuesday, the central tune being Tuesday Afternoon. Just another way to order my workday. Incidentally, all other workdays begin with Max Richter’s The Blue Notebooks and A Winged Victory for the Sullen’s self-titled debut.

    So here it is Thursday of Holy Week. Maundy Thursday. How can this day, a day which focuses on both betrayal and loyalty, a day which is suspended between the central memorial of the Old Covenant and the defining memorial of the New Covenant be framed? What attitude, emotion, or aspect should we have when we consider the coming cross? What should be on our mind as we move toward Thursday afternoon?

    For Jesus, His public teaching ministry was over. He has been acclaimed and anointed. He has been in near constant motion and ongoing debate for days. All that is past. He has a few more hours of freedom and He wished to spend that traditional night with His closest companions, those whom He has trained, those who formed His embryonic Church. 

 “Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”  He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.” (Matthew 26:17-19 ESV)

 I don’t know how early in the day this conversation occurred. My guess is that it was pretty early. Maybe right after breakfast. I’m sure that there were several men and probably some women who helped to prepare, what was a large banquet. There were more groceries to get besides the lamb. I’ve never roasted a lamb, but experience suggests that you don’t just throw them in the oven with no prior thought of how to do so. Like our culture’s preparing the Thanksgiving turkey, I’m sure that there were differing opinions as to both proper and tasty preparation of the Passover feast. Jesus sent His emissaries, they prepared the feast, Jesus waited. 

    At some point on that long Thursday afternoon, I’m sure that Jesus considered how different that Thursday afternoon would be from all others, before or since. We may set aside a time of reflective worship on Maundy Thursday, we may prolong our stay around the Lord’s Table on this night, but our experience this Thursday afternoon, will be nothing like that Thursday afternoon spent by the King of Glory waiting the gathering of the faithful and the dereliction of Judas. 

    Monday’s may be manic, but we don’t expect them to be world changing. That Thursday and the days to come, those days we now call holy week changed everything for everyone. We read nothing about what occurred between the giving of instructions for preparation and the gathering to feast. Perhaps, one day when we have gone to our reward, we will have the chance to ask our Lord and Savior, the Lamb of God what He was doing and what were His thoughts on that long, Thursday afternoon while all creation waited for the other shoe to drop.