Extreme Thursday

Last night was a night of extremes.

Extreme humility. As Jesus, the Messiah, got up from the table during dinner with his followers, his friends, grabbed a towel and some water and began washing their feet.

This seems a strange act to do these days, but remember these guys walked everywhere, and they walked everywhere wearing sandals. The dust and dirt from the roads mix with the sweat of their toughened feet. This was a nasty job. And yet Jesus stoops down to serve his friends. He loves them. He cares for their needs, not just their spiritual needs, but their physical needs and their emotional needs.

It is a night of extreme significance. As Jesus, the Son of God, takes and old tradition and translates it into a loaded memorial. He takes bread and breaks it and shares it and tells them 'this is my body'. He takes a cup of wine and shares it saying 'this is my blood'. Eat and drink in remembrance of me. For centuries theologians have wrestled over the meaning of this mysterious act. A simple meal with enormous significance.

Extreme emotion. After dinner they walk to a nearby garden and Jesus goes alone to pray. He knows what is required of him over the next twenty-four hours. He knows he was born to die so that God and humankind can be reconciled to one another. He has read the prophecies. In his heart he is willing but... he's a man. Any man in that position would be tempted to run and hide; to escape in the night, flee the country and live a happy life as a carpenter elsewhere. But he stays. The stress and terror of knowing he'll die tomorrow sends his heart racing; his blood pressure soaring to point it bursts blood vessels in his head and, mixed with the cold sweat of excruciating anxiety, Jesus sweats blood.

The emotional trauma doesn't stop there because Judas, one of the twelve guys he had spent every day for the past three years with, comes to find him. He is leading the soldiers, who will arrest Jesus, right to him. And to signal which one the soldiers want, Judas kisses Jesus. A sign of love inflicting a wound so deep.

There are now Extreme Political Circumstances. The religious leaders take Jesus and put him on trial. Though none of the false witnesses they bring in can pin anything on the faultless Nazarene rabbi they eventually ask him plainly: Are you the Son of God?

I AM

He told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

They didn't believe him. The politics of the time meant Jesus was dragged from trial to trial in front of differing parties and authorities. Eventually the Roman Governor gave the death sentence. He was schedule for Crucifixion at 9:00am.