I left the Maundy Thursday service in silence tonight. It is a somber, sobering experience to walk away from the sanctuary of God without a sound. Silence forces me to spend time alone with my thoughts.
These thoughts center on the last meal that the disciples shared with Jesus. He spoke of service, and love and the disciples worked through the tension and sorrow in the room to try to understand Jesus’ teaching.
Across town, the religious leaders and teachers of the law were meeting; theirs was not a meeting of silence, but one that was loud and boisterous, as these men created false charges and accusations, which would enable them to arrest Christ. After the Sanhedrin (comprising the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the chief priests) convened, the consensus became “it is better . . . that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50). They failed to recognize the truth of those words. Indeed, Jesus was going to die for all people. At that moment, however, they were simply trying to silence the man.
On that night as the world bellowed and conspired against Jesus, God stayed silent. It’s not the noise of the world we re- member from those many years ago. It’s the silence of Christ, who spent the night in prayer, calling for strength from God to accomplish salvation for all people.
This night, God let the world silence His Word, so three days later, God’s Word would rise from the dead and silence the world.
Photo by Jametlene Reskp
Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.
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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2