Week 27: Just Another Manic Maundy
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:17
Live long enough and they call you. I received one this week. A phone call from a former student. You receive them too, no doubt. The joy of Christian Education is that your former students remind you of how God used you in their life. “You challenged me to read the Bible holistically” or, “I really began to question my faith, and as a result became a believer.” Those are the best. The resurrection of Christ makes Christian Education a powerful ministry.
It’s resurrection week, and what better time to remind ourselves concerning the gospel message. The resurrection is why Northpoint exists! When the community gathered 50 years ago to begin this ministry, the goal was to have a place to biblically educate our children. As a result, Northpoint would be a conduit for sharing the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, conquered death, rose again, and is returning. This would be a place where minds were stirred and lives were eternally changed.
Because we have been blessed to teach here, we have nothing to be ashamed of when we talk of the gospel. If you have taught in other public venues, you hear the common refrain, “Well, I hope by what I hinted at I opened the door…” or, “If they come talk to me then I can share, but…” but you don’t have tiptoe here. That’s not who we are. Do you fathom the great privilege you have to openly and freely share the gospel?
Since it is Easter week the gospel should be front and center of teaching. Traditionally believers from all walks Christianity have celebrated an entire week surrounding, and leading up to, the resurrection. It is called holy week. The word “holy” is employed because it conveys a time set apart, set aside, or consecrated. Sometimes we think of Easter as one day. The early believers thought of it as an entire week.
First, there’s Palm Sunday that starts the week. This is the Sunday before Easter that remembers Jesus entering Jerusalem and palm branches being thrown down. There’s holy Monday (Celebrating the withering of the fruit tree in Matthew 21), holy Tuesday (commemorating the parable of the Ten Virgins), and holy Wednesday (remembering the betrayal of Jesus). Each day has a different theme surrounding what Jesus did during the week of his death. Finally, there’s Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Maundy is a Latin word that means “command” and the day is usually spent remembering Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. He commanded them at the supper to, “love one another”, so the Maundy (command) is remembered on this day. Then there’s Good Friday, when many denominations focus on the good news that Jesus died for our sins. Finally, we are led to Sunday, where we rejoice over the resurrection. There is so much that I never grew up observing. How about you? Maybe to you it’s just another manic Maundy? Wish it was Sunday? Well, maybe this encourages you to focus all week.
It really depends on what tradition you are (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Methodist, or Southern Fried Baptist) as to what you focus on, but the point is that it can be good to take the week and think of what Jesus did on his way to the cross. I believe it is good for our souls to pause during holy week and emphasize the gospel. I challenge you to take what’s left of this week and in some way emphasize the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to students.
There are students who need to hear this truth again. My children tell me of their lost classmates. They often say, “They’ve heard the gospel. They are sick of hearing it.” “Well, who cares” I say. “I’m sick of hearing a lot of things (car commercials for example) but they keep running them.” I need repetition, and I need to hear things over and over again. I forget. They forget. Just speak the truth in love and trust God.
Remember that which centers our faith: the resurrection. As Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is vain (1 Corinthians 15:14).” How will you teach this glorious truth?
Discussion Questions:
Can you share examples of students coming to faith in Christ through this teaching ministry?
How can teachers in fields other than Bible class share the gospel?
What should be our stance when students seem apathetic to the gospel?
