“Do You Understand What I
Have Done For You?”
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen. We continue our Lenten sermon series, “Questions at the Cross,” with a
question Jesus asked the disciples at their Last Supper in the Upper Room on the
first Maundy Thursday. As recorded in the evening’s Gospel Reading, after
washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus asks them, “Do you understand what I have
done for you?” We consider this question in three parts: Do you understand what Jesus has done for you by his sacrifice on the
cross? Do you understand what Jesus has done by washing the disciples’ feet? Do you understand what Jesus has done for you in the Sacrament of Holy
Communion? “Do you understand what I have done for you?” In Romans we are
sternly warned, “The wages of sin is death.” Because of our sin, we all deserve
death here on earth, and eternal damnation in hell. Because God is holy, he
cannot simply overlook our sin. Because God is just, the punishment for
sin must be paid, in full. The Lord told Moses, “No one may see me and live.” It
was impossible for us sinful, fallen humans to ever have communion with the
holy, almighty God. But, God’s love found a way. For, God is not only holy and just, he is
also loving and merciful. In his love and mercy, he gave his only-begotten Son,
to suffer the punishment we deserve, to pay for our sin in our place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” Jesus bore your sins for
you, in his body on the cross. He himself was perfectly holy, without sin. But,
he took your sins upon himself. On the cross he suffered and died, executed as a
punishment for the sins of the whole world, by his suffering and death, paying
for you, in your place, the wages of your sin. Easter is not just a spring holiday. Easter means your sins are all
forgiven, and you will live forever in heaven. Because, the resurrection of
Jesus is God the Father’s way of proclaiming to the world, “I have accepted my
Son’s sacrifice in your place, as payment in full for all your sins. For his
sake I forgive you, for his sake I will welcome you into your heavenly home.” “Do you understand what I have done for you?” On the first Maundy
Thursday, our Lord gave the disciples and us a practical lesson in Christian
humility, and putting Christian love into action. It was the custom in those
days, when most people traveled by foot along dusty paths, and their shoes were
only sandals or thongs, for the lowest servant of the household to wash the feet
of guests. But, Jesus is not a lowly servant. He is the master, he is the
Lord, he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Yet, like a lowly servant, he
wraps a towel around his waist, takes a basin of water, and one by one washes
the disciples’ feet. Paul writes in Philippians: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit, but in humility consider others above yourselves. Each of you should
look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who being in very nature
God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited, but made
himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” When Jesus finished he said to the disciples, “You call me master and
Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and master,
have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you
an example, that you should do as I have done for you . . . a new command I give
you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By
this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” “Do you understand what I done for you?” Jesus washing his disciples’
feet is a practical lesson for you in Christian humility, and putting Christian
love into action. Just as Christ humbled himself, and considered others above
himself, we must have the same attitude. Not selfish or conceited, but serving
one another in love, putting Christ’s love into practical action. That does not necessarily mean literally washing each other’s feet,
although I can think of many times when Christ’s love would have us do exactly
that. Caring for a sick loved one; helping an invalid; bathing a child or baby. I never imagined that the day would come when I would give my own
father a bath. But, when he was sick and helpless, I bathed him many times. I
cherish the memory of bathing my father for the last time in his life the
morning of the day he died. “Now that I your Lord and Master have washed your
feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have sent you an example, that
you should do as I have done for you.” “Do you understand what I done for you?” Do you understand what Jesus
has done for you in the Sacrament of Holy Communion? Actually, that is a trick
question, because Holy Communion is something no one on earth can truly
understand, if that means comprehending fully the mystery of Christ’s body and
blood, in, with, and under the bread and wine. We cannot comprehend it, but nevertheless we believe it. We trust
our Savior’s promise, “This is my body, which is given for you . . . this
is my blood, which is shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” The book of Hebrews puts it this way: “Now faith is being sure of what
we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” With our physical senses,
we do not see, or feel, or taste body and blood, only bread and wine. Yet, by
faith we trust Christ’s promise, and believe his very body and blood are also
really, physically present, with the bread and wine. That’s what faith actually
is, being certain of what we do not see, because we trust God’s word. “This do in remembrance of me.” This Holy Supper is a remembrance, a
reminder of our Lord’s death, his body and blood given and shed on the cross for
you, for the forgiveness of all your sins. As Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “For
as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s
death, until he comes.” In the Old Testament, the Passover festival was a reminder of God’s old
covenant, his promise to one day send the Savior. At the final Passover, Christ
the promised Savior transformed for us the Passover meal of the Old Testament
into a sacred ordinance of the New Testament. A reminder of God’s new covenant,
the Good News that he has fulfilled his promise, and sent his Son to be the
Savior of the world. That’s what Jesus means when he says, “This is the new covenant in my
blood.” Every time you partake of Holy Communion, God is reaffirming to you
personally his pledge of salvation, his covenant to forgive all your sins, and
bring you into his heavenly kingdom. Every time you eat and drink at the Lord’s table here, it is a promise
from your divine Host that one day you will eat and drink at his heavenly table,
in the hereafter. As one of our hymns says, “Approach ye then with faithful
heart sincere, and take the pledges of salvation here.” Do you understand what Jesus has done for you by his sacrifice on the
cross? On the cross Jesus earned your salvation, a place for you in heaven. Do you understand what Jesus has done by washing the disciples’ feet?
By washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus set you an example, a practical lesson in
Christian humility, and putting Christian love into action. Do you understand what Jesus has done for you in the Sacrament of Holy
Communion? In this Sacrament, Jesus gives you a lasting testimony of his love, a
reminder of his sacrifice for you, his very body and blood, to strengthen you in
the true faith unto life everlasting. “Do you understand what I done for you?” Return to Top | Return to Sermons | Home | Email Church Office
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