Prayer Prompts
What is Maundy Thursday
Several traditions within the Christian Church celebrate Maundy Thursday. The Latin word “maundy” can be translated as “command,” reminding followers of Jesus that loving God and others is foundational to their lives. Jesus modeled this love throughout His life. He illustrated this love by washing the disciples’ feet during their final meal with Him.
While it is common to celebrate Maundy Thursday with communion and a foot-washing ceremony, this year, DSBC invites you to ponder the incredible love of God demonstrated through Jesus’s loving sacrifice.
Communion and ten “Stations” are available. Start with communion in the auditorium, then follow the prompts through and around the prayer garden. These stations provide physical space for you to meditate on Jesus’s final meal with His followers and follow Him as He suffered on the road to the cross and His death. Jesus’ love for you and me is vividly present through all that He suffered: betrayal, bickering, angry mobs, vicious soldiers, self-serving authorities, and ultimately, death. While it is easy to get lost in the horror Jesus endured, we invite you to accept Jesus’s loving embrace, which made Him willing to endure the cross.
Preparation: Communion
Scripture: Luke 22:14-23
And when the hour came, He reclined at table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. …
And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. …
And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” …
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. But behold, the hand of Him who betrays Me is with Me on the table.
You may want to read the complete passage from your Bible.
Meditation:
Reflect on the disciples’ behavior before and during the Passover meal.
The disciples had accompanied Jesus for his royal entrance into Jerusalem, where he taught, purified the temple, and confronted the religious leaders. They sat at this Passover meal with excited expectations. What do you imagine they were thinking … feeling? Why were they arguing over who was greatest?
Jesus was celebrating the Passover feast with His disciples. Take some bread and juice and eat it as though Jesus is offering it to you.
As you’re eating, think of the heartbreak He must have felt at the betrayal of one of His disciples.
Not only would Judas betray Him, but He also knew that His disciples would soon face confusion and fear, and they would run and hide. Contemplate His sorrow and His compassion for them.
Station 1: Judas’s Betrayal
Matthew 26
Then, one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him. And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.
When the evening of the Passover came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
Judas, his betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”
“You have said it,” Jesus told him.
You may want to read the complete passage from your Bible.
Meditation:
Please read through this selection of passages slowly. As you read, try to imagine the scene unfolding in your mind. Imagine the unnamed sounds, sights, and smells of the Passover table.
What was your first reaction when reading this story? Is there a word or phrase that stands out to you?
Do you wonder if something other than money motivated Judas to betray Jesus?
Have you ever felt the sting of betrayal? If so, how did you respond?
Perhaps there are times when we, in our own way, have turned our backs on Jesus. Can you recall a time in your life when you chose a path other than the way of Jesus? If so, you can be assured that, as a Christ follower who bears His name, He always welcomes us back with open arms, without judgment or shame, as beloved sons and daughters of the King — and He calls us friends.
Station 2: Wait With Me
Luke 22:39-40
And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Matthew 26:36
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
Mark 14:32
They came to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
John 18:1-2
When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
Meditation
A liminal space is a transitional place. The time of communion had been interrupted by betrayal, and now the disciples found themselves in a familiar space of peace and prayer. However, they did not realize that it was also the beginning of their Lord’s Road to the Cross.
As the doors to the Prayer Garden are shut, consider today’s vigil of waiting with Jesus, watching, and praying with Him in His suffering. As you stand here, remember you are participating in a tradition that many generations of faithful Christians worldwide have celebrated.
As you reflect on your journey with Jesus, remember that thousands of Christ’s followers and those still seeking Him around the globe today are on this journey of remembrance with you.
- Imagine what the Disciples might have been thinking as they entered the garden.
- Identify the things you are bringing into this time of reflection.
- Take a few deep breaths and then release them. Imagine Jesus inviting you to wait with Him.
Station 3: Jesus Prays in the Garden
Luke 22:41-44
He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.
Mark 14:33-36
And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”
Meditation
The garden where Jesus went to pray is called Gethsemane. The text says his sweat became like drops of blood. Imagine Jesus’s anguish as he knew what would happen to him. The book of Hebrews reflects on this event, saying…
During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Heb 5:7-9
As you look at the large rock in this garden as a symbol of the place where Jesus prayed, perhaps you want to reach down and touch it and imagine what that night was like.
When someone is suffering, often the only thing we can offer (in addition to our prayers) is our presence. As you reflect on this night, offer God your presence as we remember these events. Perhaps you could open your hands up to God as a symbol of offering your presence to Him.
Jesus invites you to pray with Him: “Not my will, but Yours, O God.”
Station 4: Jesus is Arrested
Luke 22:47-54
While he was still speaking, suddenly a mob came, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” When those around him saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” Then one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.
But Jesus responded, “No more of this!” And touching his ear, he healed him.
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal? Every day while I was with you in the temple, you never laid a hand on me. But this is your hour—and the dominion of darkness.” They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance.
Meditation:
Reread the details and imagine what that night must have been like. Below are prompts you might consider as you enter the scene in your imagination.
- What did it sound like when the mob approached? How far away could the light from their torches be seen?
- Envision the kiss of Judas’s greeting and then the ensuing chaos.
- What do you think Jesus was feeling as he was led away?
- Perhaps you could also envision the scene from the perspective of the man whose ear was cut off and then healed by Jesus. Take a moment to consider what you think his experience might have been like.
- Consider a time when you have been wrongfully accused of something. How does it feel to know Jesus stands in solidarity with you in that painful circumstance?
Station 5: Jesus on Trial
Scripture: John 19: 1-16
Pilate went outside again and said to them, “Look, I’m bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging him.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” When the chief priests and the temple servants saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” Pilate responded, “Take him and crucify him yourselves, since I find no grounds for charging him.” “We have a law,” the Jews replied to him, “and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was more afraid than ever. He went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not give him an answer. So Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?” “You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” From that moment Pilate kept trying to release him. But the Jews shouted, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge’s seat in a place called the Stone Pavement (but in Aramaic, Gabbatha). It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon. Then he told the Jews, “Here is your king!” They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?” “We have no king but Caesar!” the chief priests answered. Then he handed him over to be crucified. Then they took Jesus away.
Meditation
It was a chaotic and physically excruciating evening as charges were first brought up with the former Jewish high priest Annas, who sent him to Caiaphas, the current high priest, who found Jesus guilty of blasphemy because of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God. But because the Jewish leaders had no authority to crucify anyone, they took him to the Roman authorities in the morning. Since the Romans didn’t have a law against blasphemy, the Jewish authorities claimed Jesus was guilty of treason (Jesus’ claim to be the rightful King was a challenge to Caesar’s authority), which was punishable by death.
The trial then moved to the Roman Governor, Pilate, who found Jesus not guilty. But because of the crowds, he sent him to Herod Antipas, the Governor over the jurisdiction of Galilee, where Jesus was from. Herod also found him not guilty and sent him back to Pilate.
Looking into the prayer circle, consider yourself a bystander at the final trial before Pontius Pilate. As you remember Jesus’ physical and emotional state, use all your senses to imagine the scene.
Each Gospel provides an account of the various Trials. Below are the references for further meditation on Jesus’ trials: Matthew 26:57-68, 27:11-26; Mark 14:53-65, 15:1-15; Luke 22:66-71, 23:1-25.
Station 6: Jesus is Beaten
Scripture: Matthew 27:27-31
Then the Governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Governor’s residence and gathered the whole company around him. They stripped him and dressed him in a scarlet robe. They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and placed a staff in his right hand. And they knelt down before him and mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” Then they spat on him, took the staff, and kept hitting him on the head. After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
Meditation
As we reflect on the events of the evening, we will consider several key aspects of the story. Each Gospel story in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John fills in the details, emphasizing different parts of this long night. During Jesus’ second visit to Pilate, his soldiers mercilessly beat and mocked him and performed this crowning ceremony, including a purple robe, a staff, and a crown made of thorns.
As we continue to reflect on that night, consider these verses. (The verses in Isaiah were a prophecy of how Jesus would die, and the verse in 1 Peter is a summary statement about these events.)
I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who tore out my beard. I did not hide my face from scorn and spitting. Isaiah 50:6
But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. Isaiah 53:5
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24
Station 7: Peter Denies Jesus
Scripture: Luke 22:54-62
Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them.
When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.” But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.” After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.” “Man, I am not!” Peter said. About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And Peter went outside and wept bitterly.
Meditation
Let’s consider what happened to Peter earlier in the evening.
Jesus knew Peter would betray him. It was the second time that night that Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples. Can you imagine that in your worst hour of suffering, your closest friends turn their back on you or, worse yet, sell out for a bribe?
The entire day must have been confusing to Peter. As they celebrated Passover, Jesus said something unusual about his body and blood. Then, one of their good friends sold Jesus over to the Jewish authorities. In the garden, Peter is ready with his sword for battle: after all, the Jews had been expecting a Messiah (an anointed one) who would free them from military oppression for years. Peter was ready for the fight and probably confused when Jesus told him to put his sword away. Even after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples still expected a political messiah. Even though they had spent a considerable amount of time with Jesus, they still didn’t completely understand his mission.
What do you imagine Peter is thinking when he is by the fire, reflecting on the events of the day? Can you identify with the thoughts and feelings leading to Peter’s betrayal?
Station 8: Road To Calvary
Luke 23:26-28
As they led him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed him, including women who were mourning and lamenting him. But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children.”
• Galatians 6:2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
• Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth.
• Isaiah 53:4-5 Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.
• Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
• 1 Peter 2:2 When he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.
• 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body.
• Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
• Phil 3:10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death.
Meditation
Pick up a cross as you start your journey with Jesus on the road to the Cross. The Cross is a gift to remind you of the incredible love Jesus has for you.
It is estimated that the distance Jesus needed to carry the cross, made from solid wood, was approximately half a mile from Pilate’s Praetorium to Golgotha. While the entire cross is estimated to be around 300 pounds, the crossbeam itself, which is the part that Jesus was expected to carry, is estimated to be between 70 and 125 pounds. Since crucifixion was a common method of eliminating insurrection, the wood needed for the crossbeam was readily available at the Governor’s palace. The upright posts were usually already fixed in place at the execution site.
As you walk along the path, you will notice verses posted along the way. Take your time and ponder each passage. What does it reveal about God’s love for you and what Jesus was willing to endure to bring you back to Himself?
Station 9: Jesus Nailed To The Cross
Scripture: Luke 23:32-38
Two others—criminals—were also led away to be executed with him. When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.
Then Jesus said (of those who crucified him), “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided his clothes and cast lots.
The people stood watching, and even the leaders were scoffing: “He saved others; let him save himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him. They came offering him sour wine and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”
An inscription was above him: This Is the King of the Jews.
Meditation
In this area, we have a wooden crossbeam and nails, allowing participants to hammer a nail into the beam. What would you nail to the cross? Failure, Sorrow, Self-hatred? Jesus suffered the nails in His hands and feet to set you free, heal you, and restore you.
What the sign said was true —This Is the King of the Jews —and this coronation ceremony was the world’s most horrific way of mocking this truth. They placed a crown on his head, a scepter in his hand, and a royal robe upon him, and lifted him up for all to see, bestowing his title as a symbol of his crime for all to witness. And then… Jesus asked the Father to forgive the people who had done this to Him.
Did you notice there is no mention of them asking for forgiveness? The love of God is the kind “that keeps no record of wrongs” (I Corinthians 13).
What do you think made Jesus pray for the men who were torturing him?
Do you believe Jesus loves you enough to go to Calvary?
Station 10: Jesus Dies On The Cross
Scripture: Matthew 27:45–51
From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink. But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.
Luke 23:47-49
When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify God, saying, “This man really was righteous!”
All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests. But all who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Meditation
As you contemplate this last station where Jesus’ death conquers the power of sin and death, we want you to see his heart for the whole world in this final scene.
No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Notice the various reactions to Jesus’s final death scene.
Where do you find yourself in this scene?
Are you standing with:
• the Centurion
• the crowd
• the women
• or somewhere else
The Easter season offers the Jesus follower the opportunity to reaffirm the centrality of Jesus in all of life. Following Jesus is far more than just the assurance of a future heaven. It is a life formed after the image of Jesus, a life being with Jesus, thinking like Jesus, and loving like Jesus.
May this Easter be a time of deep connection with the God who loves us and longs to be with us.
Meditation to take home
Practice a Lament
In his last hour, Jesus quotes the first line of Psalm 22, a psalm attributed to David. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” It’s a Psalm of lament. The entire Jewish audience that was present would have known that Psalm by heart. After all, no one had their own personal copy of the scriptures. As they meditated together on a passage from one of the scrolls in the synagogue, they simply had to commit it to memory. Perhaps they all recited it together in solidarity with Him after Jesus began and his breath failed as his final minutes approached.
The Roman method of crucifixion was a barbaric practice designed to publicly shame and humiliate anyone who challenged the authority of the Roman Empire. In His humanity, Jesus was able to enter our human experience and be united with us in our earthly bodies, sharing our sorrows, shame, and pain. In His High Priestly prayer in John 17, on the night before he died, He prayed out of His desire for us is that we would all be in union with Him, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always been.
Please take this copy with you and reflect on the anguish and the subsequent hope expressed in this lament. Instructions are attached to guide you in writing your own Psalm of Lament if you choose to do so. It is a unique form of prayer modeled for us in many of the Psalms and throughout the book of Lamentations. Perhaps you could offer your prayer of lament to God this weekend as you contemplate the brokenness of our world, seeking to be in union and solidarity with Him.
Psalm 22 — A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning? My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest. But you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted you; they trusted, and you rescued them. They cried to you and were set free; they trusted in you and were not disgraced. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by people. Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads: “He relies on the LORD; let him save him; let the LORD rescue him, since he takes pleasure in him.” It was you who brought me out of the womb, making me secure at my mother’s breast. I was given over to you at birth; you have been my God from my mother’s womb. Don’t be far from me, because distress is near and there’s no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong ones of Bashan encircle me. They open their mouths against me— lions, mauling and roaring. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You put me into the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people look and stare at me. They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing. But you, LORD, don’t be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me. Rescue my life from the sword, my only life from the power of these dogs. Save me from the lion’s mouth, from the horns of wild oxen. You answered me! I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; I will praise you in the assembly. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! All you descendants of Israel, revere him! For he has not despised or abhorred the torment of the oppressed. He did not hide his face from him but listened when he cried to him for help. I will give praise in the great assembly because of you; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear you. The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before you, for kingship belongs to the LORD; he rules the nations. All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down; all those who go down to the dust will kneel before him— even the one who cannot preserve his life. Their descendants will serve him; the next generation will be told about the Lord. They will come and declare his righteousness; to a people yet to be born they will declare what he has done.