Happy Maundy Thursday!
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, April 1, 2026 (Donate)
Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter that
commemorates the final evening Jesus Christ spent with His disciples prior to
His crucifixion. The name comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning
“commandment,” which refers to Jesus’ words in John 13:34 (NKJV), “A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you.”
Maundy Thursday isn't regarded as a biblically
mandated holy day but rather as a historical remembrance of events recorded in
Scripture, especially those surrounding Christ’s final Passover meal
with His disciples (based on Exodus 12:11).
Friday began at sunset in the Jewish (and many ancient
calendars), what we call Thursday evening. We start our next day a little later
at midnight. So, the significant and important part of what we call Maundy
Thursday was actually part of Good Friday by ancient customs.
Nevertheless, on this evening, Jesus shared the Passover meal
with His disciples being that it was the first day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread (Mark 14:12). During which, He instituted the Lord’s
Supper by using bread and wine to symbolize His body and blood given for
sinners, as recorded in Matthew 26:26–28. The Lord’s Supper itself is a
continuing ordinance, but the day commemorating its institution is not
prescribed or mandated.
Christ also demonstrated humility and servant leadership by
washing the disciples’ feet, teaching them to serve one another. Maundy
Thursday commemorates Christ’s work—like His humility and love demonstrated
in His final acts before His crucifixion.
After the meal, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane,
where He prayed in deep anguish as He prepared for the suffering that would
culminate in His arrest later that night and finally His crucifixion. Maundy
Thursday therefore marks the transition from Christ’s public ministry to
His sacrificial death. His love, humility, and obedience, on Maundy Thursday
into Good Friday.
May God bless you during this holy time!
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing
evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as
a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers
News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science
was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one
year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and
scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over
25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
