Holy Week – Thursday

Thursday of Holy Week — and things are getting deeply personal now. Jesus isn’t flipping tables or teaching crowds today… He’s gathering His people, preparing them for what’s to come, and showing them — and us — what real love looks like.

This is the day of the Last Supper. The foot-washing. The prayer in the garden. The final moments of peace before the chaos begins.

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
— John 13:14 (NKJV)

On the night before the cross, Jesus didn’t grab a throne… He grabbed a towel.

He didn’t come to be served — He came to serve. And He did it in the most humbling way possible: kneeling down and washing the dirty feet of His disciples, including Judas, who He knew had already betrayed Him.

Let that sink in for a moment.
Jesus washed the feet of the one who would stab Him in the back.
He served with no strings attached.
That’s not just love — that’s divine love.

Jesus, knowing that it was Judas who betrayed him, not only had washed him feet, it is simply amazing how he also had a seat at the table in the first place. If you have a “Judas” somewhere in your life, just remember… Judas ate too. And not only did he have a place at the table, Jesus washed his feet too.

So today, on Towel Thursday, we ask ourselves:
Are we willing to pick up the towel too?

At Emmanuel Nazarene, I see towel-bearers every week — people loving, serving, praying, giving, helping behind the scenes. You might not always get a spotlight, but in the Kingdom of God, towels matter more than titles. And I’m proud to pastor a church full of servants with big hearts.

“Towel Thursday”

-Who is God calling me to serve this week?
– Am I willing to love even when it’s hard or uncomfortable?
– What does it look like to pick up the towel in my everyday life?

Prayer for Today:
“Lord, thank You for being the kind of King who kneels. Teach me to serve with humility, to love without limits, and to lead by example. Help me pick up the towel — at home, at church, in my community — just like You did. Thank You for the Emmanuel Nazarene family, where Your servant-hearted Spirit is alive and moving. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Let’s live like Jesus today — not chasing power, but pouring it out. Not looking to be lifted up, but to lift others. That’s what Holy Thursday is all about.

So grab your towel — let’s go serve like our Savior.

Blessings!
Pastor Jonathan W. Pannell III