The Last Supper

Day 44

Holy Week – Maundy Thursday

Matthew 26:17-75
Mark 14:12-72
Luke 22:1-62

Meals play an important role in the Bible. God shared a meal with Abraham. Israel’s redemption from Egypt involved a meal and God gave them an annual covenant meal to observe in remembrance of that event: Passover. In the life of Jesus we find Him eating with both tax gatherers and Pharisees. Three of Jesus’ post resurrection appearances involve meals. And now that Jesus is only a few hours away from His passion, He desires to share a meal with His disciples: The Last Supper.

The meal was prepared in the Upper Room near Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Certainly the table in the Upper Room was not as Leonardo da Vinci depicts in his famous painting of The Last Supper, but rather was a low seated three sided triclinium.

With a little bit of detective work I can make a calculated guess as to where four of the people at the Last Supper were seated. Jesus would certainly been at the seat of honor which is the second one in on the left side (as seen in the picture.) We know that John would have been on Jesus’ right because we are told that he leaned upon Jesus and at a triclinium you rested on your left side. I have reason to believe that Judas was seated on the left side of Jesus because we are told that Jesus gave Judas a sop and we are also told that Jesus indicated to Judas that He knew that it was him who would betray Him, and this was apparently done without the other disciples being aware of it (this being so, it would mean that Jesus leaned upon His betrayer at the Last Supper!). Furthermore, I suspect that Peter was seated opposite John (at the far right), because Peter was able to signal to John to ask Jesus who the betrayer was. There is also evidence that Peter was the last one to have his feet washed by Jesus, and the outside seat on the right is the last seat. Did you get all that?

When Jesus sent two disciples to prepare the Passover in the Upper Room, He remarked, “My time is at hand.” Indeed within a few hours Jesus would be sweating blood in Gethsemane and would soon thereafter be arrested. I am amazed at how calm Jesus is at the Last Supper.

Pay close attention to what Jesus does during the meal when He establishes the sacrament of communion. Jesus took bread, blessed bread, broke bread and gave bread. This pattern is repeated over and over by Jesus. You see it at the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, at the Last Supper and at the post resurrection meal in Emmaus (this may have been how Cleopas and the other disciple recognized Jesus).

This pattern of Jesus is repeated in His dealings with us. He takes us, blesses, breaks us and gives us. I know we don’t like the breaking part, but we cannot be a blessing to others until we are broken.

While Jesus was sitting at the table with His disciples, He said…

With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

Oh, the poignancy of this moment! Jesus is about to enter His suffering — suffering beyond knowing — and His fervent desire is to share one last meal with His disciples.

Now be an unseen disciple in the Upper Room and see Jesus with bread and wine saying…

This is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me. This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

What a holy moment.

Finally Jesus says this…

I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.

Remember that Jesus shared a meal with His disciples three times following His resurrection. What does that mean? It means that with the resurrection of Jesus the Kingdom has come. So when we share in the Lord’s Supper (as we will Friday night), we not only memorialize the Lord’s death, we also declare that the Kingdom of God has come among us.

Hallelujah!

BZ

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Song for the day…

The Sacrifice Lamb
Joel Chernoff

Have you ever heard Messiah has come?
It says in His Word to cleanse every one
Atonement He made iniquity bore
That we can find life in Him evermore

The Sacrifice Lamb has been slain
His blood on the alter a stain
To wipe away guilt and pain
To bring hope eternal
Salvation has come to the world
God’s only Son to the world
Jesus the one for the world
Yeshua is He

The prophets of old speak much of Messiah
His death is foretold the purpose is clear
Isaiah did say ’twas for an atonement
To give us a way that leads not to death

The Sacrifice Lamb has been slain
His blood on the alter a stain
To wipe away guilt and pain
To bring hope eternal
Salvation has come to the world
God’s only Son to the world
Jesus the one for the world
Yeshua is He

So brothers of mine look not to yourselves
For we are but one we all need His help
We’ve broken the Law but He paid our debt
That we can find life by Yeshua’s death

The Sacrifice Lamb has been slain
His Blood on the alter a stain
To wipe away guilt and pain
To bring hope eternal
So final atonement has come
And brought us new hope by God’s Son
If you will believe in your heart
Yeshua you’ll know