Please Pass the Matzah: The Last Supper
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Introduction
Introduction
The Last Supper is of course the meal that Yeshua held with His disciples on the night before His death.
The actual phrase “the Last Supper” is not found in the Apostolic Scriptures, although Paul refers to the Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor 11:20
Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper,
The Scriptures tell us that the Last Supper was in actual fact a meal in celebration of the Passover event.
Now on the first day of matzah, the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; at your house I am to keep the Passover with My disciples.” ’ ”
Because of the apparent inconsistencies in John’s account, there are some who doubt that the Last Supper was a Passover meal. But in my view the Scriptures are clear in this regard that it was a passover.
If what we call ‘the Last Supper’ was in fact a Passover meal, understanding Passover is important to understanding the context of the Last Supper.
Many of us had passover seders last night perhaps with family and friends, and the conversations and topics that come up at the table on passover are important and telling of what is on our minds and lives.
The themes we discuss and stories we tell are linked to our remembrance of the passover event, God’s deliverance of our forefathers, his deliverance of us, and the future deliverance that awaits.
What we have recorded in the gospels, by God’s soveriegn grace and design, is the account of the conversations that took place at the passover table with Yeshua and the apostles.
We have an opporuntiy adventure into the narrative - prepare for the festival, purify oursevles, sit at the table, and ask ‘please pass the matzah’ as we listen to the conversations of the most important passover meal ever to take place.
Passover
Passover
To better understand the last supper we need to better understand the passover context during the first century.
As we know, the Passover observance is instituted within the exodus story where Adonai brought plagues of increasing severity against Egypt to demonstrate his power and bring about the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery (Exod 1–12).
The Apostolic Scriptures state that Passover was a well-attended festival (e.g., Luke 2:41; John 11:55).
Now the Jewish Passover was near; and many people went up out of the regions to Jerusalem before Passover, to purify themselves.
You can imagine the people all flowing into Jerusalem - and why there? Becuase it says you shall cook and eat it in the place which the Lord your God chooses.
Those invovled appreciate the scrambling to find a place suitable here in Toronto to eat the passover together, can you imaine finding a place in packed Jerusalem! This demonstrates the miracle of the room they found.
He sends two of His disciples and tells them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, tell the homeowner, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples went out, came to the city, and found just what Yeshua had told them. And they prepared the Passover.
According to Josephus, the Passover feast drew great crowds of Jews to Jerusalem (Jewish War 6.420–27), and these large gatherings made the Roman authorities nervous (Antiquities 20.105–107; compare Mark 15:6–15).
The Roman authorities were nervous around Passover because, as you can imagine, it was a time of national fervor of the jewish people. Political events were known to take place during passover.
All sorts of events would happen - a roman solider showed his private parts in the temple and caused a stampede, roman soldiers would get robbed, Samaritans threw human bones in the Temple, and insurrections would be a concern as well.
Passover was a time of deliverance from slavery, and the Jews considered themselves in slavery under Rome.
This may all explain why there was a practice of releasing a prisionder during Passover. Mark 15.6-7
Now during the feast, he used to release to them one prisoner, anyone they were asking for. Now a man named Bar-Abba had been in jail with the rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion.
You can imagine - the great festival of deliverance, where our God did miracles for our nation. Here the entire Jewry from all over has come and are being purified in the mikvaot (ritual baths) that surround the city, temple ready, in Jerusalem, obeying the command to celebrate....this is a time of great anticipation and tension.
This isn’t your standard Canadian city where ‘liberal democracy’ is the mantra - this is a tense environment where Romans are seen as slave masters that we have a strong tension with and they know and we know, that we will only tolerate so much from them, and they the same.
This is important to understand becuase as we sit at the passover table and ask for our fellow freedmen to “please pass the matzah”, these are the unspoken undercurrents that sit at the table with us.
Betrayal
Betrayal
Yes, betryal is a theme we would have heard when we asked - please pass the matzah.
As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, “Amen, I tell you, one of you who is eating with Me will betray Me.”
As they recline in freedom, in memory of being redeemed from slavery by the strong hand of God, here we have Yeshua speaking of being betrayed.
Yeshua is the very image of the invisible God, the radiance of His glory, the exact represntation of His nature, the one who upholds all things by the word of his Power, was the Word in the beginning with God as God, and the ‘alpha and omega’ the “first and the last”.
Yeshua is not the Father, and yet the moment you put one sliver of separation between the authority of the son and the authority of the Father you have dminished both the Father and the son.
And so as we sit at the passover table anticipating our redemption from Rome, by the mighty arm of our God who saves, we listen to our God speaking the message of betrayal as we say ‘please pass the matzah’.
One of only twelve people to have ever existed have been so close to God, and it is one of them that betrays him, and at the passover table at that.
The rejection of Adonai Eloheinu, the One who is mighty to save, is the last thing you expect to hear from the lips of those at the seder.
How could this be?
Amen, I tell you, wherever the Good News is proclaimed in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then Judah from Kriot, one of the Twelve, went out to the ruling kohanim to betray Yeshua to them.
Many don’t realise that these verses record the moment that Judas decided to betray Yeshua. Anybody know the reason?
These verses tell a story that unfoled less than two days before the Passover.
We read that the Kohanim and Soferim were seeking a way to murder Yeshua.
There was a woman that came and annoitned Yeshua with very expensive oil - 300 hundred denarii - do you know how much this is? Almost year’s salary.
The text says Mk 14.4
But some got angry and said among themselves, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor!” And they kept scolding her.
This is the moment when Judas was upset.
Judas saw yeshua as wasting money that could have been better used. He saw his own interpretatino of right and wrong as above the mission of messiah.
Helping the poor is a good thing! Yes! But it doesn’t surpass Yeshua’s mission and honour.
This is a lesson for us - we can be at risk of taking what is a noble desire and we put it above Yeshua’s words, mission and his desire in order to justify our actions.
This Pesach - will you rely on your own notions of what is right, of what you think a godly rabbi should focus on, or will you rely on Yeshua’s words of what his mission and desire is?
Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual Warfare
Contrary to popular opinion, if you stub your toe or if your stomach hurts because you ate too much bean burrito, that is is not considered spiritual attacks or spiritual warefare.
You wouldn’t have heard that at the last supper.
But you would heard real spiritual warfare.
First of all, on the night that we celebrate the defeat of the gods of Egypt, the god of this world, the adversary, seeks to destroy Yeshua and triumph over him.
But second, the god of this world wanted to attack the disciples too.
“Simon, Simon! Indeed, satan has demanded to sift you all like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Many make the mistake of thinking the adversay was small minded - that he only wanted to attack Peter - but the TLV translates it correctly - Satan wanted to attack all the disciples.
Satan wanted to violently shake and test the disciples - his goal is to demonstrate that what remains is good for nothing and to be thrown out like separating the chaff from the wheat. Satan wants to prove the disciples aren’t worthy.
This is real spiritual warefare.
Satan is an enemy but he doesnt have free reign. Satan is on a leash and is only allowed to accomplish what God allows. We don’t know why God allows this but we can be confident it fits God’s purposes and utlimately results in what is good for His people.
What’s the solution to spritual warfare? Prayer + Obedience.
Yeshua’s Prayer is the legal petition to God to limit the scope of Satan’s jurisdiction. Spiritual warefare is primarly a legal battle in the courts of heaven over the jurisdiction of citizens of God’s kingdom.
The second element of spiritual warefare is obedience.
We aren’t called to pray and go our way, we’re called to pray and obey.
Yeshua’s instruction to Peter is to regather himself after his testing, and then to turn and strengthen his brothers. Peter is commanded to obey the call of service to his brothers.
So at the last supper, instead of talking about deliverance from slavery, you would have heard that testing is merely a few hours away!
This testing is not simply ‘spiritual’ in the sense of no physical reality.. Yeshua says to them:
And He said to them, “When I sent you out without a money pouch and travel bag and sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” Then He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money pouch must carry it as well as a travel bag. And whoever does not own a sword must sell his cloak and buy one.
What does Yeshua mean here? While Yeshua was with them, when all was nice, the massess recognized and loved Yeshua, there was no need for the disciples of Yeshuat to worry.
Evyerone who recognized them as with Yeshua would have provided them whatever they needed - because Yeshua was a miracle worker, a famous rabbi.
But when Yeshua is publicly executed as a criminal and marked as a blashpemer, who will want to help those that come in the name of Yeshua?
Yeshua’s point is that when the label of criminal comes upon him, all the help and warm feelings from others would disappear. When the going gets tough everyone vanishes.
The disciples had to be prepared to be on their own and unloved by others - they would be on the defensive.
Yeshua was going to be numbered with the transgressors and the disciples had to be prepared to be numbered as one as well.
But they said, “Master, look here! Two swords!” And He said to them, “It is enough.”
The disciples are of course thinking about deliverance from slavery opa Pharoah style and they want to take swords - fight for the deliverance that comes on Pesach!
But they totally misunderstand Yeshua’s point.
How many of us ask ourselves if we are prepared to be numbered as a transgressor at our seder?! And yet this is what you would have heard at the last supper. Be prepared to be counted as an evildoer worthy of punishment.
An Argument
An Argument
Also as you stretched to grab your matzah across the table you would have heard an argument. Of all things to hear at a pesach meal, would we have expected an argument?
But there was also a quarrel among them about which of them is considered the greatest.
You would have heard an argument about who will be the greatest.
Yeshua’s response to this argument is to compare the life of a true disciple that desires greatness to that of the pagan examples of kings that surround them.
And Yeshua said to them, “The kings of the nations have mastery over them, and those exercising authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
In a petition to the prefect of A.D. 49–50 a woman asks that her son should be restored to her—ἀκολούθως τοῖς ὑπὸ σοῦ τοῦ εὐεργέτου προστεταγμένοις, “in accordance with what had been enacted by you, my benefactor”
This honorific use of εὐεργέτης “Benefactor” with reference to Emperors and distinguished men is very common in the inscrr.
Yeshua is forbidding his disciples from allowing themselves to act like people with this title - the title and actions of these people contradict the idea of service in brotherhood.
This title and approach to greatness is in contradiction to the heavenly kingdom’s politics.
so if this isn’t the way greatness is acheived in Yeshua’s kingdom, then how is it obtained?
Please pass the matzah and we’ll find out...
Wash Each Other’s Feet
Wash Each Other’s Feet
Purity was an important part of Yeshua’s customs. Much of the Apostolic Scriptures invovle interaction with the temple and of cousre one needs to be pure to enter certain precincts of the temple and to offer sacrifices.
We have no temple today so we miss the magnitude of commandments and planning that stem from purity laws which impact daily life as a first cenutry Israelite.
We might imagine that the apostles, had a mikveh in order to be ritually pure, and then had the lamb sacrficed at the temple.
Perhaps the need to only wash their feet is due to the fact that although they were mainly ritually clean from the mikveh, they would constantly need to walk the impure roads which made only part of their bodies - their feet - in need of cleansing.
Mishah indicates that one should not enter the temple mount with their shoes or even dust on their feet. (m.Ber 9.5)
The symbolism would then be that Yeshua is tending to their need to be clean from the most inescapable inpurities of life.
There is other symbolism this may be pointing to.
Kings will be your guardians, their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their face to the ground, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am Adonai— those hoping in Me will not be ashamed.”
What here is a prophecy concerning the future actions of the gentile kings, at the last supper, it is the king of kings who is bowing and removing the dust from the feet of the apostles.
Peter’s response is no wonder - Lord you will never wash my feet! I think any one of us would have said this. And honestly, I have a hard time even thinking I wouldn’t say the same thign today even knowing this passage!
Yeshua responded, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things.”
We know that the point our Master is making is not simply about external impurities. Although that is important, Yeshua was making a more important point.
Then he said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. Please let a little water be brought so you can wash your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree.
Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you didn’t give Me water for My feet. But she has drenched My feet with tears and wiped them with her hair.
Washing someone’s feet was seen as an act of servitude and hospitality. It is a gesture of great honour.
I believe that the Apostles wouldn’t fully understand this gesture until after Yeshua was crucified and raised. It was the crucifixion and resurrection that would allow them to look back and understand the importance of the example they were given at that last supper.
Here was the one to whom every knee should bow, washing their feet in complete servitude.
The apostles needed to truly learn that in order to be in allegience with Yeshua they had to allow him to compeltely wash their impurities. They had to allow him to serve them. They had to submit to the cleansing he offered.
And of course the example is to follow in the way of our master. If Yeshua being teacher and Lord washed, served, honoured these men, how much more should these men wash, serve and honour their fellow brothers and sisters whome Yeshua was going to die for.
So at the last supper when we reclined and ejoyed the meal, and when we had blurtted out, ‘please pass the matzah’, we would have heard the king of kings say to us serve and honour each other above yourself if you want to be the greatest.
Kingdom
Kingdom
Passover is a time to remember a prophetic hope. The coming kingdom.
And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
And when He had taken a cup and offered the bracha, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine from now on, until the kingdom of God comes.”
And when He had taken matzah and offered the bracha, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you. Do this in memory of Me.” In the same way, He took the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.
I mentioned earlier that the scripture doesn’t refer to this Passover meal as the last supper.
What we realise as we read the account is that it was just the beginning. This Passover meal was by no means the last.
There is a coming kingdom and Yeshua promised to celebrate the Passover again when he returns.
When we celebrate Passover as beleivers, it is not just about Egypt - a much better and more important deliverance has taken place that we are commanded to remember. ‘do this in rembrance of me’ - passover - the cups and matzah.
Yeshua knew that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God.
The plans of the enemy have been overturned in the events of that night. When Yeshua died and rose all authority was given to Yeshua. The spiritual battle had now turned and Yeshua’s kingdom was in the process of invading the enemy’s kingdom.
God’s will in heaven is moving toward being fully done on earth.
This is what Revelation teaches us - that Yeshua has been exalted to the right hand of the ancient of days and is now warning mankind through various events that the time to repent is now.
Now when Yeshua was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be seen. Nor will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Messiah tells that the Kingdom isn’t coming with signs. what does this mean?
It means that you aren’t going to see the warning - there is no lead up to say ‘ok…now I’ll start to get ready’.
His coming is going to be like lightning - just as lightning flashes in one part of the sky and is immeidately in the other part of the sky, that is how fast and unexpected it will be - for those that do not believe.
Just like the days of Noah - as soon as Noah entered the ark - that day the flood came and destroyed them all.
Just like the days of Lot - everyone was eating, drinking - but on the day Lot went out it rained fire and detroyed them all.
speed - swiftness - unexpected - like a thief - no time to turn back - remember lot’s wife. This the language of the events at the coming of the kingdom.
Yeshua’s death and resurrection kicked off the events of the New Covenant - Jer 31 - when Israel will be cleansed and receive a new heart. The events have been kicked off but they have not been completed. They await their completion when he returns.
The kingdom has already started but it is not yet completed.
There will be a marraige supper - but it is not what you might expect.
Then the angel tells me, “Write: How fortunate are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb!” He also tells me, “These are the true words of God.”
Why are these people who have been invited fortunate?
Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he cried out to all the birds flying high in the sky, “Come, gather for the great banquet of God— to eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of generals and the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and those riding on them, the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great!”
Because those not invivted are the main course of the supper! The banquet is the victory of messiah and the enemies are food for the vultures.
“Where, Lord?” they replied. And He said to them, “Where there is a corpse, there also will the vultures be gathered.”
Where will the judgement take place? Wherever the corposes are is where the vultures gather to eat.
The point of all of this is to bring to mind the importance of our future hope - the kingdom that is coming.
Yeshua is our prince and he will rule over the entire earth. We will celebrate Pesach with him in his kingdom.
It will be the prince’s role to give the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the feasts, New Moons and Shabbatot, in all the moadim of the house of Israel. He will prepare the sin offering, the meal offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.”
“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you will have the Passover, a feast of seven days when matzah will be eaten. On that day the prince will prepare a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land.
Conclusion
Conclusion
To conclude, we have a picture into the conversation at Yeshua’s Passover meal.
We have a new paradigm to view the events of Exodus and a new way we are to understand what God did during Yeshua’s final days on earth.
let’s remmeber the things that Yeshua tells us to remember, and let’s look forward to the things that Yeshua tells us to look forward to.
chag Pesach Sameach.