The Last Supper

We have come to the last couple of days of Jesus’ life. Up to this point he has kept one step ahead of the religious leaders who desired to kill him; and he will not be bested by them. However, Judas Iscariot would be permitted to betray him, and Jesus will allow himself to be captured.

But before that happens, Jesus is determined to eat the passover with his disciples. What happens is more than just another passover meal; along the way he prepares the disciples (and us) for the new reality once he has left.

Judas Prepares to Betray Jesus

Now this is the first time in quite a while that Luke has given us a definite timeline; While we can construct a calendar of events based on comparing all the gospels, for the first-time readers of Luke, this is the first time they would know that Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover. Since he is writing to Gentiles, he explains that it is the “feast of unleavened bread,” since his audience might not be familiar with all the ceremony of the Passover.

He already told us that the chief priests and scribes wanted to kill Jesus (19:47-48; 20:19). It’s really important that we understand this, since it is why Judas knew he could go to them and get money to betray Jesus.

But again we are told that they could not put Jesus to death because of the crowds. Every single day Jesus came to the temple and taught in large crowds; every day the crowds adored him. Thus, they could not kill Jesus for fear of a riot. This was no accident; Jesus deliberately kept himself in the public eye to prevent Judas from being able to do anything.

But sometime during the week, Judas consulted with them and agreed to betray Jesus in the absence of the crowd. That was the key. The religious leaders did not care whether they killed an innocent man, but they had to do it secretly.

Why did Judas do it? Money may have been part of it; he was greedy

John 12:4–6 NKJV

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

Still while 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15), is nothing to sneeze at, it seems a bit small for a crime of this magnitude. There is probably more going on than just simple greed.

If Judas was so callous that he was willing to betray his friend for a bit of money, then why did he suddenly change his mind later and regret his actions? The man did have a conscience, it would seem.

So how does a man with a conscience commit the worst crime in human history? A couple of ideas. Up to now, every time Jesus has been in a dangerous situation, he just passed through the crowd and left with no incident. Judas had witnessed Jesus’ miracles. He knows Jesus could get out of any situation if he wanted to. Perhaps he was trying to force Jesus to reveal his true power, thinking that Jesus would have to do something dramatic to get out of this mess, and this would force him to reveal himself as the Messiah.

Or perhaps Judas was disillusioned after Jesus showed no sign of setting up the kingdom as he had thought. Jesus didn’t go to the Romans and demand they leave. He threatened the Temple instead. Jesus only taught the people as he had all along, as if he really was just a teacher. Perhaps Judas was so disappointed that he turned on Jesus in a moment of disillusionment. Where was this kingdom?

In any case, Judas was not actually a believer

John 6:68–71 NKJV

But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

In other words, all the disciples believed that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God except for Judas. Judas probably did believe that Jesus was a Messianic figure, but he had not actually believed God. He was there for the political Messiah, not the Son of God.

Yet when the disciples when out in twos, Judas was surely among them. They were given the message to preach, and miracles to back up their message. I have no reason to believe that Judas did not also preach and do miracles. It shows how close you can get to heaven and still miss it. That’s why the Scriptures tell you to examine yourself to see if you are in the faith

2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

Now I don’t think believers need to go around constantly doubting their salvation; in fact, you will not grow as a Christian until you settle in your mind whether you are on your way to heaven; you can’t think about pleasing God in the present if you don’t have eternity settled. However, salvation is internal; we can observe the effects of salvation on your soul, but salvation itself happens on the inside. Only you and God can see your heart.

Jesus prepares to eat the Passover

Now the preparations for the passover demonstrate that Jesus knew something was up. He was in Jerusalem already, and traveling there every day. Yet he didn’t stop at someone’s house to arrange to eat the Passover. Everyone who didn’t already live in Jerusalem had do to the same thing, so while everyone who lives there expects to get asked, it’s also going to be difficult to find a spot. But Jesus has a plan, and only himself, Peter and John know where it is.

Noticing a man carrying a jar of water would be easy. Carrying water was woman’s work, so it was only done for households that didn’t have a woman strong enough for the job. Now the man who was doing the job was probably the servant rather than the master, for when Peter and John follow him into the house, they don’t talk to him, but to the master. That is, this household is small - there’s no wife or servant girl there - but neither are they dirt poor. The owner has a servant, and an upper room big enough for 13 men to eat.

More than that, this must be some kind of disciple, for he is immediately ready for Jesus to use his space for the Passover. Again we see Jesus can get whatever he needs by his supernatural knowledge of who is willing to do what.

The First Lord’s Table

Once they get to the location, the key thing to observe is that this Passover is not like the others; Jesus is especially eager to eat this one with his disciples. So we should ask the same question that according to their liturgy the youngest was supposed to ask,

What’s Important about the Passover?

Exodus 12:26–27 NKJV

And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

That is, part of the reason for the passover was to commemorate the Exodus.

Exodus 12:14 NKJV

‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.

The meal was intended by God to be highly symbolic - The passover lamb was to remind them that God “passed over” the homes that killed it and put the blood on the doorposts

Exodus 12:13 NKJV

Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

it is unleavened bread because Israel had no time to leaven their bread after the death of the firstborn; they had to get out too quickly.

Exodus 12:39 NKJV

And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

The passover lamb was to remind them that God “passed over” their firstborn children when they killed it and put the blood on the doorposts

They also ate bitter herbs, which probably signifies the bitter service they had in Egypt.

What’s Important about THIS passover?

Now the passover was a mandatory feast; All Israel was commanded to observe it, but this does not quite solve why this passover was unique. Jesus indicates that he really wanted to eat this particular passover because it was his last opportunity to do so with his disciples before it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.

That is, Jesus did not view observing the passover as a chore, something to do just because it was required. Instead, he viewed it as fellowship with his disciples. Of course, church attendance isn’t exactly like the passover, but I’m sure you can see the similarity. God expects us to attend church regularly; it’s something we ought to do whether we feel like it or not.

But if it’s only a box to tick to make God happy, you’re missing the point. God appointed the passover not only to provide a national identity based on himself, but also to give people the chance to celebrate together. God has established the church and requires us to be part of a good bible preaching church; but if it’s only a chore, you’re missing the point. The church is supposed to be the opportunity to learn about the Scriptures and how to apply them; its supposed to be a community that shares with each other. Going to church is a chance for fellowship with likeminded believers. It’s actively good for you and brings joy when it is working properly. That’s why we have more than just the Sunday Morning service. The Bible tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. That’s already satisfied by the Sunday Morning service. If we were only trying to check a box, there’s no need for Sunday School, Afternoon Service, Wednesday night, or the Friday COA bible study.

The Passover and the Lord’s Table

I’m sure you can also see the similarity between the Passover and the Lord’s Table. They both are memorials; but that night Jesus changed what was commemorated - he made the most important feast of the year all about himself instead of the Exodus.

But the Lord’s Table and the Passover both also anticipate. Notice that Jesus says that the passover will be “fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” It’s far from obvious in Exodus that anything is being anticipated; the emphasis is on remembering, not hoping. But there is an implication given when the Passover was instituted. It wasn’t instituted after Israel was safely in the land, and was searching for some way to establish a national identity. It was established before they even got out of Egypt; before they were wielded together as a Nation in the Mosaic Covenant at Sinai. That is, this is a feast for a nation that does not exist; for an event that hasn’t even finished. There’s no sense in starting a memorial for the Exodus if the Egyptians don’t let everyone go. Israel was anticipating rest in the land of Canaan.

Of course, they did reach the land of Canaan and stop wandering in the wilderness; the Egyptians did let the Israelites go. So in that sense they did rest - they did stop traveling. But that rest wasn’t the full experience that God had promised; they did not fully drive out all the Canaanites; even after the era of the judges, the Kings of Judah alternated between serving God and being blessed and not serving him and suffering the consequences; Israel was never completely beyond the threat of oppression and exile.

Once the exile did take place, though it ended with a small band of Jews returning, Israel never enjoyed the continuous peace that God had promised them. What I’m saying is that Jesus is anticipating Israel’s permanent safety within the Land of Israel, which was always the goal of the Exodus. That’s the final fulfillment he means.

The Fulfillment of the Passover in the Kingdom

But this also means that the Passover meal anticipates another meal - when all God’s people sit down together in the Kingdom of God

Revelation 19:9 NKJV

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

While the Kingdom Feast will be an actual feast, what it represents is more important; it represents the full fellowship of all the people of God together in prosperity. We are waiting for that day. like Israel in the Exodus, we anticipate a future rest that God will give to us; we are right now pilgrims, foreigners in our own land waiting for a day when we will be home.

So the Bread and Wine that Jesus uses to symbolize his body and blood are the bread and wine of the Passover. Now the unleavened bread no longer represents the hurried departure from Egypt, it represents the body of Christ given as our atonement from sin. Thus, Jesus exercises his right to redefine Israel’s most sacred traditions.

And the blood represents the New Covenant sacrifice, which is Christ’s own sacrifice. But what is this New Covenant?

What is the New Covenant?

Every covenant had several rituals attached to it. Every Covenant had a sacrifice, the exact nature depended on what covenant was being made. Every Covenant also had the terms of agreement; some Covenants were unilateral (unconditional). the Noahic, Abrahamic, and Davidic Covenants were all unconditional; they operated regardless of the actions of the humans involved. Though even there, enjoyment of that covenant could still depend on the faithfulness of the individual.

But the Old Covenant was bilateral. Deuteronomy 28 has the terms and conditions; God promised to bless them as a nation if the nation followed him; he also promised to curse them if they did not. Jesus is here stating that the Mosaic Covenant is about to become obsolete, and be replaced by a New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31–34 NKJV

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Now what makes the New Covenant New is not that the Law of God was on people’s hearts; Moses begged Israel to be circumcised of heart. Neither is it because the Old Covenant was works and the New Covenant is Grace. Notice that Jeremiah says that “My Law” is in their minds. What makes the New Covenant New is that it is not written on tables of stone, but on everyone’s hearts - All Israel will be regenerated and will follow God out of genuine worship. That’s what makes the New Covenant New.

But there’s one final feature that all Covenants have - the oath. Unilateral Covenants only need God to swear, so they happen immediately; bilateral covenants need Israel to consent to it. That’s what happened with the Mosaic. In the inauguration of the Mosaic Covenant, Moses built an altar and sacrificed; he sancified the ceremony by sprinkling blood; he then read the terms of the Covenant and the people committed to it

Exodus 24:6–8 NKJV

And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”

After the Sacrifice, and the Oath, then it was customary to share a meal together; which happened back then

Exodus 24:9–11 NKJV

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Now the New Covenant needs all the same features as the Old Covenant; a sacrifice, an oath, and a meal. The Sacrifice was already offered; it was Christ’s sacrifice for us; but where is the oath? It didn’t happen for Israel rejected her Messiah. Thus, the meal didn’t happened either.

So the New Covenant is not currently in effect. The Sacrifice has already been offered, but the Oath is what ratifies the Covenant and it is not yet done. But the blessings of Regeneration have always been available; they still are, and you don’t have to be part of Israel to enjoy it. That’s always the way it has been and it always will be that way.

It’s a bit like a wedding. Sometimes they light a unity candle, the bride is handed off from the father to the groom; etc. All these things are part of the ceremony, but what makes a marriage valid is the vows; the couple isn’t husband and wife until those vows; so if something interrupts the service before the vows, they still aren’t married yet.

In this case, something did interrupt the service - Israel killed their Messiah instead of swearing the oath that would ratify the Covenant; but the Sacrifice was already made, and the wine (grape juice) represents that New Covenant Sacrifice.

By the way, yes, the wine Jesus drank would have been mildly alcoholic. in the 19th Century Welsh (of Welch’s grape juice) invented a way to preserve grape juice without fermentation specifically because he wanted to make it possible to observe the Lord’s Table (or Eucharist) without drinking Alcohol; before his invention fermentation was how you preserved grape juice; there was no other way, so they didn’t distinguish between grape juice squeezed yesterday and so non-alcoholic, and grape juice processed last year and so quite alcoholic. It was all just “wine.”

Jesus Predicts Judas’ Betrayal

The final word of Jesus we will look at is his prediction of Judas’ betrayal. He knew exactly what Judas was up to. This is first of all a warning to Judas - Jesus is making one final attempt to reach out to Judas.

That means that when Satan entered into Judas, he didn’t take over Judas against his will. There’s no point in warning someone if they can’t do anything about it. Instead, Judas allowed Satan to control him because he wanted to do what the Devil wanted him to do.

Jesus explains that it is a matter of prophecy that he is going to be betrayed; it is certain that someone will do it, but Judas is not fated to be that person. Judas was that person because he wanted to be; if he had changed his mind, he would have escaped the terrible consequences of his actions.

Psalm 41:9 NKJV

Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

Also observe that when Jesus drops the bombshell that someone will betray him, nobody suspects Judas. Instead, they assume that one of them will accidentally betray Jesus by saying or doing something. In other words, Judas didn’t look like a villain. He blended into the twelve so well that everyone thought he was one of them. It is possible to blend into other Christians well enough that no one suspects a thing. As much as we try to make sure that only Christians can become members here, it’s still possible to fool us. But how foolish would that be? You can fool a human for a while, but God isn’t deceived, and it is him you must worry about, not me.