The Last Passover, The First Lord’s Supper

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

As beautiful as Mary’s anointing of Jesus was, it was funereal—she was anointing Jesus’ body for burial (v. 8). From the anointing on, a palpable gloom settled over the remaining days of Christ’s life. That gloom darkened as Judas secretly made arrangements to deliver Jesus to the priests when there would be no Passover crowd around to interfere.[1]

The preparation for the Passover

Prearranged Preparations

Mark 14:12–16 (ESV)

This is prearranged, preparations that Jesus had worked out in advance.

As Jesus explained the clandestine plan, Peter and John would arrive in Jerusalem and encounter a man carrying a pitcher of water.

The man (who was likely a servant) would stand out because he was performing a domestic task that in first-century Israel was normally done by women.

The two were to follow him; and wherever he entered, they were to say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.”The owner whom the disciples were to meet was apparently familiar with Jesus, since they were simply to tell him that “the Teacher” had sent them.

Jesus knew that a large room was already furnished and ready for Him and His disciples to eat the Passover meal together. After receiving His instructions, the disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

The Owner of the House

It may be assumed that the owner of the house was a man of courage who had determined to shelter the “heretic” Galilean and his outlawed company of followers.

He may have been the one who arranged for the lamb to be sacrificed and who secured the other requirements for the meal.This would include the setting out of the unleavened bread and the wine, the preparation of the bitter herbs and sauce consisting of dried fruit, spices and wine, and presumably the roasting of the passover lamb.[2] The upstairs rooms would probably be furnished with carpets or couches for the guests to recline on as they ate the meal.

Why all this Secretive Planning?

First, because it hid the location from Judas so it was impossible for him to reveal it. Judas would only learn it when he arrived. The other disciples were oblivious to Judas’ intentions, but Jesus knew all too well.

The second reason Jesus took such great care is that he wanted to control the environment of the Passover meal.

This upcoming meal was easily the most important meal eaten in the history of the world!

Why? It identified Christ as the Passover lamb par excellence who would deliver Israel (see Exodus 12). It would be the final meal Christ would eat on this earth before his death, burial, and resurrection.The Passover would graphically explain the centrality of Christ to salvation: his blood must be wine to us, and his flesh our bread.

The third reason Jesus took such great care in preparation for the Passover meal was that it was a night when devout Jews were filled with hope of God’s intervention once more.

Exodus 12:42 says of the Passover, “Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.” The Jewish commentary on that passage reveals that “in that night they were redeemed and in that night they will be redeemed in the future.”2

Jesus’ fulfillment of the Passover was in accord with the dream of Israel, and he wanted them to see it!

The Details Surrounding the Passover

Mark 14:17–21 (ESV)

17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

It is now been nearly fifteen hundred years after the first Passover was established by God on the night the Hebrew people were liberated from slavery in Egypt.

Jesus knew that it was critical for Him to celebrate the Passover with His disciples that night (Luke 22:15), because during that final meal, He transformed the Passover celebration into the Lord’s Supper, which commemorated His death on the cross (Luke 22:20).

Over the centuries of Old Testament history, millions of lambs were slain as part of the annual Passover observance. Each of those sacrificial animals symbolized the reality that deliverance from divine wrath requires the death of an innocent substitute. But none of those sacrifices could actually atone for sin (cf. Heb. 10:4). This Passover would be different, because the final sacrifice would be slain—namely, the Lamb of God (1 Cor. 5:7; cf. John 1:29) to whom all of them pointed.

He is the only sacrifice satisfactory to God as the offering for sin.[3]

Instead of representing the lambs that were killed in Egypt, the bread and the cup would now signify the body and blood of the sacrificial Lamb of God. (cf. 1 Cor. 11:23–26). In addition to celebrating the Lord’s Supper, Jesus also gave the disciples vital words of promise and hope to strengthen them for His death (cf. John 13–17).[4]

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV) For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

In a single Passover meal, on the night before His death, the Lord Jesus concluded the old celebration and instituted the new. He took components of that final Passover feast and redefined them as elements of His Communion table.

In keeping with first-century Jewish customs, Jesus and the disciples were reclining at the table and eating, resting on cushions with their heads toward the table and their feet extended away from it. The first Passover in Egypt was eaten in a hurry. As the Lord God instructed the Israelites, “You shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover” (Ex. 12:11). But through the centuries, Passover celebrations had become prolonged events, allowing the participants to linger during the meal as Jesus and the disciples did on this occasion.

This final Passover lasted long enough for Jesus to wash the disciples’ feet, confront Judas Iscariot, eat the Passover meal, institute the Lord’s Table, and give the disciples a significant amount of additional instruction [5]

The Betrayer

At some point in the celebration, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.[6]

And yet, forever to the credit of these disciples, when Jesus said, "It is one of you twelve who is going to betray me," not one of them said, "I know who it is; it's he." Instead, they looked at Jesus and said, "Lord, is it I?"

Every one of us recognizes the feeling that there is

something evil in us,

something we do not trust,

something we are not sure will not break out sometime and carry us into acts that appall us, deeds we are aghast at the thought of doing.

Something of that self-distrust gripped these men at that moment, and they said, "Is it I?" But Jesus reassured them, said, "No, it's the one who is dipping his hand in the dish with me."

At the point when the disciples were eating the bitter herbs along with flat bread dipped in the paste of fruit and nuts, He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.”

Several dipping bowls were likely set around the table, with Judas apparently sitting near Jesus and sharing the same bowl with Him. The disciples apparently did not fully understand the Lord’s somewhat cryptic response. As the apostle John explains in his parallel account, they continued to be confused as to the identity of Jesus’ betrayer.[7]

Other accounts tell us that shortly after this he said to Judas privately, "What you are about to do, go and do quickly." And Judas left the company. But before he left, Jesus said to these disciples, "The Son of man goes as it is written of him," i.e., it had been predicted that he would be betrayed by one of his own, and this was being fulfilled. But, and this is important to notice,

Jesus also said, "Woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!" Woe to him! -- not because he is doing something he cannot help doing, because he could have helped it.

Judas was not driven to betray the Lord; he chose to do so. This is why Jesus adds what are probably the most solemn words that ever fell from his lips: "It would have been better for that man if he had never been born." I do not think that any more fearful words ever came from the lips of Jesus. Wouldn't you hate to have him say that about you?

Like all who reject Christ, Judas would be damned forever. Having been given the ultimate privilege of being one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas would be punished accordingly with extreme measures (cf. Luke 12:47–48). The eternal retribution that awaited him and all unbelievers is so severe that to have never existed would be infinitely better. The author of Hebrews describes the dreadful consequences that await all who exhibit such obstinate unbelief.[8]

It is remarkable that Judas is not mentioned by name in the account. He is not introduced as one who asked “is it I?” nor is he identified as the betrayer by Jesus (cf. Matt. 26:25), and there is no reference to the fact that he left the room before the interpretation of the significance of the meal (cf. John 13:26–30).

In Mark the stress falls rather upon the violation of the fellowship by the presence of a traitor who must bear the onus of responsibility for his act, and upon Jesus’ knowledge that he will be betrayed by one of the Twelve and that his death is certain. This latter emphasis is set in the perspective of God’s redemptive action by the words of institution and the solemn oath which follow in verses 22–25.[9]

Jesus, Judas, and the rest of the Disciples

1. Mark does not present the Last Supper as a sacrament that brings blessing and assurance.The scene, filled with high tension, sweaty palms, lumps in throats, and nervous anxiety, serves as a warning to readers. They are to examine themselves in precisely the same way as these first disciples did. One of them would betray Jesus. The gathered disciples did not immediately single out Judas as the guilty party. They looked to themselves. Today, each must ask himself or herself, as these disciples did, “Surely not I?”[10]

2. Mark’s account of the Last Supper should jolt us awake. Each should contemplate his or her own life and confess all the ways, big and small, that he or she has betrayed the Lord and acknowledge such weaknesses.

We should all be humbly aware that if one of the Twelve could betray Jesus, every Christian has that potential. This idea of self-examination, as opposed to cross-examination, is preserved in Paul’s comments on the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:27–29), along with the idea of eating worthily.

We are worthy of the Lord’s Supper when we recognize how unworthy we are. We feel its power when we also recognize that Jesus died for us and accepts us in spite of our unworthiness.

3. We should note the danger of egocentricity that can permeate those gathered around the Lord’s table.

When Jesus announces that a betrayer is in their midst, each disciple hopes Jesus will assure him that he is not the one. When he gets that assurance, he can presumably breathe a sigh of relief; he would never betray his Master.

None of the disciples expresses any concern that Jesus will be betrayed; none expresses any concern for the traitor. Each focuses only on himself, wanting reassurance from Jesus that he is in the clear, and then each one wants to reassure Jesus that he would never be guilty of such a crime.

4. None of the disciples will be above reproach.

Judas will be guilty of heinous treason. Judas, with ice water in his veins, bluffs his way through the meal with the rest of the disciples. But none of the disciples will be above reproach.

Each will show himself to be an unfaithful servant. The contrast is striking. Jesus gives his life for others and only laments the miserable fate of the betrayer. The disciples’ response shows that they are concerned only about themselves.

This same egocentricity can surface in our celebration of the Lord’s Supper, where our rupture, separation, and isolation from each other stands revealed. This Supper calls us to imitate Christ’s self-sacrificing love and should be a moment when we can heal our broken relationships.28

5. Jesus reached out to Judas to the very end.

John, in his account, records some rich details: “One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’

Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ [the seating arrangement made it so easy. John only had to turn his head and quietly say, “who is it?”] Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon” (John 13:23–26).

What an act of love! In the culture of the day, to take a morsel from the table, dip it in the common dish, and offer it to another was a gesture of friendship. For example, when Boaz invited Ruth to fellowship with him, he said, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar” (Ruth 2:14).

Jesus was reaching out to Judas. Quietly, intimately, he was saying in effect, “Here is my friendship and forgiveness. All you have to do is take it, my old friend. Will you?”

But Judas took the bread without repentance, but rather in arrogance. John tells us: “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. ‘What you are about to do, do quickly,’ Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor” (John 13:27–30).

It was midnight for Judas’ soul.

Jesus’ offer was genuine. If Judas had repented, he would have remained among the Twelve, though Jesus would have gone to his death, nonetheless. Jesus is the only man who has ever been the captain of his own soul. What testimony to his mastery is his reaching out to his betrayer on the very night he would suffer so much.[11]

Many years ago Frederick Nolan was fleeing his enemies during the North African persecution. Hounded by his pursuers over hill and valley with no place to hide, he fell exhausted into a wayside cave expecting to be found. Awaiting his death, he saw a spider weaving a web. Within minutes, the little bug had woven a beautiful web across the mouth of the cave. The pursuers arrived and wondered if Nolan was hiding there; but they thought it impossible for him to have entered the cave without dismantling the web. And so they went on. Having escaped, Nolan emerged from his hiding place and proclaimed, “Where God is, a spider’s web is like a wall. Where God is not, a wall is like a spider’s web.”6

6. He, “The Son of Man,” did “go just as it is written about him” in such texts as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 and in the symbolism of the Old Testament sacrificial system. His mangled body does not dangle impotently from the wheel of the world. Rather, all history is moving toward him (Colossians 1:16). He is a Master who brings his mastery to our dark times when we see only doom around us.

Colossians 1:16 (ESV)

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Thinking about This

Where is God in relation to your life? Is the wheel of your personal history in his hands? Fate will never determine the course of your life. If you follow him, you will never be crushed in the gears of history, though all Hell should assail you.[12]

Far from being crushed in the gears of history, Jesus was turning its wheels just as he wished. His death was no accident! In fact, the Last Supper and his words (“Take it; this is my body” and “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” vv. 22, 24) make no sense at all if Jesus was not master of his own death. Jesus maintained sovereign, premeditated, and detailed mastery.

A God who is in control when the foundations of his own earthly existence are crumbling is a God who can be trusted to sustain us when it appears our life is tumbling in.[13]

[1]Hughes, R. K. (1989). Mark: Jesus, servant and savior (Vol. 2, pp. 152–153). Crossway Books. [2]Lane, W. L. (1974). The Gospel of Mark (pp. 499–500). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2 2. William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1975), p. 501, quotes the Melkita to Exodus 12:42, XIV.20a. [3]MacArthur, J. (2015). Mark 9–16 (p. 284). Moody Publishers. [4]MacArthur, J. (2015). Mark 9–16 (p. 279). Moody Publishers. [5]MacArthur, J. (2015). Mark 9–16 (p. 285). Moody Publishers. [6]MacArthur, J. (2015). Mark 9–16 (p. 286). Moody Publishers. [7]MacArthur, J. (2015). Mark 9–16 (p. 287). Moody Publishers. [8]MacArthur, J. (2015). Mark 9–16 (pp. 288–289). Moody Publishers. [9]Lane, W. L. (1974). The Gospel of Mark (pp. 503–504). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. [10]Garland, D. E. (1996). Mark (pp. 534–535). Zondervan Publishing House. 28 Theodore E. Dobson, Say But the Word: How the Lord’s Supper Can Transform Your Life (New York/Ramsey, N.J.: Paulist, 1984), 5. [11]Hughes, R. K. (1989). Mark: Jesus, servant and savior (Vol. 2, pp. 157–158). Crossway Books. 6 6. Mark Wheeler, “Secure in the Storm,” Kindred Spirit, Summer 1986, p. 10. [12]Hughes, R. K. (1989). Mark: Jesus, servant and savior (Vol. 2, p. 158). Crossway Books. [13] Hughes, R. K. (1989). Mark: Jesus, servant and savior (Vol. 2, pp. 154–155). Crossway Books.

Related Media

Related Sermons