“When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the twelve disciples.” Matthew 26:20 NLT
The last meal Jesus had with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion is known to many as the Last Supper. We have all seen that painting of that historic event. Jesus is seated in the center with the disciples gathered around Him on both sides. He will proceed to break the bread passing it to His disciples, representing His body, and then passing the cup representing His shed blood. But that is not how the meal started.
The gospel of Matthew tells us, “On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?’” (Mt.26:17 nlt) Jesus was in the habit of celebrating the Passover along with the Jewish community remembering God’s deliverance of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. This was the yearly observance as instructed by the Lord and explained by Moses in the book of Deuteronomy. (Dt.16:1-8) Jesus participated in this Passover meal with His disciples in that upper room that evening. Luke 22:15 expresses Jesus’ anticipation in having this meal with them. “Jesus said, ‘I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.’” (nlt) John MacArthur notes, “He wanted to prepare them for what was coming.”
Jesus would be crucified the next day as a sacrifice for sin. During the meal Jesus took bread and broke it into pieces giving it to His disciples saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” (Mt.26:26 nlt) He then took a cup of wine and gave it to His disciples telling them to drink from it explaining, “for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.” (Mt.26:28 nlt) Jesus carefully explained to them His time had come for His purpose was to lay down His life, His body being broken, and His blood shed for the remission of sin. (Heb.9:22)
The evening started with the Passover meal remembering God’s deliverance of the Jews as He saw the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the doorposts. It was symbolic of Jesus’ soon to be shed blood on the cross of Calvary for our sin. Jesus finished the meal by instituting a new covenant through His blood and a new observance for all those who believe in His name, the Lord’s Supper. Jesus said, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1Cor.11:26 esv) May we always remember our Lord’s death each time we gather for Worship.
Read: Matthew 26:17-29 NLT – The Last Supper – On the first day of – Bible Gateway
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