Jesus' Last Supper

During Passion, or Holy Week, the Thursday before Easter is observed as Maundy Thursday. You might be familiar with it as Holy Thursday, or Great Thursday. On this day, Jesus shared the Passover meal, or the "Last Supper", with His disciples. The Last Supper is the last meal Jesus Christ had with his disciples prior to his arrest and crucifixion.(Luke 22:7-20).

The Passover meal abounds with symbolism relating to God's salvation, both for the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and for us from bondage to sin. Perhaps I can help clarify the symbolism of the meal for you below:

The unleavened bread shows the haste of the people's leaving. The bitter herbs reflect the bitterness of slavery. Savory chutney has a mortar-like texture, reminiscent of the brick-making and hard labor in Egypt. Red wine embodies joy. Most importantly, the roasted lamb, sacrificed before the meal, illustrates redemption.

Paul explicitly called Christ "our Passover lamb" (1Cor. 5:7).
After washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus celebrated the Feast of the Passover, instituting the Sacrement of Holy Communion. He ate His Last Supper with His disciples in the upper room (Luke 22:7-38), then went to the garden of Gesthsemane to pray as He waited for His hour to come.

It was here the Jesus, having been betrayed by Judas, was arrested and taken to several sham trials before the chief priests, Pontius Pilate, and Herod (Luke 22:54).

So, what is the significance of the Last Supper? It is described in three of the four New Testament Gospels; Matthew, Mark and Luke. Listed here are some of the highlights of the Last Supper taken from Luke:

I. In Luke, Jesus predicts He will suffer soon after this meal and it will be His last meal on Earth before finishing His work on behalf of the kingdom of God (Luke 22:15-16).
II. Jesus gives his disciples symbols of remembrance for His body and and His blood sacrificed on behalf of all mankind. (Luke 22:19)
III. Jesus provides a very important principle for living a Christian life. It is this: "the greatest are those who serve others, not those who expect to be served". (Luke 22:26)
IV. Jesus provides hope to his followers. (Luke 22:29-30)

In conclusion, the Last Supper reminds us of Christ's sacrifice, and that by faith in Him, we can partake of Christ for all eternity.

Additional scripture referring to the significance of the Last Supper:

The Supper is a remembrance of Him. [Luke 22:19]
The Supper is our communion with Him. [1 Cor 10:16]
The Supper is our fellowship with the body of Christ and especially the local body. [1 Cor 11:18-20]
The Supper is a commemoration of His death. [1 Cor 11:26]

Let's pray:

Help me, O God, to be rightly prepared to receive the Supper. Take away any unbelief and overcome any doubts that I may have. Lord Jesus, give me a believing heart that the words "for you" truly are for me. Amen.

May God bless you,

The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry