| | | In the Christian faith, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his death. The Last Supper has been the subject of many different paintings, perhaps the most famous by Leonardo da Vinci. Christians celebrate the related events quasi-annually (annually on a Lunar Calendar) as Maundy Thursday. |  The Last Supper fresco in Milan (1498)
by Leonardo da Vinci.
(larger image) |
In the New TestamentChronology |
 Statue of The Last Supper, used during the Good Friday procession in Qormi, Malta
(larger image) | The meal is discussed at length in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22 of the Bible. It was the seder for the Passover, and it was in the morning of the same day the Paschal lamb, for the meal, had been sacrificed (see also: Korban).However, under the Jewish method of reckoning time, the day was considered to begin straight after dusk, and so the Passover feast would be regarded as ocurring on the day after the lamb was sacrificed. This implies that either the synoptic gospels are not written with an awareness of the Jewish method of time reckoning (Kilgallen 264), or that they used the literary technique of telescoping events that actually happened on different days into just happening on single ones (Brown et al. 625). |
By contrast, in the chronology of the Gospel of John, the meal is stated to have ocurred before the Passover, and before the Paschal lamb has been slaughtered, and consequently implying that Jesus himself died at the time when the Pascal lamb was due to be slaughtered. Almost all scholars view John's Gospel as later than the others, and most scholars see it as at least partly dependent on the Synoptics, and consequently some view John's chronology as highly contrived. Nevertheless, in Eastern Orthodoxy it is the chronology of John that is used in the traditional celebration of Easter, and similarly some have argued that a thorough examination of the Gospels indicates that the Last Supper was on a Tuesday, rather than a Thursday.LocationAccording to tradition, the Last Supper took place in what is called today The Room of the Last Supper on Mount Zion, just outside of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, and is traditionally known as The Upper Room (see Room of the Last Supper). This is based on the account in the synoptics that states that Jesus had instructed a pair of unnamed disciples to go to the city to meet a man carrying a jar of water, who would lead them to a house, where they were to ask for the room where the teacher has a guest room. This room is specified as being the upper room, and they prepare the passover there.It is not actually specified where the city refers to, and it may refer to one of of the suburbs of Jerusalem, such as Bethany; the traditional location is not based on anything more specific in the Bible, and may easily be wrong. The traditional location is an area that, according to archaeology, had a large Essene community, adding to the points which make several scholars suspect a link between Jesus and the group (Kilgallen 265).Bread and WineAccording to the Gospel of Luke, during the Last Supper,14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." 23They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
-Luke 22:14-23 The decree Jesus refers to in Luke 14:22, "The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed," is from the book of Isaiah, written approximately 739-690 B.C.: 1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. -Isaiah 53:1-12 During Jewish Passover meals, the wine was usually consumed during the eating of the bread, but here it occurs after. This may indicate that the event was not the official Passover dinner, and hence more in line with John's chronology (Brown et al. 626), although the meal could easily have been altered during the Last Supper for symbolic/religious purposes, or simply because the Gospel writers did not have complete knowledge of Jewish practice, as suggested by their chronologies.The Last Supper has become the centrepiece of the Catholic Mass, and is sometimes known as the Eucharist by Protestant groups. The actions with bread and wine are usually repeated during these religious services, and Jesus' wording is usually repeated at the appropriate times, either by a priest in more Catholic services, and by the people in more Protestant ones. The Mass/Eucharist was once just one of the many Christian services, and often occurred rarely, but after the Reformation became the main service, both amongst Protestants, and Catholics.Jesus' somewhat obscure wording lead to the concept of transubstantiation, which alleges that during a Eucharist the bread and wine physically become Jesus' body and blood, often alleging that this occurs via hypostatic union. The doctrine of transubstantiation is usually rejected by the more Protestant sects of Christianity, but accepted by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.Jesus' behaviour may be derived from a passage in the Book of Isaiah, where Isaiah 53:12 refers to a blood sacrifice that Moses is described in Exodus as having made in order to seal a covenant with God, Exodus 24:8. Scholars often interpret the description of Jesus' behaviour as him asking his disciples to consider themselves part of a sacrifice, where Jesus is the one due to physically undergo it (Brown et al. 626).Feet washingAccording to John (but not the Synoptics), Jesus got up from the meal, took all his clothes off, though placing a towel around his waist, and then washed the feet of the disciples that were present, drying them with the towel. Peter is portrayed as protesting about Jesus humbling himself in this manner, until Jesus tells him that unless Jesus washes his feet, Peter will have no part with Jesus. Jesus is then described as instructing the disciples to wash each other's feet. In consequence, feet washing became a part of the Maundy Thursday ritual of Christianity, and until the late 20th century even the British Monarch was expected to wash the feet of even the scruffiest parishoners at this point each year.BetrayalAccording to the Gospels, during the meal Jesus revealed that one of his Apostles would betray him. Despite the assertions of each Apostle that it would not be them, Jesus is described as reiterating that it would be one of those who were present, and goes on to say that there shall be woe to the man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born (Mark 14:20-21). Though neither Mark nor Luke state that the Apostle in question was identified, Matthew states that, when Judas Iscariot denies that he is the guilty party, Jesus replies that Judas is the one he was talking about, while the Gospel of John states that Jesus didn't make such a clear accusation, but instead gave Judas bread as a signal that he was guilty, and then sent Judas away.By Jesus predicting the event, it could be considered that the betrayal is preordained. This has raised issues of determinism and whether God is just, since despite the fact that he is predestined to perform the task, and so unable to avoid it, he is apparently to be punished for it. Both John and Luke portray Judas as being posessed by Satan, and hence partly excusing his actions. AbandonmentAs well as the prediction of betrayal, the four gospels recount that Jesus predicted the Apostles would all fall away. Simon Peter states that he will not abandon Jesus even if the others do, but Jesus tells him that Simon would deny Jesus three times before the cock had crowed twice. Peter is described as continuing to deny it, stating that he would remain true even if it meant death, and the other apostles are described as stating the same about themselves.The sermonThe Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia is typical of thousands of war memorials in using the words of John 15:13 'no greater love' in its tribute to the fallen. After the meal, according to John (but not mentioned at all by the Synoptics), Jesus gave a large sermon to the disciples. The sermon is sometimes referred to as the farewell discourse of Jesus, and has historically been considered a source of Christian teaching, particularly on the subject of Christology. Amongst the Gospels John is unusual in the complexity of its Christology (which has lead to questions about its authenticity), and this sermon portrays one of the most complex Christological descriptions in John.Although ostensibly addressing his disciples, most scholars conclude the chapter is written with events concerning the later church in mind, particularly that of the 2nd century. Jesus is presented as explaining the relationship between himself and his followers, and seeking to model this relationship on his own relationship with God.The chapter introduces the extended metaphor of Jesus as the true vine. God is described as the vine tender, and his disciples are said to be branches, which must 'abide' in him if they are to 'bear fruit'. The disciples are warned that barren branches are pruned by the vinedresser. This image has been influential in Christian art and iconography. The disciples are reminded of the love of God for Jesus, and of Jesus for the disciples (especially the beloved disciple), and are then instructed to love one another in the same manner. It goes on to speak of the greatest love as being the willingness to lay down life for one's friends, and this passage has since been widely used to affirm the sacrifice of martyrs and soldiers in war, and is thus often seen on war memorials and graves.The sermon goes on to talk of Jesus sending a paraclete from God, a Spirit of Truth that will testify about Jesus. Though paraclete means counsellor, when the concept of a Trinity arose in the 3rd century the paraclete became interpreted as the Holy Ghost, and the passage became central to the arguments about the filioque clause which partly caused the Great Schism. Prior to the development of the idea of the Trinity, the paraclete was considered a more human figure, and, in the 2nd century, Montanus claimed to be the paraclete that had been promised.Last Supper RemembrancesSimon Ushakov's the Last Supper.The institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper is remembered by Roman Catholics as one of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, and by most Christians as the "inauguration of the New Covenant", mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah, fulfilled by Jesus at the Last Supper, when He said, "Take, eat; this [bread] is My Body; which is broken for you. Par-take of the cup, drink; this [wine] is My Blood, which is shed for many; for the remission of sins". Other Christian groups consider the Bread and Wine remembrance as a change to the Passover ceremony, as Jesus Christ has become "our Passover, sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Partaking of the Passover Communion (or fellowship) is now the sign of the New Covenant, when properly understood by the practicing believer.Early Christianity has created a remembrance service that took place in the form of meals known as agape feasts: perhaps Jude, and the apostle Paul have referred to these as your love-feasts, by way of warning (about who shows up to these). Agape is one of the five main Greek words for love, and refers to the idealised love, rather than lust, friendship, hospitality, or affection (as in parental affection). These love feasts were apparently a full meal, with each participant bringing their own food, and with the meal eaten in a common room. These worship services eventually codified as the Mass in Catholic traditions, and as the Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Church, or the Christian Passover for yet other groups. At those services, Catholics and Eastern Orthodox celebrate the Eucharist. The name Eucharist is from the Greek word eucharistos which means Thanksgiving or thank you. Catholics typically restrict the term 'communion' to the distribution to the communicants during the service of the "body" and "blood" of Christ.Within many Christian traditions, the name Holy Communion is used. This name emphasizes the nature of the service, as a "joining in common" between God and humans, which is made possible, or facilitated due to the sacrifice of Jesus.Another variation of the name of the service is "The Lord's Supper". This name usually is used by the churches of minimalist traditions; such as those strongly influenced by Huldrych Zwingli. Some echoes of the "agape meal" may remain in fellowship, or potluck dinners held at some churches.Cenacle is the traditional Latin term for the Upper Room (see Room of the Last Supper, Cenacle), or the site of The Last Supper. This word is a derivative of the Latin word "cena," which means dinner.It lies in the second floor of a building on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, just outside the Dormition Church behind the Franciscan house on Sion, and south of the Zion Gate in Jerusalem's Old City Walls. In the basement of the building is King David's Tomb.HistoryIn Christian tradition, this was the site where the Apostles of Christ received Holy Orders and became His first priests, and where they were praying when the Holy Spirit descended upon them on Pentecost. The building was spared during the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus (AD 70) and became the site of the first Christian church. It was later destroyed by Persian invaders and rebuilt by a monk called Modestus. During the Crusades, the building was razed to the ground by Muslims and replaced by the Crusaders with a basilica. Franciscan monks cared for the Cenacle from 1333 to 1552 when the Turks captured Jerusalem and banished all Christians.After the Franciscan Friars' eviction, this room was transformed into a mosque, as evidenced by the mihrab in the direction of Mecca and an Arabic inscription prohibiting public prayer at the site. Christians were not allowed to return until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Following a visit by Pope John Paul II, the Israeli government arranged for its ownership to be transferred to the Catholic Church in return for a church in Toledo, Spain which had originally been a synagogue.ArchitectureThe Cenacle is divided by three pillars into three naves. The pillars and the arches, windows and other Gothic style architectural elements, a clear indication the room was built by the Crusaders in the early 13th century, on top of a much older structure. The older structure, according to the archaeological research, was the church-synagogue of the early Christian community of Jerusalem.See also: Jesus,
Jesus as God,
Jesus as Man,
Christ the Lord,
Genealogy of Jesus,
prophecy
miracles of Jesus |
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