The Final Week of Jesus Part 5: The Last Supper (Thursday, April 2, AD 33)
As we journey deeper into the final week of Jesus, we arrive at a pivotal and profoundly sacred moment: the preparation and observance of Passover. Here, in the quiet upper room tucked away in Jerusalem, the eternal purpose of God is about to be fulfilled in the most unexpected way—not through political upheaval or military might, but through sacrificial love. The day had come—the day the Passover lambs would be sacrificed. According to the Law (Deut. 16:5–6), this sacred meal had to be eaten within Jerusalem’s walls.
Matthew records Jesus telling his disciples, “My time is at hand,” on the morning when the Passover lamb was sacrificed (Matt. 26:18). While Jesus knows he is about to die, his disciples fail to grasp his predictions, likely interpreting his words through their messianic expectations. They assume he is preparing for a decisive confrontation to defeat the Jewish leaders and Roman oppressors. However, Jesus means that his time has come to be sacrificed as God’s Passover lamb to atone for the world’s sins. Per Old Testament law (Deut. 16:5–6), the Passover must be eaten in Jerusalem.
Given Jesus’s notoriety and the plots against him, his Passover preparations are done in secret. This includes obtaining, sacrificing, and roasting a lamb, along with preparing the room and side dishes. Jesus sends two disciples (Peter and John, per Luke 22:8) to meet a contact who will lead them to the room. Likely prearranged, the unusual sight of a man carrying a water jug (a task typically for women) serves as a signal for the disciples. They find everything exactly as Jesus had said (Kostenberger, 2014). Jesus Peter and John ahead to prepare the Passover meal. Every detail unfolds precisely as Jesus foretells, underscoring that nothing about His death is accidental. He controls every movement, even as He willingly walks toward His own sacrifice.
On Thursday evening, Jesus and his disciples arrive at the room prepared for this significant occasion and begin to share the Passover meal. Each Gospel writer presents unique aspects of the preparations and offers varying levels of detail about what took place and the words spoken during this final gathering. These differences do not reflect contradictions but, as Matthew and Mark note, represent selective accounts of what occurred “as they were eating.” This approach focuses on key moments rather than adhering to strict chronological order.
The differences in detail regarding Jesus’s words and actions reflect the theological and literary priorities of the Gospel writers, each shaping their narrative to convey specific truths. None of the evangelists claim to record every word or action from that night. Among them, John provides the most extensive account, including Jesus’s profound teaching and the symbolic act of foot washing.
The Significance of Passover
The church of Jesus Christ has always cherished the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Early Christians observed this sacred sacrament at the conclusion of their agape feasts—communal meals that celebrated God’s love and the love they shared with one another. The term “Holy Communion” is often used to describe the Lord’s Supper because it symbolizes the deep union believers have with Christ and with one another.
To fully grasp the significance of the Lord’s Supper, we must look back even further than the first century. Just as our understanding of baptism is enriched by its connection to circumcision (Col. 2:8–15), the connection between the Passover and the Lord’s Supper—instituted during a Passover seder—provides key insights into the meaning of eating the bread and drinking the wine. A closer look at the origins of Passover in Exodus 12 helps us appreciate the meal Jesus gave to his followers.
Passover originated when God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. After nine plagues failed to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites (Ex. 7:14–10:29), God sent a final, devastating plague: the death of all Egypt’s firstborn sons (Ex. 11:1–10). This judgment forced Pharaoh to relent temporarily and allow the Israelites to leave. The urgency of this moment shaped the meal that preceded their departure. It had to be eaten quickly, so unleavened bread—bread made without yeast—was central, as there was no time to let the dough rise (Deut. 16:3).
Another essential element of the Passover was the blood of the sacrificial lamb. While the Israelites did not consume the blood, they marked their doorposts with it so that the angel of death would “pass over” their homes (Ex. 12:7–13). By doing this, they identified themselves as God’s people, spared from His wrath and saved by His mercy.
The Betrayal of Jesus
As they are eating, Jesus makes a startling announcement: one of the Twelve, one of the men eating the Passover meal with him right then, is about to betray him. This is shocking and upsetting news to the disciples, who instantly begin trying to identify the betrayer by questioning each other (Luke 22:23) and Jesus which one would betray their Master. Jesus utters an ominous prophecy concerning his betrayer: “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
At that point, Judas does not foresee the end that will shortly fall upon him by his own hand, yet the announcement of doom must have sent shivers down his spine. Because each disciple is questioning Jesus, Judas likewise asks, “Is it I?” Jesus cryptically responds, “You have said so” (Matt. 26:25). The other disciples apparently did not pick up on this clue at the time, and John records that Judas left the dinner shortly thereafter (John 13:27–30).
Theological Significance of the Foot Washing
Kostenberger (2014) breaks the significance of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet into two categories.
The Literal Cleansing: Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet (John 13:1–17) Jesus and the disciples find themselves in the middle of an embarrassing situation: there is apparently no servant to wash the feet of the guests (as would have been culturally appropriate and expected), and the disciples have neglected to do so or are too proud to engage in such a menial task. Thus, they have reclined to eat the Last Supper with dirty feet, filthy from traveling on Jerusalem’s dusty roads. Jesus perceives this situation as an opportunity to communicate two valuable lessons.
First, believers are “clean” (i.e., converted and regenerated) but still need continual spiritual cleansing (i.e., confession and forgiveness). Jesus makes this point in response to Peter’s misunderstanding of the situation (John 13:6 - 11). Peter and the other ten disciples were “clean” (though not yet regenerated) and only needed partial “cleansing,” in contrast to Judas, who was not “clean” and for whom temporary partial “cleansing” was not enough. Believers do not need to be “re-saved” every day yet are in need of daily spiritual cleansing and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Second, Jesus’s example of washing his disciples’ feet teaches us the need for loving, self-sacrificial service to each other (John 13:12–17): “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15). The foot-washing episode foreshadows the crucifixion by displaying Jesus’s attitude of self-sacrifice, love, and service—attitudes that must characterize Jesus’s followers (see Phil. 2:1–8). As an anticipatory commentary on the cross, the foot washing illumines the underlying motivation for the cross: God’s sacrificial love for the people he has made (see John 3:16).
The Figurative Cleansing: The Betrayer Departs (John 13:18–30) Jesus had drawn attention to one who was not clean, a betrayer, earlier in the foot-washing episode (John 13:10–11), but he now proceeds to devote all his attention to the subject because he is “troubled in his spirit” (John 13:21).
Jesus’s foreknowledge of Judas’s betrayal in fulfillment of Scripture highlights God’s sovereignty and control over all that was about to take place. Although, at the time, the betrayal must have seemed to the eleven disciples like a nightmare spinning out of control, everything was completely under God’s providential care and in keeping with his sovereign plan (see Acts 2:23; 4:27–28).
Even though John, at Peter’s prompting, asks Jesus directly concerning the identity of the betrayer, the disciples remain uncertain as to which one of them Jesus has in mind. Judas has apparently concealed his motives and intentions quite well—not even his closest friends know what is in his heart. John draws attention to the satanic inspiration of Judas’s betrayal (John 13:2, 27).19
This realization does not remove Judas’s guilt or responsibility in the matter but highlights the spiritual warfare that was playing itself out through human actors and would soon culminate in Satan’s apparent victory followed by God’s ultimate triumph (see Gen. 3:15). The darkness of Judas’s soul is subtly highlighted when John ominously notes that Judas went out when “it was night” (John 13:30). Jesus’ new messianic community has now been cleansed both literally (the foot washing) and figuratively (the removal of the betrayer) and has thus been prepared for his final instructions.
The Institution of Communion
As they shared the meal, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. Luke records Jesus’ heartfelt words expressing his deep desire to eat this final Passover with his disciples, knowing it would be his last until the kingdom of God is fulfilled (Luke 22:15–18). This “last supper” marked several significant conclusions: it was the final meal Jesus would share with his disciples, the last meal he would eat in his pre-glorified body, and the final Passover meal of the old covenant. Jesus eagerly anticipated this moment because he knew his impending death as the true Passover Lamb would fulfill centuries of Passover observances, bringing them to their ultimate purpose—the Messiah’s sacrifice for the sins of his people. The true meaning of the Passover sacrifice was about to be revealed and accomplished. Jesus also understood that he would not partake in such a celebration again until the final messianic banquet, when God’s people would enjoy eternal resurrection life in the new creation.
During the meal, Jesus spoke the solemn words that have been repeated throughout history whenever his followers observe the Lord’s Supper: “Take, eat; this is my body. . . . Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:26–28). He commanded them, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). The apostle Paul later emphasized the importance of this practice in the early church, teaching in 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 that the Lord’s Supper serves not only as a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice but also as a proclamation of his death until he returns. In this way, the Lord’s Supper looks back to Christ’s finished work on the cross and forward to his triumphant return, a practice God’s people continue to this day.
Jesus explained the meaning of the bread and wine: the bread represents his body, which would soon be broken through beatings, scourging, and crucifixion, while the wine symbolizes his blood, poured out to establish the new covenant and provide forgiveness of sins for many. Just as the old covenant was inaugurated with the blood of sacrifices at Sinai (Ex. 24:8), the new covenant—offering forgiveness to all people, both Jews and Gentiles—was inaugurated through the shedding of Jesus’s blood on the cross. His words, describing his body as “given for you” and his blood as “poured out for many,” reflect the deeply sacrificial nature of his death, which would bring salvation to the world.
Reflections for Holy Week and Beyond
As we reflect on Jesus' final meal, we are invited not only to remember His sacrifice but to recommit our lives to the New Covenant He established. His body was broken; His blood was shed—so that we might be reconciled, forgiven, and made whole.
As we reflect on Maundy Thursday, we should be reminded that every time we approach the Lord’s Table, we should do so with reverence, gratitude, and awe, seeing in the simple bread and wine the immeasurable love of our Redeemer, who loved us to the end.
Works cited and consulted.
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., & Hurst, R. (Eds.). (2016). Passover. In The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press
Köstenberger, A. J., & Taylor, J. (2014). The final days of Jesus: The most important week of the most important person who ever lived. Crossway.
Rutledge, F. (2015). The crucifixion: Understanding the death of Jesus Christ. Eerdmans.