The Last Supper was an important event that happened during Passion Week. It is the final supper Jesus had with His disciples. After the Last Supper, Judas betrayed Jesus, and the Lord was taken away to be put on trial. The Lord faced a trial, and despite not being found guilty of any crime, the people rioted for Jesus to be crucified. When Pilate could take it no longer, he obeyed their wishes and ordered Jesus to be crucified.
While many of us know the story of the Last Supper and how Judas betrayed Him, we often overlook key details that happened at the Last Supper. Through careful study and observation of the passages recording the Last Supper, we can discover the lesser-known details surrounding this important event in biblical history.
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1. What the Bread and the Wine Symbolize ...
One little-known detail about the Last Supper is that the bread symbolizes Jesus’ body, and the wine symbolizes His blood. While His disciples may not have been fully aware of this connection yet, we can make the connection as believers living in the modern day. The symbolism of Jesus’ body and blood is significant. Scripture reads, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying,
‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” - Matthew 26:26-28
As the Lord stated, the bread was a symbol of His body and the wine was symbolic of Jesus’ blood of the covenant. Even though the disciples were not literally eating Jesus’ body and drinking His blood, it held significance. We often overlook this important detail when reading the account of the Last Supper. Everything recorded within the Last Supper has meaning. No part of it should be overlooked or seen as something that holds no value. Throughout the Bible, we are given essential facts, including what happened at the Last Supper, and we do not need to ignore these truths.
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2. The Last Supper was Prophesied in the Old Testament
A second little-known detail about the Last Supper is that it was prophesied in the Old Testament. Psalm 110:4 says,
“The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’”
From this passage of Scripture, we see that Jesus was already foretold to be a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when He died on the cross for our sins. The events of the Last Supper, the betrayal by Judas, the crucifixion, and the resurrection were already all prophesied in the Old Testament. While many people could overlook this, it is wise to pay attention to it.
Through Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies, He proved He is the Messiah. The people of Israel rejected Him, yet the Lord is the long-awaited Messiah who would bring salvation and redemption to His people. The Last Supper is one of these events that had to take place. Ahead of time, the Lord had already told His disciples what would happen, yet it was about to be fulfilled a little while after He and his disciples left the dinner (John 18:1-14).
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3. The Last Supper Took Place During Passover
A third little-known detail about the Last Supper is that it occurred during Passover. Passover is a Jewish holiday that meant a lot to the people of Israel when Jesus was walking on the earth. Many Jewish people in the modern day also hold Passover with special honor and pride. Passover is the remembrance of when God passed over the houses of those who marked their doors with blood at the time of the slaughter of the firstborns (Exodus 12:1-30).
This was a judgment being placed upon Pharaoh and all of Egypt. Since Pharaoh would not let Israel go. This was a plague that would finally ensure Israel would be released. Even though Pharaoh released Israel, Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued Moses and Israel until the sea swallowed them up. From this, we can see how important Passover is to Jews and its significance in their hearts.
Moreover, there is special significance that the Last Supper took place during the Passover. Just as Israel was delivered by the hand of God out of Egypt, the Lord was delivering His people from eternal separation from Him. Jesus was bringing forgiveness, mercy, and redemption. True freedom is only found in Christ, just as freedom was given to Israel when they were delivered from Egypt.
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4. Passover Initiated the Modern Commemorance of Communion
A fourth known detail about the Last Supper is that it is the official start of communion. Before the Last Supper, Communion had not yet happened. Communion, also known as the Eucharist, is the anniversary and remembrance of the Last Supper. When we eat the communion bread and drink the juice, we participate in communion with the Lord. This is something that is a true honor, and it points us to our Savior.
Believers from the time of the early church celebrated communion, even though they may have called it something else during their lifetime. Nonetheless, believers have been participating in communion ever since the Lord commanded us to do so. Whenever we participate in communion, we are communing with the Lord, praising Him, and giving Him thanks. Each time you partake in communion, go to the Lord in prayer and thank Him for all He has done and continues to do.
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5. Jesus Already Knew Judas Was Going to Betray Him
A fifth little-known detail about the Last Supper is that Jesus already knew Judas would betray Him. The Lord said,
“‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.” - John 13:10-11
From Jesus’ words, we see that Jesus knew which of the Twelve would betray Him. Judas had chances to place faith in Jesus, yet He was not willing. There are second, third, fourth, and a hundred chances when it comes to God, and Judas is no exception.
However, as it is, Judas never chose to turn to the Lord. From the beginning, Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, yet this is how things had to be played out. The Lord knows everything. Therefore, it is important to note that nobody tricked the Lord.
Jesus knew what He was doing the entire time and the fate that awaited Him on the cross. Although this was not pleasant, Jesus endured the cross for us (Hebrews 12:2). This is something that we must all learn from the Last Supper. It was Jesus’ final supper with His disciples, and it was during the Passover. Jesus was going to be the perfect, flawless Passover lamb who would die for the world's sins.
Jesus completed this task, and we can now have forgiveness, eternal life, and redemption through Him. There is something dangerous about undermining or downplaying the Last Supper because it is a truly amazing blessing. All of Jesus’ earthly life contains details we can learn from, which will help us grow to become better followers of Him. At the end of our lives, the most important thing we will reflect on is how Jesus has redeemed us from our sins, and we will pass from death to life. This is only possible because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross.
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Originally published Monday, 29 January 2024.