Luke 22:7-23
The Last Supper
7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."
9"Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked.
10He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there."
13They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
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.
Jesus has His Last Supper with His Twelve disciples...The disciples think it will be a Passover meal with their Teacher...The supper takes place in Jerusalem in an upper room that is found (the room) by Jesus with His great power...Jesus sends Peter and John to the city to find a man carrying a jar of water...They are to follow this man to the owner of the house and then say to the owner of the house, "The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"..."The owner will show you a large furnished, upper room...Make preparations there."...Peter and John found these things just as Jesus had said...So the disciples prepared for Passover...
When the hour came, Jesus and the Twelve reclined at the table, in the upper room in Jerusalem, to eat...Jesus tells them that after He eats tonight, He will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the Kingdom of God...He continues and says I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God return...St. Paul tells us this is His last meal and His last drink until He returns again (1 Corinthians 11:26)...
The disciples are familiar with the Passover...The Passover is ate with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs...During the Passover the blood of the lamb was placed on the tops and sides of the door frames...The meal was to be eaten quickly, because the Egyptians were finally letting the Israelis leave the country...The people must be ready and prepared to leave, and leave quickly...This would protect the Israeli people from the plague...The blood would be a sign that God would see and He would Passover that home...That home would be safe from the plague...
Jesus takes bread, breaks it and tells His disciples that the unleavened bread is His body given for you; do this in remembrance of me...In the same way He takes His cup and tells His disciples that this cup is the new covenant and the wine is His blood, which is poured for out for you... Like the lambs blood that saved their ancestors, His blood would have the Twelve and all who believed in Him and the One who sent Him...God had made the past Passover covenant with Moses and His people...Now Jesus gives us a new covenant...This New Covenant will be His blood and water pouring out on the cross, when He dies for us...We then will be safe...The plague of death will pass over us and we will be safe...He will give us eternal life...
Jesus knows His ministry is coming to fruition...There also is great irony here...Judas is about to betray Him...There are those who don't believe, do not want to believe, do not understand, or do not want to understand...Everyone will not believe in the power of the Father and Son...There are those who think they do not need the Father or the Son...Satan enters Judas and he betrays His Teacher...His denial of Him would lead to his (Judas') death...
Meals and eating with family and friends is important and an intimate setting where bonds and relationships are deepened and strengthened... Jesus adds to the importance of our eating...We are to remember Him...We must eat, so if we drift from Him, our mealtime will bring us back to Him...We need to be thankful to Him...He died on a cross...This is what OUR sins did...He was sinless...He died for us...He died for our sins, not His...Our daily bread reminds us of this...When we eat and drink we are to examine ourselves before we eat and drink of His cup...We are to act and live in way that honors the LORD (1 Corinthians 11:29)...