As I was writing today, it just felt wrong to continue in James and to not post about Maundy Thursday. This is Holy Week, and today was the Last Supper, and the First Lord’s Supper observed.
The First Lord’s Supper
14 When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”
20 In the same way, He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you. 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is at the table with Me! 22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
23 So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do this thing.
Can you imagine being in the room with Jesus? You are reclining around the table, everyone is talking and celebrating Passover and then the tone changes, Jesus getting very serious, saying, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” His word choice is intense. His desire was to spend this time together before His suffering began and to teach his apostles one more time.
Today, let’s take a few minutes to put ourselves in that room and try and imagine what it was like for the Last Supper.
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Lk 22:14–23). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
