The Last Supper
We are now just days before Easter and our focus is on the resurrection and the work our Savior did on the cross. It is timely to examine a passage that celebrates good news through the intimate communion act we participate in to this day.
In the account of the last supper in Matthew 26 there is much that can be dissected, but I want to focus our attention on the relationship Jesus has with his disciples.
So much is weighing on Jesus at this time. He clearly knows his mission and what is before him. He knows of the impending betrayal and the abandonment of his disciples. Yet his love for his disciples is such that he makes a point to share the Passover meal with them. I love how the Passion version records the account:
“My heart longs with great desire to eat this Passover meal with you…”
–Matthew 26:18 (TPT)
It is so telling of who Jesus is that he “longed with great desire” to be with his team.
Even the honesty of Jesus’s confrontation with his disciples (vv. 20–23) about his impending betrayal signals a deep love, as it may be an opportunity for Judas to reconsider. It also demonstrates the vulnerability Jesus had with his disciples.
Finally, Jesus’s ultimate act of love is illustrated and sealed through a love covenant:
“As they ate, Jesus took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to his disciples. He said to them, ‘This is my body. Eat it.’ Then taking the cup of wine, he gave thanks to the Father, he entered into covenant with them, saying, ‘This is my blood. Each of you must drink it in fulfillment of the covenant. For this is the blood that seals the new covenant. It will be poured out for many for the complete forgiveness of sins.’” –Matthew 26:26–28 (TPT)
It can be hard to slow down and feel the impact of this moment before his horrific death.
As he looks around the table, each one of these men needs his spilt blood. His connection with each of them is intimate and unique, and all of them perhaps secretly hope to be his favorite.
His love kept him in that room with them, even while knowing what was just hours from happening to him.
For Reflection:
1. We have all seen images of the Last Supper, the most famous of course by Da Vinci, and others that are likely more accurate that depict the 12 reclining on the floor as was the custom during this period. Take a few minutes to view these images of the Last Supper and imagine yourself sitting with Jesus in this moment.
Altar dossal, embroidered by Edmund Harrison, c. 1630s
The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci
2. Consider the loneliness Jesus may have experienced sitting in the room with those on earth who knew him best and loved him, yet knowing that they were going to betray or abandon him.
3. Take some time today to gather elements and as you partake, beyond acknowledging his body and blood, prayerfully renew your “love covenant” with Jesus.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Brown is Novo’s Chief Operating Officer. Kevin joined Novo in 1998 to spearhead the communications efforts in the area of website and video production. Since that time, Novo has doubled in size, and Kevin's role has adjusted accordingly. He has managed several teams including IT, Communications, Finance, and the Staff Training Team and led a variety of initiatives including staff conferences. He holds a degree in Communication from Biola University. Kevin and his wife Colleen live in Vancouver, Washington.
