Last Supper
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In the Christian Gospels, the Last Supper (also called the Lord's Supper or Mystical Supper) was the last meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles and disciples before his death. The Last Supper has been the subject of many paintings, perhaps the most famous by Leonardo da Vinci.
In the course of the Last Supper, and with specific reference to taking bread and wine, Jesus told his disciples, "Do this in remembrance of me", (1 Corinthians 11:23–26). Other events and dialogue are recorded in the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. Many Christians describe this as the "Institution of the Eucharist" (see Maundy Thursday).
The vessel which was used to serve the wine is sometimes called the Holy Chalice, and has been the one of the supposed subjects of Holy Grail literature in Christian mythology.
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[edit] New Testament
[edit] Earliest Description
The Apostle Paul was the first to write of the Last Supper. He wrote:
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Paul states he learned of the ceremony directly from the Lord, that is to say, by revelation.
[edit] Location
According to tradition, the Last Supper took place in what is called today The Room of the Last Supper on Mount Zion, just outside of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, and is traditionally known as The Upper Room. This is based on the account in the Synoptic Gospels that states that Jesus had instructed a pair of unnamed disciples to go to the city to meet a man carrying a jar of water, who would lead them to a house, where they were to ask for the room where the teacher has a guest room. This room is specified as being the upper room, and they prepare the passover there. It is not actually specified where the city refers to, and it may refer to one of the suburbs of Jerusalem, such as Bethany; the traditional location is not based on anything more specific in the Bible, and may easily be wrong. The traditional location is an area that, according to archaeology, had a large Essene community, adding to the points which make several scholars suspect a link between Jesus and the group (Kilgallen 265).
Saint Mark's Syrian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem is another possible site for the room that the Last Supper was held in and contains a Christian stone inscription testifying to early reverence for that spot. Certainly the room they have is older than that of the coenaculum (crusader - twelfth century) and as the room is now underground the relative altitude is correct (the streets of first century Jerusalem were at least twelve feet (3.6metres) lower than those of today, so any true building of that time would have even its upper storey currently under the earth). They also have a revered Icon of the Virgin Mary, reputedly painted from life by St Luke.
[edit] Bread and wine
In the course of the Last Supper, according to Paul and the Synoptic Gospels (but not the Gospel of John), Jesus divides up some bread, says a prayer (see also grace), and hands the pieces to his disciples, saying this is my body. He then takes a cup of wine, (known as the Holy Grail), offers another prayer, and hands it around, saying this is my blood of the everlasting 'covenant', which is poured for many . Finally, according to Paul and Luke, he tells the disciples do this in memory of me. These words signify the whole point in the final meal. Jesus wants the disciples to remember him, and his ways even in death, because he knows that they will again be reunited in the kingdom of God.
During Jewish Passover meals, the wine was usually consumed during the eating of the bread, but here it occurs after. This may indicate that the event was not the official Passover dinner, and hence more in line with John's chronology (Brown et al. 626), although the meal could easily have been altered during the Last Supper for symbolic/religious purposes, or simply because the Gospel writers did not have complete knowledge of Jewish practice, as suggested by their chronologies.
If we follow Corinthians cited above or the Synoptic Gospels, it appears that the cup of wine, which is said to be drunk "after having eaten", refers to either the third cup of the Passover Seder, which is held during grace after meals, or the fourth, on which the Hallel is recited.
This institute has been regarded by Christians of different denominations as the first Eucharist or Holy Communion. Jesus' behaviour may be derived from a passage in the Book of Isaiah, where Isaiah 53:12 refers to a blood sacrifice that Moses is described in Exodus as having made in order to seal a covenant with God Exodus 24:8. Scholars often interpret the description of Jesus' behaviour as him asking his disciples to consider themselves part of a sacrifice, where Jesus is the one due to physically undergo it (Brown et al. 626).
[edit] Betrayal
According to the Canonical Gospels, during the meal, Jesus revealed that one of his Apostles would betray him and that would be Judas. Despite the assertions of each Apostle that it would not be he, Jesus is described as reiterating that it would be one of those who were present, and goes on to say that there shall be woe to the man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born (Mark 14:20-21).
It is only in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 26:23-26:25) and The Gospel of John (John 13:26-13:27) where Judas Iscariot is specifically singled out. This is the very moment poignantly portrayed in Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
[edit] Abandonment
As well as the prediction of betrayal, the four canonical gospels recount that Jesus knew the Apostles (disciples) would fall away. Simon Peter states that he will not abandon Jesus even if the others do, but Jesus tells him that Peter would deny Jesus thrice before the cock had crowed twice. Peter is described as continuing to deny it, stating that he would remain true even if it meant death, and the other apostles are described as stating the same about themselves.
[edit] Sermon
After the meal, according to John, Jesus gave an extended sermon to his disciples John 14-16. This sermon is sometimes referred to as the farewell discourse of Jesus, and has historically been considered a source of Christian doctrine, particularly on the subject of Christology. Amongst the Canonical Gospels, John is unusual in the complexity of its Christology (which has led to questions about its authenticity), and this sermon portrays one of the most complex Christological descriptions in John. Although ostensibly an address by Jesus to his disciples, some scholars[citation needed] have theorized that the chapter is written with events concerning the later church in mind, particularly that of the 2nd century. Jesus is presented as explaining the relationship between himself and his followers, and seeking to model this relationship on his own relationship with God.
The chapter introduces the extended metaphor of Jesus as the true vine. God is described as the vine tender, and his disciples are said to be branches, which must 'abide' in him if they are to 'bear fruit'. The disciples are warned that barren branches are pruned by the vinedresser. This image has been influential in Christian art and iconography. The disciples are reminded of the love of God for Jesus, and of Jesus for the disciples (especially the beloved disciple), and are then instructed to love one another in the same manner. It goes on to speak of the greatest love as being the willingness to lay down life for one's friends, and this passage has since been widely used to affirm the sacrifice of martyrs and soldiers in war, and is thus often seen on war memorials and graves.
The sermon goes on to talk of Jesus' sending "another paraclete" (Greek: άλλο Παράκλητον), a "Spirit of Truth" that will testify about Jesus (John 14:16). Paraclete means "comforter", "counsellor", or "advocate", and is traditionally understood as referring to the Holy Spirit. When the dogmatic definition of the Trinity became necessary in the 3rd century, the passage became central to the arguments about the role of the Holy Spirit. Arguments about the filioque clause which partly caused the East-West Schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, centered around this verse. In some sectors of the early Jesus movement the paraclete was considered a more human figure, and, in the 2nd century, Montanus claimed that he himself was this paraclete that had been promised.
[edit] Remembrances
The institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper is remembered by Roman Catholics as one of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, and by most Christians as the "inauguration of the New Covenant", mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah, fulfilled at the last supper when Jesus said, "Take, eat; this [bread] is My Body; which is broken for you. Par-take of the cup, drink; this [wine] is My Blood, which is shed for many; for the remission of sins". Other Christian groups consider the Bread and Wine remembrance as a change to the Passover ceremony, as Jesus Christ has become "our Passover, sacrificed for us" (I Corinthians 5:7). Partaking of the Passover Communion (or fellowship) is now the sign of the New Covenant, when properly understood by the practicing believer.
These meals evolved into more formal worship services and became codified as the Mass in Catholic Church, and as the Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Churches. At these liturgies, Catholics and Eastern Orthodox celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The name Eucharist is from the Greek word eucharistia which means thanksgiving.
Each major division of Christianity has formed a different theology about the exact meaning and purpose of these remembrance ceremonies, but most of them contain similarities.
[edit] Agape
Early Christianity observed a ritual meal known as the "agape feast"[1] These love feasts were apparently a full meal, with each participant bringing their own food, and with the meal eaten in a common room. They were held on Sundays which became known as the Lord's Day, to recall the resurrection, the appearance of Christ to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the appearance to Thomas and the Pentecost which all took place on Sundays after the Passion. Jude, and the apostle Paul referred to these as "your love-feasts", by way of warning (about "who shows up" to these). Following the meal, as at the Last Supper, the apostle, bishop or priest prayed the words of institution over bread and wine which was shared by all the faithful present. In the later half of the first century, especially after the martyrdom of Peter and Paul, passages from the writings of the apostles were read and preached upon before the blessing of the bread and wine took place.
Some echoes of the "agape meal" may remain in fellowship, or potluck dinners held at some churches.
[edit] Name
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Last Supper is referred to as the Mystical Supper, because it is the Institution of the Sacred Mysteries (Sacrament) of the Body and Blood of Christ. The scene is often depicted above the Holy Doors in Orthodox churches, because it is here that the faithful stand to receive Holy Communion. The name indicates the Orthodox belief that the institution is more than a simple "memorial meal", but is the actual mystical union of the faithful with God.
Many Christians speak of the institution of the Eucharist as the "inauguration of the New Covenant", mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah, and believe this prophesy was fulfilled at the Last Supper, when Jesus said, "Take, eat; this [bread] is My Body; which is broken for you. Partake of the cup, drink; this [wine] is My Blood, which is shed for many; for the remission of sins". Other Christian groups consider the Bread and Wine remembrance as a change to the Passover ceremony, as Jesus Christ has become "our Passover, sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Partaking of the Passover Communion (or fellowship) is considered to be the sign of the New Covenant, when properly understood by the practicing believer.
In another variation of the name of the service is "The Lord's Supper". This name is often used by the churches of minimalist traditions, such as those strongly influenced by Zwingli.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commonly refers to the service as The Sacrament. In their services, LDS churches typically substitute water for the wine used by Jesus at the Last Supper.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament Doubleday 1997 ISBN 0-385-24767-2
- Brown, Raymond E. et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary Prentice Hall 1990 ISBN 0-13-614934-0
- Bultmann, Rudolf The Gospel of John Blackwell 1971
- Kilgallen, John J. A Brief Commentary on the Gospel of Mark Paulist Press 1989 ISBN 0-8091-3059-9
- Linders, Barnabus The Gospel of John Marshal Morgan and Scott 1972
[edit] External links
- Site of "Last Supper", tourism.gov.il
- A Different Da Vinci Code The missing pieces of Leonardo's puzzle point to plain and simple Hermeticism (altreligion.about.com article).
- Was the "Last Supper" the Passover Meal?
- A zoomable 16 billion pixel image of the Last Supper
- The Last Supper interpreted by 7 Artists
- Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper (Zoomable Version)
- The Last Supper (Virtual Tour and super high resolution image)
- Passover observance for New Covenant Christians
- The Soteriologic Significance of the Last Supper
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Jesus: The Last Supper
- Frescos of Last Suppers in the Renaissance Refectories of Florence
"The Last Supper". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.
