What is the Last Supper
In the Gospel we read that on the eve of His suffering, Christ spent the evening with his disciples. It is called “The Last Supper.” What a “secret” is is clear, and supper means dinner, an evening meal. What kind of secret supper is this?
It was secret because Christ and His disciples were hiding from the Jews who wanted to capture Him and put Him to death. The Pharisees had already reached the extreme level of hatred that they were ready to commit a terrible sin - murder. And it is doubly scary that they were going to commit this crime on the eve of the great Jewish holiday - Passover . The Jewish people revered this holiday sacredly, and began preparing for it a few days in advance.
Christ and the apostles did not violate Jewish customs and also prepared to celebrate Easter. Of course, the Savior knew what awaited Him in the coming days, so He was not at all in a festive mood. He grieved internally and prepared for death.
The Last Supper: description from the Gospel
A few days before the Jewish Passover, Christ told his disciples, when they asked where they would eat the holiday meal, that they should go to the city. At the same time, the Savior did not say a word, out of His great humility, that He was that same Passover, the Lamb of God , whom the prophets predicted. But He speaks, foreseeing that they will meet such and such a person. The apostles should have asked him to prepare Easter for them.
And so it happened, as the Savior predicted. The disciples met the man, and the upper room was ready for the supper. When the time came for the evening meal, before eating the food, Christ took off his outer garments, girded himself and began to wash the feet of the apostles. This is what slaves did, and for the Teacher, and even more so, the Son of God, this was unusual behavior.
In this way He showed his disciples an example of great humility. Peter resisted this at first, but then reconciled himself. At the end of the ablution, Christ explained why He did it. And he ordered all His followers to do the same - that means, to humble themselves.
Usually at such a meal the head of the family had to bless the bread and wine. Therefore, Christ, by right of the elder, took the bread, but at the same time uttered rather strange words: “Take, eat, this is My Body!” . And then he took a cup of wine and said no less strange words: “Drink from it, this is My Blood . Of course, the apostles could not immediately understand the meaning of everything that was said. Thus Christ instituted the Sacrament of Communion before His death.
Peter's denial
Photo: Pravmir.ru
The requirement of loyalty of the disciples was violated not only by the betrayal of Judas, but also by the denial of Peter and the panicked flight of the remaining apostles. However, these actions cannot be combined, since there is a line between fidelity, albeit imperfect, and treacherous betrayal.
At night, Judas returns and, approaching Jesus, kisses him, this signal denoting that it is He, and the symbol of the treacherous betrayal “The Kiss of Judas” that has been preserved through the centuries. The apostles try to resist the Lord's capture and draw their swords, but He forbids them to fight. And then Peter, frightened, renounces the Teacher.
Betrayal of Judas
Previously, during meals they did not sit at the table, but reclined around a low table with food. The Apostle John reclined near Christ, so that his head was at the level of His chest. Suddenly the Savior began to feel sad and say that this was His last meal in life. He also warned that terrible times would soon begin for the disciples, and weapons must be prepared.
Then Christ said that they would see Him for the last time, they would have to part forever. At this time, the emotional Peter exclaimed that he would follow Him everywhere, even to death. To this Christ sadly objected that before the first rooster crows, Peter would deny Him three times.
Then He grieved even more and said that one of them would deliver Him to death today. Peter then made a sign to John, who was closest to the Savior, so that he would ask Christ who would betray Him. John asked and heard in response that this was the one to whom He would give a piece of bread. And he gave it to Judas Iscariot. The evangelist claims that Satan entered Judas with this piece . Christ told him to do what he had planned as quickly as possible. But no one understood what was said, thinking that He told Judas to buy something for the holiday, because he had money supplies.
After this, Judas quickly got up from the table and went to the Pharisees to tell them where Christ was now. They rejoiced and began to gather soldiers to go there and take Him.
Chapter 14
1 Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, and believe in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions. But if it were not so, I would have told you: I am going to prepare a place for you. 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that you also may be where I am. 4 And where I am going, you know, and you know the way. 5 Thomas said to Him: Lord! we don’t know where you’re going; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus said to him: I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 If you knew Me, you would also know My Father. And from now on you know Him and have seen Him. 8 Philip said to Him: Lord! show us the Father, and it is enough for us. 9 Jesus said to him, “I have been with you so long, and you do not know Me, Philip?” He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, show us the Father? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak from Myself; The Father abiding in Me, He does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; but if not so, then believe Me by the very works. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me, the works that I do will he do also, and greater works than these will he do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask of the Father in My name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, 17 The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; and you know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I'll come to you. 19 A little while longer, and the world will see Me no more; and you will see Me, for I live, and you will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me; and whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father; and I will love him and appear to him Myself. 22 Judas - not Iscariot - said to Him: Lord! What is it that You want to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world? 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves Me will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; The word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father who sent Me. 25 These things I spoke to you while I was with you. 26 But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard that I said to you: I am going away from you and will come to you. If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I said: I am going to the Father; for My Father is greater than Me. 29 And behold, I told you before it happened, so that when it happened, you might believe. 30 It is already a little while for me to speak with you; For the prince of this world comes and has nothing in Me. 31 But so that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded Me, so I do: get up, let us go from here.
Chapter 15
1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of Me that does not bear fruit He cuts off; and every one that bears fruit he cleanses, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed through the word that I preached to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it is in the vine, so neither can you unless you are in Me. 5 I am the vine, and you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in Me will be cast out like a branch and wither; and such [branches] are collected and thrown into the fire, and they burn. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this will My Father be glorified, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples. 9 As the Father has loved Me, and I have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have told you everything that I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another. 18 If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too; If they have kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me also hates my Father. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else had done, they would not have had sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But let the word that is written in their law be fulfilled: They have hated Me without cause. 26 But when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me; 27 And you also will testify, because you were with Me from the beginning.
Chapter 16
1 I told you these things so that you would not be offended. 2 They will drive you out of the synagogues; the time even comes when everyone who kills you will think that he is serving God. 3 They will do this because they have not known either the Father or Me. 4 But I have told you this so that when that time comes, you will remember what I told you about it; I didn’t tell you this at first, because I was with you. 5 But now I go to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me: Where are you going? 6 But because I told you this, your heart was filled with sorrow. 7 But I tell you the truth: it is better for you that I go; for if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you; and if I go, I will send Him to you, 8 and He, when He comes, will convict the world about sin and about righteousness and about judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about the truth, that I go to My Father, and you will no longer see Me; 11 concerning judgment, that the prince of this world is condemned. 12 I still have much to say to you; but now you cannot contain it. 13 When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth: for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you the things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, because He will take of Mine and proclaim it to you. 15 All that the Father has is Mine; therefore I said that he will take from Mine and tell it to you. 16 Soon you will not see Me, but again soon you will see Me, for I go to the Father. 17 Then [some] of His disciples said to one another, “What is this that He says to us: A little while later you will not see Me, and again a short time later you will see Me, and, “I go to the Father?” 18 So they said, “What is this that He says, “soon”? We don't know what he says. 19 Jesus, realizing that they wanted to ask Him, said to them: Are you asking one another about this, which I said: A little while later you will not see Me, and again a little while later you will see Me? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will mourn and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman gives birth, she suffers sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to a baby, she no longer remembers the sorrow for joy, because a man was born into the world. 22 So now you also have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you; 23 And on that day you will not ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 25 Hitherto I have spoken to you in parables; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in parables, but will tell you directly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you: 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and came into the world; and again I leave the world and go to the Father. 29 His disciples said to Him: Behold, now You speak plainly, and speak no parables. 30 Now we see that You know everything and do not need anyone to question You. Therefore we believe that You came from God. 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?” 32 Behold, the hour is coming, and has already come, that you will be scattered, each to his own [side], and you will leave Me alone; but I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but take heart: I have overcome the world.
Christ's Prayer
After this, feeling the very imminent approach of terrible suffering, Christ begins His prayer. He first prays at the table in front of all the disciples, asking the Father to keep them in the faith and strengthen them. Then, when everyone got up from the table, He went with three disciples: Peter, James and John to the Garden of Gethsemane. Having ordered them to pray, He admitted that His soul was grieving before death.
Departing from them, Christ threw himself to the ground, asking the Father to carry these sufferings past. But He Himself understood that this was impossible, so He humbled himself and said: “Thy will be done . The Savior prayed until drops of sweat appeared that resembled blood. Three times He got up and woke up the sleeping disciples, asking them to pray, but their eyes were covered with sleep. They woke up only when the crowd appeared. These were the Pharisees and soldiers who came to arrest Jesus.
This is where the description of the Last Supper ends in the Gospel and the period of terrible torment of Christ for the human race begins.
Metropolitan Hilarion “The Last Supper. 10 facts"
