Lesson 6
The Last Supper
(Mathew 26:17-19,
Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13)
(Luke 22:24-30 and JST)
Today Jesus
wakes up for the last time he will ever get to sleep on this earth. It is the
Lord's Passover, His Passover. He has
spent the day before resting and rejuvenating Himself so that He can give
Himself for us all of Himself.
McConkie
says: “It is the Passover of Passovers.
In Jehovah's House, in Jerusalem the Holy City, on this very day—April
6, A.D. 30—calculating on the basis of one yearling lamb for each ten persons,
some two hundred and sixty thousand lambs will be slain. An then on the Passover morrow the Lamb of
God himself will be sacrificed; he in whose name and honor countless lambs have
had their blood sprinkled on the holy altar will himself have his blood shed
that its saving power may be sprinkled upon believing souls forever.”
(McConkie, Book 4, p. 19-20)
It is such
an enormous number to comprehend, that many lambs slain and prepared to eat for
the Pascal Supper, and this year, Jesus himself will be slain as well. When we were on our mission in Ethiopia, we
arrived in the mission field on Christmas Eve, on our calendar date. Ethiopia celebrates Christmas and Easter on
their own calendar date, which is on January 7th for Christmas. We had been invited to a member's home a town
away for the celebration of this holiday.
We began our journey to Debre Zeit all over the city of Addis Ababa, on
the street corners and almost any place that could have a pile of something on
it, were piles of animal skins. We
questioned, “what is that?” Everywhere
they were piled. At first we really
weren't sure what the piles were of.
Then as we visited with the members that day at their home; we were told
they were piles of sheep skins. Everyone
prepared a sheep for their Christmas dinner, and months later the same piles
appeared on the street corners again on Easter.
This was an experience to be remembered for sure! The sheep here were also sheep with hair, not
the wooly wool that we know in the United States. It was a vision for us of what the streets
might have looked like in Jesus' time during the Pascal week, preparing for the
Pascal Supper. Lambs were slain,
presented at the altars, and cooked for the evening meal.
“Faithful
Jews had kept the commandment to sacrifice a lamb during Passover in
remembrance of Jehovah’s mercy to the Children of Israel in setting them free
from Egyptian bondage.” (Ridges, p. 7)
This was the custom, a religious law from God, and now the ultimate of
sacrifices would take place, changing that law.
“Now, He would personally partake of His last Passover meal, including a
lamb sacrificed for that purpose, symbolic of Him, and then He would literally
become the 'Lamb', sacrificed for all.” (Ridges, p.7)
On Thursday
morning the disciples asked Jesus, “Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that
thou mayest eat the passover?” (Mark 14:12)
“And he sent Peter and John, saying go and prepare the passover, that we
may eat. And they said unto him, Where
wilt thou that we prepare?” Jesus then said to them; “Behold, when ye are
entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water;
follow him into the house where he entereth in.
And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto
thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my
disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make
ready. And they went, and found as he
had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.” (Luke 22:8-13)
McConkie
tells us a further story about making ready the passover: “Both Mark and
Luke say that Peter and John were to “make ready” the
Passover meal, and they both record that “they made ready the passover.” Of necessity this means that the two
apostles, rather than the homeowner or some other person, were required to and
did attend the temple services for the formal slaying and preparation of the
lamb; two of the chief apostles, for themselves and on behalf of their Lord and
their brethren, were complying to the full letter of the law on the last day on
which its provisions were in force.
When, on the morrow, the true Paschal Lamb was slain, the old order
would be over and the new covenant only would have binding efficacy and
force. And so we envision Peter and John
in the temple courts, amid the massive throngs of worshipers, submitting for
the last time in this respect to the law of Moses, and there witnessing and
participating in the ceremonial performances so familiar to them.” (McConkie, Book 4, pg 25)
What were
the performances? The slaying of the
Paschal lambs by their owners and the sprinkling of the blood of the lamb on
the altar by the priests. Also as this
is taking place at the altar, words are chanted as recorded in Psalms 81. The
Lamb is then broken into three sections.
In between action of breaking the lamb into sections, silver trumpets
are blown 3 times by the priests.
“After
attending to all that was incumbent upon them, Peter and John—with their lamb
flayed and cleansed, and with the required parts left on the altar for
burning—returned to the appointed home to meet Jesus and the others, there to
partake of the crowning Paschal supper of the ages.” (McConkie, Book 4, p. 26) The Paschal supper was made ready.
Jesus
arrives with the other ten disciples to the appointed home, and the climb the
stairs to the upper chamber as was prophesied.
The party now of the twelve and Jesus prepare to “recline” around the
passover table. (McConkie, B.4, p. 34)
There is contention as to who will sit by Jesus. Usually the chief of the disciples would sit
on either side, but Judas wins and sits by Jesus and Peter takes another place at the table, across from
John. (McConkie, Book 4, p. 31-32)
“And supper
being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's
son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that
the Father had giveth all things into his hands, and that he was come from God,
and went to God; He riseth from the supper, and laid aside his garments; and
took a towel and girded himself. After
that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and
to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.” (John 13:2-5)
Jesus
crosses to the other side of the table to Peter, and kneels to begin to wash
his feet first. Peter is the senior apostle. It is customary that his feet are
washed first. (McConkie, Book 4, p. 37)
“Then cometh
he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?” This is something a servant or slave would be
doing, not the host of the dinner.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but
thou shalt know hereafter.” Jesus is
telling him, I am about to perform a sacred ordinance, let me do this and I
will explain the meaning later. “Peter
saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.
Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet
only, but also my hands and my head.
Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every
whit: and ye are clean, but not all.” (John 13: 6-10)
After the
other disciples listened to this conversation between Peter and Jesus, learning
that Jesus is giving them a sacred ordinance, no other disciple objected to
Jesus as he washed their feet not even Judas who was not clean.
“So after he
had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he
said unto them; Know ye what I have done to you?” (John 13:12)
McConkie
explains this to us: “What had he
done? He had instituted—nay,
reinstituted, for 'the order of the house of God has been, and ever will be,
the same' —he had reinsituted on of the holy ordinances of the everlasting
gospel. Those who have been washed in
the waters of baptism, who have been freed from the sins and evil through the
waters of regeneration, who have come forth thereby in a newness of life, and
who then press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, keeping the commandments
and walking in paths of truth and righteousness, qualify to have an eternal
seal placed on their godly conduct. They
are thus ready to be endowed with power from on high. Then, in holy places, they cleanse their
hands and their feet, as the scripture saith, and become 'clean from the blood
of this wicked generation'. (D&C
88:74-75, 137-141) Then as the scripture
also saith, they receive anointings and washing and conversations and statutes
and judgments. (D&C 124:37-40) Then
they receive what Jesus here gave the Twelve, for as the Prophet said: 'The
house of the Lord must be prepared,...and in it we must attend to the ordinance
of washing of feet. It was never intended for any but official members. It is calculated to unite our hearts, that we
may be one in feeling and sentiment, and that our faith may be strong, so that
Satan cannot overthrow us, nor have any power over us
here.'(Commentary,1:709)
Did the
Twelve then know what Jesus had done in their behalf? Perhaps in part, with the full significance
to come to them after receiving that pentecostal endowment from on high which
is the Holy Ghost. No doubt, also, Jesus
then said more to them than John chose to record, for many things relative to
these holy things are too sacred to publish to the world.” (McConkie, Book 4 p.
39-40)
Then Jesus
said to them: “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed
your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye
should do as I have done to you.
Verily,
verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he
that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are
ye if ye do them.” (John 13: 13-17)
Such a great
lesson to us about an eternal ordinance.
“It should be clear to all, however, that just as the act of immersion
in water only hints at the true significance and power of baptism, so the act
of washing of feet is far more than the cleansing and refreshing of dusty and tired
pedal extremities. It is an eternal
ordinance, with eternal import, understood only by enlightened saints.”
(McConkie, Book 4, p. 40)
Jesus then
names His betrayer, and Judas leaves the party of holy men.
Now, we are
given a second ordinance. The Sacrament.
This occurs
at the end of eating the Pascal supper, “And as they were eating, Jesus took
bread and brake it and blessed it and gave to his disciples and said:
As Matthew
records: “Take, eat; this is in remembrance of my body which I give a ransom
for you.” (JST Matthew 26:22-25)
As Mark
records: “Take it, and eat. Behold, this
is for you to do in remembrance of my body; for as oft as ye do this ye will
remember this hour that I was with you.” (JST Mark 14:20-25)
As Luke
records: “This is my body which is given
for you: this do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)
The three
records are all similar, but said in different ways. He broke bread and blessed it, then shared it
with the disciples.
“And he took
the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank
of it. And he said unto them:
As Mark
records: “This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.” (Mark
14: 23-24)
As Luke
records: “This cup is the new testament
in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20)
As Matthew
records: “For this is in remembrance of
my blood of the new testament, which is shed for as many as shall believe on my
name, for the remission of their sins.” (JST Matthew 26:24)
Then Matthew
records in the JST of the New Testament, “And I give unto you a commandment,
that ye shall observe to do the things which ye have seen me do, and bear
record of me even unto the end.” (JST Matthew 26:25)
Mark has a
record of this also in the JST: “And he
said unto them, This is in remembrance of my blood which is shed for many, and
the new testament which I give unto you; for of me ye shall bear record unto
all the world. And as oft as ye do this
ordinance, ye will remember me in this hour that I was with you and drank with
you of this cup, even the last time in my ministry. Verily I say unto you, of this ye shall bear
record; for I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine with you, until that
day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (JST Mark 14:23-25)
Jesus
administered to them the water, blessed it, and they drank, learning that this
ordinance is to remember Him.
Each week as
we attend our Sacrament Meeting, we are privileged to partake of the sacrament,
administered by worthy Aaronic Priesthood holders, to renew the covenants that
we made with Him, the Savior, at baptism.
It is a time of reflection and re-commitment as we are able to partake
of these sacred emblems of the Savior.
One Sunday
morning as I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting, I was reflecting on the things I
have been writing about of the last week of the Saviors life. I looked up as we were singing the Sacrament
song, and for some reason I was able to see the Priests as they were breaking
the bread. As I watched the hands of the
special young man standing at the end of the table carefully breaking the bread
into the tray, my mind reflected back to the Savior as He broke the bread at
the Last Supper. His hands were moving,
and I was seeing the Savior enveloping Him in this preparation of the sacrament
bread. Immediately I was taken with
emotion as I watched this beautiful ordinance become so very real, coming from
the Savior, in remembrance of Him. I was
deeply touched and will never forget this beautiful experience the Lord granted
to me as the Sacrament was being prepared.
It is in
remembrance of Him! This is a very
sacred ordinance given to us in our day.
In 3rd Nephi the Sacrament prayer was not given to us, nor in
the New Testament was the Sacrament prayer given to us, but Moroni in the very
last book of the Book of Mormon gives us the prayer that worthy priesthood
holders use to administer the Sacrament.
What a great blessing this ordinance is in our lives!
Next in the
upper room Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him thrice. John records some more teaching that evening:
the discourse on the two comforters, the discourse on the law of love, and the
discourse on the Holy Ghost.
The Last Supper
Prepare
Matthew 26:17-19,
Mark 14:12-16, Luke
22:7-13
Luke 22:24-30
JST of these verses
Tell
the story of the Last Supper, the preparation that
needed
to take place and why. How can we relate
these
preparations to us and what we do at Easter time.
What
are the two ordinances Jesus gives to the Twelve at
the
Last Supper? What is the importance of
these
two
ordinances? How can we use and
understand
these
sacred ordinances? What would it have
been like
to be
there? Did they sit or recline at the
table?
Who
was not worthy, and what happened?
Remembering
There
are so many things we can do to remember the Last
Supper. Using our time during the Sacrament as sacred
is
just one thing. This can be done every
Sunday as we
attend
Sacrament Meeting. Is it a coincidence that it is
called
Sacrament Meeting?
Put
out a bowl and towel to remember the
sacred
ordinance of the washing of the feet by
the
Savior.
Act of Service
What
can you do as an act of service that will represent the
Last
Supper. Jesus, the Master of all,
presented a
sacred
ordinance as he washed the feet of his
disciples. What can we do for others that we may serve
them.
He
taught: “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed
your
feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.”
(John
13: 14)
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