Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.”
They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?”
“Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” Then they began to ask one another, which one of them it could be who would do this.
Luke 22:7-23
What we know as the Last Supper began as an ordinary Passover seder for Jesus and his disciples. In a joyous celebration the would recount God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Together they shared this final meal in an upper room in Jerusalem.
I encourage you to check out Pastor Adam’s Palm Sunday sermon in which he describes the Passover meal: https://player.vimeo.com/video/404673733
Jesus changed the tone of the meal as he picked up the bread, gave thanks, broke it and told his disciples to take and eat. The unleavened bread now represented Christ’s body given to the disciples. He then took the cup, blessed it and shared it with his disciples, the wine, now Jesus’ blood of the covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus changed the practice of servants washing the guest’s feet by kneeling down and washing the disciples feet. He demonstrates how we are to lead people and love people.
And Jesus changed the tone once again, announcing that one of the twelve would betray him. And as Peter questioned, Jesus revealed that Peter too would deny Jesus three times before morning.
A lot happened during Jesus’ last supper with his disciples before his arrest. While we know what happened during the next 24 hours as we read through scripture, the disciples did not. A normal Passover meal was transformed into much more, and I’m sure they did not understand all of the significance of Jesus words until after his death and resurrection.
At RezDT we share in Holy Communion every Sunday. We recall the words Jesus used with his disciples on their last meal together. We come forward, eating from the loaf and drinking from the cup. We come forward acknowledging our need for God, our thirst for his truth, our desire for his love.
And to be honest, communion has not meant as much to me as it does now, in a time when we cannot gather and share in the body and blood of Christ. I long for communion. To be surrounded by my brothers and sisters, and to live into our need for God. To feast from the Lord’s table together.
I long for the day in which we can gather again, sharing in Holy Communion, just as Jesus and his disciples did in that final meal together.
Abbey Jo
Adventures with Abbey Jo 
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