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Author: Stephen Weller
609 words, 3 minutes read time

The Meal

Scripture: Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14-18; John 13:1-2

With the following lesson we were finally able to finish a short section in which we addressed several timeline issues. From that study a diagram was developed to help visualize that timeline. With this lesson we will cover a short section in which Jesus and the disciples are in the upper room reclined at table.

^{Jn 13:1} Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ^{Lk 22:14} And when the hour came, ^{Mk 14:17} and it was evening, he came with the twelve [and] L^{k 22:14} he reclined at table, and the apostles with him.

The Feast of the Passover to be celebrated by the Jews will occur on the eve of Nisan 15, Thursday evening. Jesus and the disciples are in the upper room one day before that feast, which would be Nisan 14, Wednesday evening. Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world and return to the Father and we find him reclined at table with his disciples (apostles).

Lk 22:15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine ^{Mt 26:29} until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

It appears that Jesus did not eat this Passover meal and it is most likely that a Passover lamb was not used because the four days were not up for it. Verse 16 seems to indicate that Jesus did not eat this meal because of the suffering that lay ahead of him. The important part of this meal was sharing the cup and giving thanks. The Lord’s supper is covered in a later lesson and appears to occur later in the meal.  Jesus was about to become the true Passover Lamb who would be sacrificed for the sins of his people.

Jesus took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.” This cup represents the blood he will shed to cover our sin. Jesus told them that he would not drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when he drinks it new with them in his Father’s kingdom.

^{Jn 13:2} During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray [Jesus].

At this point in the meal, John points out that the devil was at work and probably causing Judas to be somewhat agitated. This will not go unnoticed by Jesus and will be addressed very soon.

Conclusion

Jesus and his disciples are in the upper room, reclined at table, and have just sipped from the cup of the fruit of the vine, which represents the blood of Jesus that he shed for our sin. At this point the devil seems to be at work in Judas and, as we will see in the next lesson, in the lives of the disciples. The devil does manage to disrupt this meal as we will see.