The Last Supper

In this message we are going to look at the events which took place in the upper room on the evening before the Lord was arrested. This meal is often referred to as ‘the last supper’. It is deeply significant for us because it introduces us to the commandment to remember Jesus in his appointed way. We know the events very well and therefore perhaps we tend not to think about the circumstances surrounding this meal. I want us to try and imagine ourselves in that upper room along with the disciples.

The first point I want to make is that this meal did not take place as an actual Passover meal. We can show that quite simply in the way this meal took place before Jesus was arrested. After his arrest, he was held overnight, went through his trial with Caiaphas, and then was taken to Pilate. The Jews would not enter Pilate’s judgement hall because that would make them ceremonially defiled, and would hence not be able to keep the Passover meal. I am sure that you remember the account of how the disciples and Jesus arrived at the upper room. But perhaps you have never really thought about what went on beforehand. If you look at Luke 22:8, you will see that Jesus had sent Peter and John on ahead and told them to prepare the Passover. They did not know where to go, and so he gave them the sign of the man carrying a pitcher of water. They were told to follow him into the house which he entered.

There are lots of questions that we should ask. First of all, why did Jesus choose this unusual sign? Why did he not simply tell them the address? I think that the answer must be that Jesus wanted to keep it secret. Concerning Judas, Jesus knew what was in Judas’ heart. If everyone had known the address where this last supper was to take place, then Judas might well have slipped away and told the Jews about that private place. It would have provided an ideal opportunity for the Jews to have arrested Jesus. But Jesus did not want these last precious hours with his disciples to be disrupted in any way: hence the sign which kept the upper room secret.

The next question is this: why did Jesus choose Peter and John to prepare the room and the table for the rest of the disciples? If I were to ask you who were the most important disciples you would almost certainly say Peter and John. They both had strong personalities: they both took the lead on occasion amongst the other disciples. You can imagine them thinking that they ought not to be doing this work. Perhaps it would have been better done by someone less important, someone less significant? I wonder if Jesus chose them so that we should all learn a lesson. Sometimes there is a tendency for the important brothers to think that they do not need to do the less important tasks- but that is not always right. We all need to know and understand that however old, wise or prominent we are in the ecclesia, we still have to play our part in the lesser, menial tasks.

Why did Jesus choose the sign of a man carrying a pitcher of water? In Jerusalem in the time of Jesus, you did not see men carrying a pitcher of water. Men simply did not do that task: it was women’s work. And perhaps the choice of this man in addition to the choice of Peter and John was to underline the lesson of service to others.

Bro Maxwell Choongo

Bro Maxwell Choonga (Kasaka, Zambia)