I was in a restaurant last week and struck up a conversation with an 89-year-old Jewish man. As we started talking about Jesus, he let me know that he was very disappointed with Christians for not knowing that when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper, He was actually celebrating the Passover. Jesus was partaking of a Seder meal, which is commonly celebrated by the Jews during Passover.
Was this gentleman correct? Was the Last Supper actually a Passover meal? Well, the answer to that question is interesting.
Below are five commonalities between a Passover/Seder meal and the Last Supper.
During the Passover Festival
“Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread
the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him,
Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?”
Matthew 26:17
Passover/Seder: The meal is eaten on the first night of Passover, commemorating the Exodus (Exodus 12:14).
Last Supper: Jesus ate the meal with his disciples at the start of Passover.*
Unleavened Bread
“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it,
and gave unto them, saying, This is my body
which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.”
Luke 22:19
Passover/Seder: Unleavened bread (matzah) is eaten, symbolizing haste in leaving Egypt (Exodus 12:8).
Last Supper: Jesus broke bread, identified as unleavened in the Passover context, and gave it new meaning.*
Wine as Part of the Meal
“And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them,
saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Matthew 26:27-28
Passover/Seder: Wine is consumed, traditionally four cups, symbolizing redemption and joy (based on later Jewish tradition).
Last Supper: Jesus shared wine, giving it symbolic significance as part of the meal.*
Communal Gathering
“And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house,
The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber,
where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?”
Mark 14:14
Passover/Seder: The meal is a communal event, shared with family or a group to recount the Exodus (Exodus 12:3-4).
Last Supper: Jesus ate with his disciples, forming a communal setting for teaching and fellowship.*
Teaching and Remembrance
“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said,
Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you:
this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup,
when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:
this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:24-25
Passover/Seder: The meal includes retelling the Exodus story to remember God’s deliverance (Exodus 13:8).
Last Supper: Jesus used the meal to teach about his impending sacrifice and institute a new remembrance.*
These commonalities show that the Last Supper was rooted in the Passover tradition, adapted by Jesus to convey new spiritual meaning. The Last Supper that Jesus celebrated is widely understood to be a Passover meal, consistent with Jewish tradition, as Jesus was Jewish. The Gospel accounts indicate His meal occurred during Passover (Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13), and many of its elements align with a Passover or Seder meal, though the modern Seder developed later.*
*Quoted from Grok search results to the following request: “Was the Last Supper that Jesus celebrated a Passover meal that He would have celebrated since He was Jewish? Please list five commonalities between a Passover or Seder meal and the Last Supper of Jesus supported by a KJV Bible verse to go with each of them.”
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Remember that all of us need to know our Bibles better, me included. Please say a prayer for this older gentleman’s soul. He took both booklets, and we had a nice chat.
Until the nets are full,
P.S. Do you really think that creating a video like this will entice people to come to your church? Do you think marijuana jokes appeal to lost people? If we lived holy and righteous lives and if churches portrayed a holy and righteous God, maybe unholy and unrighteous folks would be intrigued by something that is way different than the lives they are living.
https://x.com/Steadfast_Women/status/1910676709633851800
P.P.S.
