Luke 22:7-20
The Lord’s Supper is a very important event within the Bible. The first time the Lord’s Supper appears in the Bible is the evening before Jesus dies on the cross.
- Jesus prepares to keep the passover with his disciples.
- Jesus sits down to eat “supper” with his disciples.
- Jesus breaks the bread for the remembrance of his body.
- Jesus pours the wine for the remembrance of his blood shed.
- The Lord’s Supper ends.
- Jesus washes the feet of his disciples.
- Jesus in agony in the garden of Gethsemane.
- Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
- Jesus is brought before Annas and Caiaphas.
- Peter denies Jesus three times.
- Jesus is pronounced guilty of death.
- Jesus is taken before Pilate.
- Jesus is sent to Herod by Pilate and then sent back to Pilate by Herod.
- Pilate seeks to release Jesus.
- Jesus is scourged. Pilate seeks to release Jesus again.
- Jesus is crucified with two malefactors at Calvary at the 3rd hour of the day.
- Darkness from the 6th hour to the 9th hour of the day.
- Jesus dies at approximately the 9th hour of the day.
- Jesus is buried by the 12th hour of the day.
- The high sabbath day begins.
Jesus is the Passover Lamb
We know that Jesus is the Passover Lamb. We know that Jesus dies at approximately the ninth hour of the day or around 3 pm. We know that Jesus is the Passover Lamb. He fulfills the Passover Feast.
That means Jesus died on the calendar day of the 14th. That even of the 14th is when the Passover Feast begins. The Passover Lamb has to be killed before the Passover Feast begins. You can’t eat of the lamb unless the lamb has been killed and has been roasted with fire.
Now, if Jesus died on the 14th, that means the Lord’s Supper had to occur in the evening on the 13th day of the first month. There are many Scriptures in Matthew, Mark, and Luke that might make you think differently. The Gospel of John does not.
Some people may say there’s a contradiction between Matthew, Mark, Luke, the synoptic Gospels and then the Gospel of John. The Gospel is John is different in many ways from Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
If you remember, the way time is kept is different in John than in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We clearly showed that in the Bible Study we did titled, “Timing in the Gospels.” Time is clearly kept differently. In John, it’s kept from midnight as we keep time today. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, time is kept from the beginning of the day when the sun comes up.
We know that a weekly Sabbath day begins when the sun comes up on Saturday morning and ends when the sun comes up on Sunday morning. The Bible is very clear on this in many Scriptures. There are no Scriptures stating that a weekly Sabbath day begins at night.
All of these facts using the Scriptures are very important to getting all of this right.
We know that the Passover begins on the 14th day of the first month at even. We know that the feast of unleavened bread begins at the Passover on the 14th day of the first month at even. They ate unleavened bread at the Passover Feast with the lamb. The days of unleavened bread are from the 14th at even to the 21st at even. Seven days. Not eight days.
We’ve been through all of this in detail in the Bible studies we’ve been doing.
With that said, many people will teach that the Lord’s Supper is the Passover Feast that Jesus eats with the disciples. But Jesus is the Passover Lamb that year. How could He have eaten the actual Passover with His disciples if He was going to be the Passover Lamb the next day?
The Lord’s Supper Didn’t Happen on the Passover
I am teaching you that the Lord’s Supper was not eaten on the 14th day of the first month that year. Since Jesus couldn’t eat the Passover Lamb with his disciples that year, He implemented the Lord’s Supper the night before on the 13th day of the first month.
The next morning is when the 14th day of the first month started. Jesus died around the ninth hour on the 14th day of the first month. And the Passover Feast began at even on the 14th just a few hours after Jesus died on the cross.
The Passover did not begin at the Lord’s Supper.
Many people see the words in the Scriptures and they assume something that isn’t there. I want you to see this today. Before we begin with the timing of the Lord’s Supper, I want to show you a few Scriptures.
Matthew 26:17
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?
I want you to look closely at this. Most people teach that the feast of unleavened bread begins on the 15th day of the first month and that the Passover is not a part of the feast of unleavened bread. We teach here that the feast of unleavened bread begins at the Passover on the 14th day of the first month at even and continues until the 15th day of the first month at even.
The seven days of unleavened bread occur from the 14th at even to the 21st at even just like the Bible says over and over again. The Passover week is from the 14th at even to the 21st at even. This special day begins at night. The special week begins at night.
But look closely there. “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus.” You might think that Scripture is saying that they are currently on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. For those people who believe the feast begins on the 15th, this Scripture clearly proves that wrong.
The Passover Hasn’t Happened Yet
Why? Because the disciples ask, “Where wilt thou that we prepare to eat the passover?” The passover hasn’t happened yet. That means the feast of unleavened bread hasn’t happened yet. The passover hasn’t begun. And I’m telling you they aren’t on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. It’s not the 14th day of the first month.
This Scripture is saying that the first day of the feast of unleavened bread is coming. It’s not here yet. But it’s coming soon. And we know it’s not the feast day that day or the next day because of earlier Scriptures in Matthew Chapter 26.
Matthew 26:2-5
Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
Two days is the feast of the passover. You can read this chapter from the beginning. But they do not take Jesus on the feast day. The feast begins at the Passover which is on the 14th day of the first month at even. When even gets there on the 14th, the feast of the Passover begins.
There’s two days until the feast. When we get to verse 17 that we just looked at, there’s one day before the feast. We are on the 13th day of the first month. The Lord’s Supper is going to happen that evening of the 13th and it doesn’t happen on the feast day. Let me say that again, the Lord’s Supper is not the Passover Feast. There’s no way because Jesus is the Passover the following day.
Also remember, though, that the Passover Lamb is taken up on the 10th day of the first month and is kept up until the 14th day of the first month. Jesus is the Passover Lamb. If you remember, Jesus comes into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday presenting Himself as the Passover Lamb.
Prepare To Eat the Passover
From the 10th to the 14th is the preparation for the Passover. Much preparation goes into the Passover Feast.
Matthew 26:17-19
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? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
The first day of the feast is coming. They aren’t on the first day of the feast. Since the first day is coming soon, the disciples ask Jesus where does he want them to prepare for him and them to eat the passover.
Jesus says, “My time is at hand.” Don’t miss these things in the Scriptures. “My time is at hand.” He’s hinting that he is the Passover Lamb, but they are missing all of these details as many people do. All the details are there for you to see. It is written.
Jesus says, “I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.” He is keeping himself as the Passover Lamb. Exodus 12:6 says, “And ye shall keep it up until the 14th day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” Jesus is keeping the Passover Lamb up. He is that Passover Lamb this year as we see in the Scriptures.
The Disciples Made Ready the Passover
The Bible says that the disciples made ready the passover. It doesn’t say that they went and killed the passover lamb. It simply says that they went and made ready the passover. They went to the place Jesus said and they started to get things ready for the passover. The Bible never says they were on the feast day. The Bible never says the Passover started.
Matthew 26:20-21
Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
The Bible doesn’t say that they ate the passover. On that same day, the even was come, and Jesus sat down with the 12 disciples. And they ate together. We move down to verse 26 and this is the first time in all the Bible that we see the Lord’s Supper.
This is very important. We are to partake of the Lord’s Supper. This is how Jesus implemented the Lord’s Supper the very first time.
The Very First Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:26-29
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Jesus took bread. Take, eat, this is my body. Notice that Jesus didn’t give them of a passover lamb at this meal. The Bible never says they were eating the passover lamb. Instead, Jesus takes bread which represents his body. Not the meat of a lamb.
Jesus is the Passover Lamb. Jesus hasn’t yet died as the Passover Lamb. He is there with them alive. He will die the next day. They can’t eat of his flesh. He uses bread to represent his flesh.
Then Jesus gives them a cup, gives thanks, and gives it to them to drink all of it. He says this is the blood of the New Testament. Remember, the New Testament doesn’t begin until Jesus dies. But Jesus is implementing this the evening before he dies. This is the blood that was shed for the remission of sins.
That’s the first Lord’s Supper. You can see the timing of the Lord’s Supper here. Later that night Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane and is betrayed. He is crucified the next morning at the third hour of the day.
Matthew gives us the first account. Now let’s see what Mark says.
The Gospel of Mark Gives Us More Detail
Mark 14:1-2
After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. 2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
They do not take Jesus on the feast day. But watch these words closely in Mark.
Mark 14:12-15
And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? 13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14 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? 15 And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.
If this was passover day, Jesus died the next day. This would mean that Jesus wasn’t the Passover Lamb. But we know that Jesus was the Passover Lamb. This is the day before the first day of unleavened bread. This verse is saying that first day is coming. That first day is when they kill the passover. Jesus dies the next day.
The disciples ask, “Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?” Jesus says to go to this man and ask where is the guestchamber where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? In Matthew Jesus says keep the passover. In Mark he says eat the passover.
The Lord’s Supper is a Replacement for the Passover
I believe Jesus is making the Lord’s Supper the replacement for the Passover. Jesus says He will eat the Passover with his disciples. But we don’t see Jesus and the disciples eating the meat of an actual lamb. And they aren’t on the day that the actual Passover Lamb is killed. That’s the next day when Jesus actually dies.
Mark 14:16-18
And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. 17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. 18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.
If we move down to verse 22, we see the Lord’s Supper.
Mark 14:22-25
And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Jesus takes bread, breaks it, gives it to them, and says: “Take, eat: this is my body.” He takes the cup, gives thanks, gives it to them, and they all drank of it. He says, “This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many.” And then Jesus, again, is telling them he won’t be there much longer.
And then later Jesus is betrayed. He is crucified at the third hour of the day the next morning.
Now, let’s see what Luke says exactly. And remember, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are all very similar. We’re going to get to the Gospel of John where it is very clear what happened.
The Day of Unleavened Bread Is Coming Soon
Luke 22:7
Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
You might say, “Well that means the day of unleavened bread was there.” No, the Bible says then came the day of unleavened bread. It’s coming soon. It’s not yet there. Why? Because it’s not the day that the TRUE PASSOVER LAMB, JESUS CHRIST is killed. That’s the day after this one. It’s saying the day is coming. “Then came the day of unleavened bread.” It’s coming soon.
The Bible doesn’t say they were on that day. It says the day is coming.
Luke 22:8-11
And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. 9 And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? 10 And he said unto 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. 11 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?
Go and prepare us the passover that we may eat. Where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And you can argue all you want that Jesus is going to be eating an actual passover lamb there with his disciples. But you don’t see that. You see bread and wine that represents the true Passover Lamb in Jesus Christ. He’s telling them that He is the Passover Lamb that year.
Luke 22:12-14
And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. 13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. 14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Bread and Wine at the Lord’s Supper
They made ready the passover. Obviously, they had bread and wine there because we specifically see that at the Lord’s Supper. And this is new wine. It’s not alcoholic wine. Wine is the fruit of the vine. It’s the juice of grapes that just came off the vine. We don’t see roasted lamb. The hour is come. Hour for what? It’s the hour Jesus implements the Lord’s Supper. First time ever.
Luke 22:15-16
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Jesus says that he has desired to eat this passover with them before he suffers. He is calling this time of the Lord’s Supper the passover. It is the replacement of the passover because once he dies the next day, the Passover Feast is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. He is “THE” Passover Lamb.
Jesus says, “I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Jesus can’t not eat the actual passover lamb that year because Jesus is the passover lamb. So Jesus implements the Lord’s Supper right here.
Luke 22:17-20
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19 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. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Body Given for You and Blood Shed for You
He takes the cup with the fruit of the vine, grape juice, gives thanks, and tells them to divide it among themselves. He takes bread. He gives thanks. Breaks it. Gives them the bread. This is my body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you.
After this, Jesus is betrayed and is crucified the third hour of the next day in the morning. We’ve seen the Lord’s Supper now three times. The Lord’s Supper is not seen in the Gospel of John but other details are given around the same times. But I want you to take a close look at this in the Gospel of John, and you’ll clearly see that what I am telling you is the truth.
Remember the Lord’s Supper happens the evening before Jesus was killed. So, is the Lord’s Supper the passover feast that year? Or does the passover feast start the next day about 3 hours after Jesus dies?
The Gospel of John makes everything clear. Jesus is simply saying in Matthew, Mark, and Luke that he can’t eat of the actual passover that year. He is substituting the Lord’s Supper for the Passover. He gives them bread that represents his body and wine that represents his blood. And Jesus hasn’t died yet.
John 13:1-2
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
Supper Ended
This is easy to understand here. Verse 2 says, “And supper being ended.” What supper? That is talking about the Lord’s Supper. It doesn’t say the Passover Feast had ended. It says supper had ended. What supper? The Lord’s Supper.
So, the Lord’s Supper had ended but verse 1 says we are “BEFORE THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER.” Do you see that? We are before the feast of the passover and the Lord’s Supper has ended. Others may read that differently and try to say they are before the feast of the passover and then the Lord’s Supper takes place which is the Passover.
But the rest of the Gospel John makes it very clear that it would be a mistake to believe the Lord’s Supper is the Passover Feast. We are still before the feast of the passover and the Lord’s Supper has ended so the actual passover that year has not yet begun.
In John, they have the Lord’s Supper. Then Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. Jesus then tells them that one of them will betray him. They try to figure out who it will be. Jesus gives the sop to Judas. Judas goes out and betrays Jesus that night.
John 18:28
Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
They Haven’t Eaten the Passover Yet
Obviously they haven’t eaten the passover yet. This is the next morning. The Bible says, “and it was early.” These are very specific details. It was early the morning after the Lord’s Supper and they had not eaten the passover lamb. You can see this clearly.
And you might say, “But Matthew, Mark, and Luke said they already ate the Passover at the Lord’s Supper.” No, they had not. Jesus was replacing the Passover with the Lord’s Supper because He is the Passover Lamb this time around. They didn’t eat a lamb. They ate the bread that signified the broken body of Jesus Christ.
John 18:39
But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
Again, the passover feast had not yet happened. It’s happening soon. It didn’t happen the evening before at the Lord’s Supper.
John 19:13-14
When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
This is the next day after the Lord’s Supper at about 6 am in the morning. Jesus is with Pilate. What does the Bible say? The Bible says, “And it was the preparation of the passover.” Some people will say that means it was the day before the weekly Sabbath. That’s not what that means. Other Scriptures are clearly telling us that the passover feast hasn’t happened yet.
It is the Preparation of the Passover
The Passover is coming, but it’s not here yet. It is the preparation of the passover. They take Jesus away, crucify Jesus, and he dies around the 9th hour on the 14th day of the first month. Jesus is the Passover Lamb. At even that day, the Passover Feast begins.
And the Passover is a holy convocation, no manner of work shall be done, a Sabbath Day. But it’s a different type of Sabbath Day. It’s a special feast day. A special day is called a high day.
John 19:31
The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
The normal Sabbath day is on a Saturday. We know Jesus didn’t die on a Saturday because Jesus arose on a Sunday morning. He arose from the dead on the third day. He was dead for 3 days and 3 nights.
The preparation day for this high sabbath day speaks of the day right before the Passover Feast begins. It is clearly the 14th day of the first month around 3 pm when Jesus dies. And they bury his body before the high sabbath, the Passover feast begins.
And there are more Scriptures in Matthew, Mark, and Luke that tell us it was the preparation day. They don’t say preparation for the Passover but we can take the Gospel of John and understand it was the preparation day for the Passover when Jesus died on the cross.
So, the Lord’s Supper is the evening before Jesus dies. The Lord’s Supper happened on the 13th day of the first month. And Jesus, because He is God, was replacing the Passover with the Lord’s Supper. His body the bread. His blood the wine. And Jesus became “THE PASSOVER LAMB” the next day after the Lord’s Supper when he died for the sins of the whole world.
Let’s pray.
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