During the last week of His earthly ministry, on several occasions Jesus directed His disciples’ attention to His approaching suffering and death. “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished” (Luke 9:51; 18:31-34). He was fully aware of the suffering that awaited Him. Jesus chose voluntarily and of set purpose to lay down His life as a sacrifice.

So, on the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus made definite preparations in anticipation of His death and departure--preparations that would be necessary for Him to carry out His plan to save man. “My time is near” was the message Jesus sent by the disciples to the man at whose house they would meet for the Passover meal. “I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples” (Matthew 27:17-19). His message here underlines the sense of urgency Jesus must have felt. He was conscience of His destiny. Our Lord was rapidly approaching the goal and purpose of His life on this earth.

The preparation of the Passover involved removing all the leaven from the house (Ex. 12:14-22). Unleavened bread would be prepared for the Passover and the lambs would be slaughtered. So, on the day before Jesus’ crucifixion--“the first day of Unleavened bread”--He sent Peter and John to “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it” (Luke 22:7-8).

But even as the Passover was approaching, one of Jesus’ disciples had already made arrangements with the Jewish authorities to deliver Him into their hands for a sum of money (Luke 22:1-6). Perhaps Jesus intended to keep the place where they would gather to eat the Passover a secret right up to the end. The eve of the Passover might provide a “good opportunity” for them to take Jesus (Luke 22:6). Arrangements had been made in advance with the owner of the house. Peter and John were to find a man carrying a pitcher of water at a certain place and follow him to the house.

In the large, furnished upper room, Jesus and His disciples observed the Passover meal together. How fitting! God’s redemption of Israel from Egyptian bondage was commemorated every Passover (Ex. 12:23-27). Those historic events foreshadowed Jesus’ own redemptive sacrifice. So it was necessary for Him to eat the Passover meal with His disciples the night before His death. The Passover was perhaps the most appropriate setting for Jesus to convey to them the meaning of His impending death for all men. John the Baptist had already proclaimed the truth: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29).

The bitterest of ironies in these events was about to be revealed. Jesus announced to His disciples the solemn and shocking news that His betrayer was among them (Matthew 26:21-23). They were deeply grieved. “Surely not I, Lord?” they each began to ask. Jesus’ answer seems deliberately vague, for they all had dipped their hand with Him in the dish. Here we see the painful reality that one of those who were gathered there to participate with Jesus and His disciples in such a holy feast would also now betray Him. Yet Jesus used the occasion to emphasize the necessity that the Son of Man suffer as written of Him in the prophets (Matt. 26:24). “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him” (Isa. 53:6). “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Judas, it seems, asked the question only after Jesus had also revealed the tragic fate of His betrayer. Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself” (Matt. 26:25).

This was not the only tragic irony. After supper, as Jesus and the disciples went out to the Mount of Olives, Jesus warned of what the immediate future held in store for them as well as for Himself. Because of what was about to happen to Him, they would all become disheartened and lose faith before the night had passed. Using Zechariah’s words, Jesus made a dire prediction: “I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered” (Matt. 26:31; Zech. 3:7). He was their shepherd and they were His flock. The sheep would be temporarily scattered even while the shepherd laid down His life for them. Then He would be raised (Matt. 26:32).

In this midst of all these revelations, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. As they observed the Passover, Jesus took some of the unleavened bread, offered a blessing, broke it, and gave it the disciples. “Take eat; this is My body” (Matt. 26:26). In the same way He took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Drink from it, all of you” (v. 27). The significance of His impending death was revealed to them when He said, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for remission of sins” (v. 28). Jesus knew that the shedding of His blood would mark the inauguration of a new covenant--the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah, where God said, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jer. 31:31-34). He would suffer “for many” as Isaiah said that God’s Servant would “justify the many” and “bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11).

Jesus intended that His disciples repeat the events of that night as a perpetual memorial. “Do this in remembrance of Me,” He said (1 Cor. 11:23-26). It was their last Passover together, but it was also the beginning of something new and wonderful. We who are disciples of Jesus Christ continue to observe the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). By doing so, we share in the body and blood of Christ that was offered as our sacrifice (1 Cor. 10:16). Our fellowship with Christ and His sufferings (Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:10) is enriched by the privilege of communing with Him in His death. His suffering on the cross on our behalf becomes real to us as we relive that scene. At the same time, we are drawn together in fellowship with one another “for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). The unity of the disciples is enhanced as our minds are brought to dwell on the sacrifice that reconciles us to God and to one another (Eph. 2:13-16).

And that is the greatest story ever told.

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