108: Jesus At The Last Supper

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Matthew 26:14-30; Mark 14:10-26; Luke 22:3-39; John 13:1-17:26

Jesus At The Last Supper

Judas’ Bargain

Evil had entered Judas Iscariot, and he had gone to the chief priests secretly and had said to them:

“What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?”

When they promised to pay him thirty pieces of silver, he conspired how he could betray Jesus. From that moment he watched to see how he could deliver Jesus to the authorities in the absence of the multitude.

Preparation For The Passover

When the day for the sacrifice of the Passover arrived, Jesus called Peter and John to him and said to them:

“Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat.”

Peter and John replied, saying:

“Where wilt thou that we prepare?”

Jesus answered:

“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, 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?”’ And he shall show you a large upper room furnished. There make ready.”

Peter and John did as Jesus requested and made the preparations.

Jesus Pronounces This His Last Meal

When evening came, Jesus sat with his twelve disciples at their Passover Meal. Jesus said to them:

“With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, ‘I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’”

And Jesus took the cup and gave thanks, and said:

“Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, ‘I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.’”

Jesus Washes The Disciples’ Feet

Jesus arose from the meal and poured water into a basin and washed the feet of his disciples, drying them with a towel.

Simon Peter said to Jesus:

“Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”

Jesus answered, saying:

“What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.”

Peter replied:

“Thou shalt never wash my feet.”

Jesus said to him:

“If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”

Simon Peter answered him, saying:

“Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”

Jesus answered, saying:

“He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit and ye are clean, but not all.”

For he knew who was going to betray him. Thus Jesus said:

“Ye are not all clean.”

The Servant Is Not Greater Than His Lord

After he had washed all their feet and had resumed his seat again, Jesus said:

“Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me ‘Master’ and ‘Lord’ and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily I say unto you, ‘The servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.’ If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

“I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. But that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.’ Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.’”

The Betrayer Identified

Later Jesus said:

“But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined. But woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!”

The apostles began to question among themselves as to who the traitor might be. Then Jesus said:

“Verily I say unto you, ‘One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.’”

At this the apostles were very sorrowful, and each said:

“Lord, is it I?”

Jesus replied:

“He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him. But woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed him, said to Jesus:

“Master, is it I?”

Jesus replied:

“Thou hast said.”

Who Is The Greatest?

An argument arose among the disciples as to which of them would be accounted the greatest. Jesus replied to them, saying:

“The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For which is greater: he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Jesus Establishes Communion

Jesus took the bread and blessed it; then broke it and gave it to them, saying:

“Take, eat: this is my body.”

Thereupon Jesus took a cup, gave thanks, and passed it to the disciples, who drank from it. Then he said to them:

“This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”

Farewell Advice

As Jesus sat with his disciples in the upper room, he said to them:

“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”

Thomas said to Jesus:

“Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?”

Jesus replied:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”

Phillip said:

“Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”

Jesus said:

“Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, ‘Show us the Father?’ Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me. Or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.’ And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me. Because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

I Am The Vine

Jesus continued:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment: that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth. But I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own. But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, ‘The servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, ‘Whither goest thou?’ But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.”

Then some of Jesus’ disciples said to each other:

“What is this that he saith unto us, ‘A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while and ye shall see me,’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father?’”

Therefore they reasoned:

“What is this that he saith, ‘A little while?’ We cannot tell what he saith.”

Jesus, knowing the questions that concerned them, said to his disciples:

“Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, ‘A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?’ Verily, verily, I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow. But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.’ Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name. And I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out of God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

The disciples said to Jesus:

“Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou camest fourth from God.”

Jesus answered them, saying:

“Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus Prays For His Disciples

Then Jesus lifted up his eyes Heavenward and said:

“Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee, as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou has given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name; those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Then Jesus and the disciples went out to the Mount of Olives.

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