All 4 Gospels agree on the timing and what happened at the Last Supper, it was an emotive occasion, celebrating the coming out of Israel from Egypt, but we also see marked phases in the Supper. The first thing Jesus deals with is true leaders being true servants, washing of feet. There is however a demarcation for which Judas Iscariot is exposed and departs the Supper to deal with sealing Jesus’ capture. What we see in all 4 accounts is Jesus taken up in very disturbed and deep emotion. He knows this Supper with the Disciples comes just before the most disturbing events which were about to be unfolded. This Supper must prepare them not to depend on His physical presence, but the Holy Spirit would come to them. For that to happen Jesus would have to be betrayed and given over to the authorities to be crucified.
The emotion of the night culminates with hymns and a trip into the Garden, but in it all we must face the fact that whilst Jesus is 100% God, He is also 100% human. How much is this conflict made plain, in the Supper. He does not just suffer facing death, but the separation from Father and Holy Spirit in that moment. Then to see in a premonition of what destruction would be wrought on the Disciples in their expectations, to be shattered with Jesus on the Cross.
Jesus had to choose to deny Himself the most human of forces, that of self preservation. Deny His right to defend and be saved from death. The whole Supper is taken up with fulfilling prophetically a new Passover, where we would pass from our spiritual “Egypt” to go to our Celestial “Canaan”. The part central to what makes Church is the elements of bread and wine, which Jesus institutes as the Eucharist/Communion which each time it is celebrated is ratifying our identification with the Crucified Christ, and embrace in this remembrance is the resurrection life which comes from embracing Him in Calvary’s Cross. The conflict with His human self makes identification with our own struggles, and how we too can deny ourselves in favour of spiritual life over carnal desires. What we do is exchange what is natural to that which is supernatural, exchanging what is seen for what is unseen, for what is unseen is eternal.
The route through to eternal and spiritual life comes through this process, entering and identifying with Him, which we do more intensely in this Passover season. We see through this process a very detailed and profound transition that the Disciples made. We see them emerge from fear, defeat and depression to a new hope and a heavenly vision. No more profound is Peter, who denies His Lord 3 times, and how Jesus brings him through.
Jesus’ conflict also became that of the Disciples, who believed Him to be the Messiah. Their ambitions, worldview was shattered. How could this miracle worker be killed this way? So many events today astound us and make us question in the same fashion. When all what we knew disappears in the sea of uncertainty. Yet in that supper Jesus prepared them, but Jesus’ sorrow enveloped all of them, that in that moment they were not prepared. Their reaction was to scatter and like a stricken shepherd the sheep went in all directions. They eventually returned to the Upper Room that once was filled with light, now is in the shadows.
In the days to come we too will have to prepare for conflicts such as these, where we will have to deny the temptation to deny Christ for comfort. Surely and literally the Church will have to walk this path, because those who give up their lives for Him, passing through the same conflicts, receiving the same angelic ministrations, we will share with Christ’s glory!
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