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247. The Preparation of the Paschal Meal
(Mt 26:17-19, Mk 14:12-16, Lk 22:7-13)
Probably Thursday Afternoon. |
Mt 26:17-19
17Now on the first day of unleavened bread,
the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, “Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
18He said, “Go into
the city to a certain person, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is
at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’”
19The
disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover.
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Mk 14:12-16
12On the first day
b of unleavened bread, when they
sacrificed the Passover, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to
go and make ready that you may eat the Passover?”
13He sent two of his disciples, and said to
them, “Go into the city, and there you will meet a
man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, 14and
wherever he enters in, tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says,
“Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’
15He will himself show you a
large upper room furnished and ready. Make ready for us there.”
16His disciples went out, and came into the
city, and found things as he had said to them, and they prepared the
Passover. |
Lk 22:7-13
7The day of
unleavened bread came, on which the Passover must be sacrificed. 8He
sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the
Passover for us, that we may eat.”
9They said to him, “Where do you want us to
prepare?”
10He said to them,
“Behold, when you have entered into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of
water will meet you. Follow him into the house which he enters.
11Tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher
says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my
disciples?”’ 12He will show you a
large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.”
c
13They
went, found things as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
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248. The Beginning of the Passover Meal
(Mt 26:20, Mk 14:17, Lk 22:14-18)
In Jerusalem, Thursday Evening After Sunset,
Beginning of Jewish Friday. |
Mt 26:20
20Now
when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve
disciples. |
Mk 14:17
17When
it was evening he came with the twelve. |
Lk 22:14-18
14When the hour had come, he sat down with
the twelve apostles. 15He said to them,
“I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
16for I tell you, I will no
longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said,
“Take this, and share it among yourselves,
18for I tell you, I will not drink at
all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.”
d |
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249. The Contention among the Disciples
(Lk 22:24-30) |
(Lk 22:24-30)
e
24There arose also a contention among them,
which of them was considered to be greatest. 25He said to them,
“The kings of the nations lord it over them, and
those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26But
not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the
younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. 27For
who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he
who sits at the table? But I am in the midst of you as one who serves.
28But you are those who have
continued with me in my trials. 29I
confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me, 30that
you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” |
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250. During the Paschal Meal Jesus Washes the
Disciples’ Feet
(Jn 13:1-20) |
Jn 13:1-20
1Now before the
feast of the Passover, f Jesus,
knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the
Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the
end. 2After supper, g
the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son,
to betray him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all
things into his hands, and that he came forth from God, and was going to
God, 4arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He
took a towel, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5Then he
poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to
wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6Then he
came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”
7Jesus answered him,
“You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will
understand later.”
8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my
feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I
don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”
9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet
only, but also my hands and my head!”
10Jesus said to him,
“Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet
washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”
11For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he said,
“You are not all clean.” 12So
when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down
again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have
done to you? 13You call me,
‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am. 14If
I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to
wash one another’s feet. 15For I
have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.
16Most certainly I tell you, a
servant is not greater than his lord, neither one who is sent greater than
he who sent him. h
17If you know these things, blessed are you
if you do them. 18I don’t speak
concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen. But that the Scripture may
be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.’
19From now on, I tell you before
it happens, that when it happens, you may believe that I am he.
20Most certainly I tell you, he who receives
whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent
me.” i
13:18
Psalm 41:9 |
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251. The Traitor is Revealed
(Mt 26:21-25, Mk 14:18-21, Lk 22:21-23, Jn
13:21-30) |
Mt 26:21-25
21As they were eating, he said,
“Most certainly I tell you that one of you will
betray me.”
22They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each
began to ask him, “It isn’t me, is it, Lord?”
23He answered, “He
who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me.
24The Son of Man goes, even as it is
written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed!
It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”
25Judas, who betrayed him, answered, “It
isn’t me, is it, Rabbi?”
He said to him, “You said it.” |
Mk 14:18-21
18As they sat and were eating, Jesus said,
“Most certainly I tell you, one of you will betray
me—he who eats with me.”
19They began to be sorrowful, and to ask him
one by one, “Surely not I?” And another said, “Surely not I?”
20He answered them,
“It is one of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish. 21For
the Son of Man goes, even as it is written about him, but woe to that man by
whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had
not been born.” |
(Lk 22:21-23)
j
21But behold, the
hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22The
Son of Man indeed goes, as it has been determined, but woe to that man
through whom he is betrayed!”
23They
began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this
thing. |
Jn 13:21-30
21When Jesus had said this, he was troubled
in spirit, and testified, “Most certainly I tell
you that one of you will betray me.”
22The disciples looked at one another,
perplexed about whom he spoke. 23One of his disciples, whom Jesus
loved, was at the table, leaning against Jesus’ breast. 24Simon
Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom
he speaks.”
25He, leaning back, as he was, on Jesus’
breast, asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26Jesus therefore answered,
“It is he to whom I will give this piece of bread
when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he
gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27After the piece of
bread, then Satan entered into him.
Then Jesus said to him, “What
you do, do quickly.”
28Now no man at the table knew why he said
this to him. 29For some thought, because Judas had the money box,
that Jesus said to him, “Buy what things we need for the feast,” or that he
should give something to the poor. 30Therefore, having received
that morsel, he went out immediately. It was night. |
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252. After the Departure of Judas, Jesus Indicates
His Glorification
(Jn 13:31-35) |
Jn 13:31-35
31When he had gone out, Jesus said,
“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has
been glorified in him. 32If God
has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will
glorify him immediately. 33Little
children, I will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as
I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come,’ so now I tell you.
34A new commandment I give to
you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also
love one another. 35By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one
another.” |
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253. The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
(Mt 26:26-29, Mk 14:22-25, Lk 22:19-20, 1 Cor
11:23-26 )
Jerusalem. Thursday (Jewish Friday) evening before
Crucifixion. |
Mt 26:26-29
26As
they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for
it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said,
“Take, eat; this is my body.” 27He
took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying,
“All of you drink it, 28for
this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the
remission of sins. 29But I tell
you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that
day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
26:26
TR reads “blessed” instead of “gave thanks for” |
Mk 14:22-25
22As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and
when he had blessed, he broke it, and gave to them, and said,
“Take, eat. This is my body.”
23He
took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them. They all drank
of it. 24He said to them, “This is my
blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many. 25Most
certainly I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until
that day when I drink it anew in the Kingdom of God.” |
Lk 22:19-20
k
19He
took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them,
saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do
this in memory of me.” 20Likewise, he took the cup after
supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my
blood, which is poured out for you. |
(1 Cor 11:23-26)
23For
I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord
Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. 24When he
had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take,
eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”
25In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this,
as often as you drink, in memory of me.” 26For as often as
you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until
he comes. |
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Footnotes
a) We have no records for the movements of
Jesus for the Wednesday of Passion Week.
b) Strictly speaking, the Passover Festival
began on the evening of this day. But because by noon, the fourteenth of
Nisan, or Abib, all traces of leaven had to be removed from the houses and
no leavened bread must be eaten until the evening of the twenty-first, it
was already called "the first day of the feast."
c) The traditional site of
the upper room where the paschal supper was eaten is on the western hill,
generally known as Mount Zion, near the traditional house of Caiaphas. It
was early held that the apostles were assembled in the same room at
Pentecost when the Holy Ghost descended upon them.
d) Here follows the institution of the Lord's
Supper and the reference to the traitor in the order of Luke. See Nos. 249.
251, notes.
e) Transposed. Luke places the reference to
the traitor and the disciples' contention about rank after the institution
of the Lord's Supper. But it seems that he does not insist upon strict
chronological order in this place. Possibly for the purpose of completing
his account, his practice on other occasions, Luke brings in both incidents
before passing on, without, however, insisting that his own order must be
followed against the order of Matthew and Mark as compared with John. We
remember that Luke at other times completes his account of logically related
subjects, even though the chronology may be disturbed. For instance, in Luke
1, verses 65 and 65 belong after verse 79. In Luke 5, verses 1 to 11 belong
after 4:31, as compared with Matthew and Mark. See No. 54, note.
f) This expression refers to
the whole festival, in this case to the whole remaining festal week.
g) But as John himself explains, not strictly
so. The supper was still in progress, as can be seen from the expressions
"riseth from supper," v. 4; "was set down again," v. 12; "leaning on Jesus'
bosom," v. 23. The Revised Version adopts the text "during supper."
h) See Matt. 10:24; No. 93: 5. Luke 6:40; No.
72: 16.
i) See Matt. 10:40; No. 93: 7. Mark 9:37. Luke
9:48; No. 125.
j) Transposed. Did Judas receive Holy
Communion? That depends upon when the identity of the betrayer was revealed
and whether or not the order of Luke is to be adopted. According to Matthew
and Mark the traitor was revealed during the Passover meal and before the
institution of Holy Communion. According to John, who does not mention the
Lord's Supper, it was during the meal which we believe to have been the
Passover supper. The views are divided. Our arrangement is not prompted by
doctrinal interests. Whether or not Judas received the Lord's Supper, the
doctrine concerning this Sacrament remains the same. The argument of St.
Paul stands that such as are known to be unworthy communicants should not be
permitted to partake of Holy Communion. But suppose that Jesus, knowing all
things, nevertheless permitted an unworthy communicant to partake of the
very first Communion, our argument is that He did so
1) because He would not pass public
judgment upon Judas as long as his sin was generally unknown;
2) because the betrayal, while fully
decided upon by Judas, had not yet been actually committed.
In endeavoring to bring Luke into agreement with
Matthew and Mark and also with John, we are prompted by the considerations
that Luke does not always insist upon strict chronological sequence of his
particular arrangement and that at other places he has permitted strict
chronology to be disturbed by the connection of incidents which were
logically joined. Compare 249, note.
k) Here follows in the order of Luke:
The traitor is
revealed. Luke 22:21.23. See No. 251.
The contention
among the disciples. Luke 22:24-30. See No. 249.
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