| THE LAST SUPPER |
| Before Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem for the last time, he told Peter and John to prepare a final meal of fellowship in "an upper room"; Even though the Bible doesn't give the exact location of the Upper Room, Jesus' instructions to the two disciples for finding it were very clear. They were to go into the city and look for a man carrying a jar of water. Then they were to follow him to a house and give this message to the owner: "The Teacher asks, 'Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?'" (Mk 14:14). The owner, Jesus explained, would show them a room already prepared for this purpose. |
| The disciples followed Jesus' directions exactly, and everything happened just as he predicted. They found the upstairs room, and that evening Jesus and the Apostles gathered for the Last Supper. |
| It was Thursday evening, the night before the Crucifixion. Jesus knew that in a few hours he would be arrested and executed. Consequently, as he met with the Apostles for the Last Supper, he gave them some final instructions. |
| Before the meal began, Jesus astonished the men by performing the job of a humble servant. He took off his robe, tied a towel around his waist, and began washing their feet. Peter, often the first of the Apostles to speak his mind, immediately objected: "You will never wash my feet" (Jn 13:8). But Jesus insisted, explaining to Peter that if he didn't let him wash his feet, Peter wouldn't be part of him. Then, Jesus washed the feet of all the men, one by one. |
| Because most roads in Jesus' day were made of dirt, and the land was dry, each footstep created a small cloud of dust that covered a traveler's feet. For this reason it was customary to welcome guests by washing their feet. But this chore was usually done by servants, not the master of the house. |
| After he returned to the table, Jesus explained to his Apostles what he had done and why. By this simple act, he was setting an example for them. "So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet," he said, "you also ought to wash one another's feet" (Jn 13:12-14). |
| With the Passover only a few days away, Jesus wanted to share a last meal with his Apostles because he knew his enemies were about to arrest him. And so the night before he was crucified, Jesus and his Apostles gathered in the home of an unnamed host. During the meal Jesus again upset the Apostles by predicting that one of them would betray him. Then, later in the meal, he picked up a loaf of bread, broke it apart, and passed it around to his Apostles. He said, "Take, eat; this is my body" (Mt 26:26). He also passed around a cup of wine, saying that it was his blood, which would be shed for the forgiveness of sins. |
| As the disciples ate what is now called the Last Supper, Jesus asked them to "do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19). Obediently, whenever early Christians met to worship, they shared bread and wine in a ritual that became known the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion. |
| Some people believe that Jesus' followers met in the same room after Jesus ascended to heaven. If so, the Upper Room was also the site of the miracle of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and empowered them to spread the word of Jesus around the world (Acts 2:1-6). |
| Today, many people believe that a site identified in the fifth century A.D. is the original Upper Room; Known as the Hall of the Coenaculum, this place is located in a building on Mount Zion. |
| Over the years the name Zion became interchangeable with Jerusalem. It also stood for the nation of Israel and, in an even broader sense, the whole community of people who followed the laws of God. This is the meaning it carries in Psalm 132:13: "the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation." |
| Did you know? One of the holy sites on Zion is the building where many Christians believe Jesus and his disciples shared the Last Supper. |
| Grolier Enterprises MCMXCVII Grolier Family Bible Cards TM Location: http://www.geocities.com/gacbloomington/lastsupper.html Updated: 10/25/2001 |
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