So why do people not want the Last Supper to be a Passover meal?

For some, it comes down to intricate theories about the timing of the crucifixion and resurrection. To make everything fit within the timeframe they propose, the Last Supper has to happen a day earlier than what the Synoptics say.

For others, it comes down to protecting their theology. If you believe that Jesus followed the Torah to the letter, then you’ve got a problem with his Passover. If you believe that “one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law” means that Jesus read the Old Testament through Command-Example-Inference lenses, then you’d prefer that the Last Supper not be a Passover meal.

Because Jesus didn’t strictly follow the regulations of the Law of Moses regarding the Passover. He followed the customs of his day. While the Law instructed that the Passover was to be eaten while standing (Exodus 12:11), Jewish tradition had gone so far as to require that the meal be eaten while reclining. The idea was to eat not as slaves but as kings. The Four Questions used in a Jewish Seder say:

Why is this night different from all other nights?
On all other nights we eat leavened products and matzah, and on this night only matzah.
On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night only bitter herbs.
On all other nights, we don’t dip our food even once, and on this night we dip twice.
On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining, and on this night we only recline.

It’s noteworthy that Jesus and his disciples reclined around the Passover table.

We see in the Last Supper reflections of other traditions that had grown up around Passover: the use of the four cups of wine, the ceremonial dipping of food, the singing of the Hallal psalms.

If you take a legalistic approach to religious observances, you’ll be uncomfortable with the idea of the Last Supper as a Passover meal. And you’ll probably be a fan of the gospel of John!

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