This next Sunday is Easter. It’s Holy Week for much of the Christian world. And Passover begins this Friday evening.
So it’s a good time to look at the Last Supper. Was it a Passover meal?
The answer would be an easy yes, except for what the Gospel of John says:
“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” (John 13:1)
And he also says:
“Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.” (John 18:28)
Yet the synoptics seem pretty clear about the nature of the meal:
“On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.” (Matthew 26:17–19)
“On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.” (Mark 14:12–16)
“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.” They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.” (Luke 22:7–13)
I’d like to hear your thoughts.
I believe it was indeed a Passover meal, even though the great surprise would be that they were eating it early because the host had an unbreakable appointment at the traditional time.
I would offer the following.
1. I have always understood The Passover festival was a week-long event. If so, then the concern of being unclean could be a reference to ongoing action if wanting to stay unclean so they could continue to celebrate the festival. Someone that knows the Greek well might be able to address the form of the language in the passage.
2. I always remember that what we are reading is theology and not history. There are other passages in the gospels that don’t line up well. It was not uncommon for writers in this time and place in history to take liberties with stories that we would not do today. If it is viewed as theology, the question becomes, “What was the author trying to saying by tweaking the story ever so slightly?”
Those are my thoughts.
As some read John’s account, Jesus is crucified earlier than in the synoptic gospels because that would have the Christ being crucified at the same time the lambs were being slaughtered in preparation for Passover. This is very likely a liberty that John took to show Jesus as the once-and-for-all sacrifice, the “lamb of God” as John the baptist identifies him early in John’s gospel. In light of that thinking, I think it was a Passover meal.