The “Last Supper” was a Passover Meal!

The “Last Supper” which Jesus ate with his disciples is well-known among Christians as the time when Jesus instituted the “Holy Communion”. However, the Bible makes it clear that the “Last Supper” was actually a Passover meal!

Consider how the “Last Supper” was prepared according to the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 22:1, 7–8 ESV Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. ... ₇ Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ₈ So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”

Notice that in preparation for that meal, Jesus sent his disciples to prepare the Passover so that they may eat it that evening (vv. 7–8, 11–13). During the meal, Jesus even outrightly said that they were eating a “Passover” (v. 15). This means that during the “Last Supper”, Jesus and his disciples were eating a Passover meal—complete with a sacrificed and roasted Passover lamb!

The Gospel of Luke continues to narrate what happened during the “Last Supper”:

Luke 22:17–20 ESV And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. ₁₈ For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ₁₉ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ₂₀ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Referring to the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Cf. 1 Cor. 11:24–25) Jesus’ use of the word “remembrance” reminds us of what God said about the Passover:

Exodus 12:14 This day shall be for you a remembrance, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to YHWH. Throughout your generations, as an eternal statute, you shall celebrate it.

God commanded the Israelites to keep Passover as a “remembrance” of how he saved them from slavery in Egypt. So, during the “Last Supper” Passover meal, when Jesus told his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me,” he was giving Passover its true and full meaning: He himself is the fulfilment of the Passover holiday and the true Passover lamb!