The Last Supper

He did all these things by means of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday which was the pattern for the first Eucharist.  This supper was the last of the friendly suppers or fellowship meals which Jesus and his Apostles had held every week for the previous three years.  Such meals were quite usual among little groups of Jews at that time, and Jesus knew that, no matter what happened to him, his Apostles would still meet each week for their fellowship supper in the future as they had been doing in the past.

The supper began every time with a special grace.  Jesus used to take the bread, bless it and break it and then, after eating a little himself, silently gave a piece to each of the Apostles.  The meal itself followed and always ended with a special grace.  This was a thanksgiving to God for having saved the Israelites from the Egyptians in the time of Moses, and was said by Jesus over a cup of wine mixed with a little water.  At the end of the grace he used to sip from the cup himself and then in silence pass it round for the Apostles to sip.

And so we come to the last of those suppers, 12 hours before the Crucifixion.  Jesus said the grace over the bread as usual, only this time, instead of giving a piece to each Apostle in silence, he said what he had never said before: This is my Body, which is given for you.  Do this for the re-calling of me.  Supper went on as usual until they were ready for the final grace.  He took the cup of wine, gave thanks and then passed it round, but again he added words he had never used before: This is my Blood of the New Covenant which is shed for you and for many for the remission (taking away) of sins.  Do this, as often as you drink it, for the re-calling of me.  By ‘New Covenant’ Jesus meant a New Alliance with God by which God and ourselves might be united together in friendship.

It was in this way that Jesus, at the Last Supper, gave to the Crucifixion its meaning by offering himself beforehand to God for all humankind.  He made it clear that, when on the next day – Good Friday – his Body was nailed to the Cross and his Blood was poured out, it would not be just another crucifixion, another execution; but that he would be giving himself and his life for us, so that we might be forgiven our sins and be brought back home to God.