Day Of Last Supper: Before Or During Passover

As depicted in Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous fresco, the Last Supper remains to this day an event that Christians look towards to remember the promises that Jesus Christ made to his followers regarding the future of Christianity and the sacrifice that would ultimately redeem mankind. While there is speculation regarding the truth of the actual date on which this fateful meal occurred, the religious meaning of the event is not shaken. The Last Supper is what Christians refer to as the final meal shared between Jesus and his twelve Apostles. The meal took place in Jerusalem on the day before Jesus was betrayed and crucified. This meal provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist and is also known as the practice of “communion” or “the Lord’s Supper.” The event was first mentioned in the writings contained in the First Epistle to the Corinthians. During this meal, Jesus predicts his betrayal by one of the present disciples and also proclaims that one of his followers, Peter would later deny knowing him that day. The “new covenant” or “communion” practice was derived from this event in which Jesus was reported to have taken a loaf of bread and broken it to pass among his followers. He is quoted in saying, “This is my body which is given for you.” This episode is not included in the Gospel of John but rather reports Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Either action is meant as a preparation for his followers due to his coming departure from the earth. The followers here are referred to as his “friends and not servants.” The Last Supper is viewed by scholars as the source for the early Christian Eucharist traditions and still influences communion services today. However, other view the account of the Last Supper as derived from a first century eucharistic practice as described by Paul.