There is something comforting about the Last Supper. The scene of God Incarnate eating with His Disciples is endearing. There is an intimacy about breaking bread with The Author and Bread of Life Himself. In the east it is believed that supping, sharing a meal with someone is intimate and for those you trust. Have you ever tried to eat with someone you hold enmity with? The stomach ties in knots and the mouth fills with acid. The scene of our Lord eating with His Disciples echoes what the Almighty did in Genesis and Exodus:
“The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men (Holy Trinity, Matthew 28:19) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord,do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”
7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they [Holy Trinity, Godhead] ate, he stood near them under a tree.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he said.
10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son,” (Genesis 18:1-10). God the Trinity of Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit ate with Abraham and told him he would have son, named Isaac from whom Israel or Jacob would be born, and whom would be in the linage of Christ Jesus (Matthew 1:1-24) according to the flesh (Romans 1:1-5).
After the Israelites had left (exodus) Egypt God would share a meal again:
“Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!” (Exodus 24:9-11 NLT). Even there in Old Covenant days, God sat and ate with His people. But He surpassed this by taking on flesh and eating with the apostles:
“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
10 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, 11 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?’ 12 He will show you a Upper-room [large room upstairs], all furnished. Make preparations there.”
13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That’s enough!” he replied.” (Luke 22:7-38).
In This Supper Jesus reveals something spectacular. He divulged that His body and Blood is a New Covenant, the very one foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The Meal of our Messiah and God is at Passover which is the celebration of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and it is in the Book of Exodus that the first meal with God pre-incarnate took place (Exodus 24:9-11). We see then that Jesus eating with His disciples is to be compared with Him eating with Moses and the Elders! Christ also speaks of Himself as perusal in the Third person as the Son of Man (Luke 22:22) which was His name in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 28:11). Our Lord Jesus wanted to make it clear, He is the God of Israel Incarnate (Romans 10:9, Philippians 2:6-11).
When Christ had been crucified on the cross as a propitiatory sacrifice for all our sins (Romans 3:24-25), He rose from the dead and shared a meal with His disciples:
“Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” (John 21:4-19).
Human history will culminate in the last days with another meal with God, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb:
“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9). We who believe in and confess Jesus Christ as Lord will partake of this supper. This is the meal that awaits all Trinitarian Christians who put their faith in Jesus. Even at the End will be a supper with God. But to participate, you must believe in Jesus Christ, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16), “All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.” (1 John 4:15), and “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (God of Israel) and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10). God wants to eat with you, to know you in close fellowship, and be with you forever. Do not waste the opportunity to know Him (John 17:3). He loves you so much that He sent His Son, He who is the Son died for you you that you may enter eternity with Him and has sent His Spirit; One God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity. Amen.
What God has done, the major moments of Him calling us and reconciling us, are marked by meals. Abraham ate with The the Holy Trinity (Genesis 18:1-11). The Lord Israel ate with the elders after the Exodus (Exodus 24:9-11). When God was going to die for the sins of the world He ate with His Disciples (Luke 22:10-22). When God rose from the dead in the flesh He ate with His Disciples again (John 21:4-25) and finally when God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, returns, He shall enjoy a wedding supper with us (Revelation 19:6-9). Amen.
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