The Last Supper
The night before the cross: bread, a cup, and betrayal
This story talks about betrayal and about Jesus's coming suffering and death.
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. He knows he will soon suffer and die.
- Peter: A fisherman Jesus called to follow him. His first name is Simon, and Jesus gave him the name Peter.
- John: Another of the twelve apostles. He helps Peter get the meal ready.
- The apostles: Jesus's twelve closest followers. They are his friends at the table.
- Judas Iscariot: One of the twelve. He has secretly agreed to hand Jesus over.
Setting
- A large upstairs guest room in a house in Jerusalem. It is set up for the Passover meal.
When
- The evening Passover began, about 2,000 years ago. It was the night before Jesus died.
Before the Story
Passover remembers how God set Israel free. Long ago, God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. God told them to keep a special meal every year to remember it (Exodus 12:14). Our story called The Passover tells about that first night.
Jesus came to Jerusalem for the feast. His followers praised God as he came near the city (19:37-38). Every day he taught at the temple (21:37).
Some leaders wanted Jesus dead, and a friend agreed to help. The chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to kill Jesus. Then Satan entered Judas, one of the twelve. Judas agreed to hand Jesus over to them for money (22:2-6).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: This is Jesus's last meal before he dies. He had already told his friends he would suffer, die, and rise again. They did not understand (18:31-34).
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Getting the room ready | 22:7-13 | Peter and John prepare the Passover |
| 2. "I have eagerly desired" | 22:14-18 | Jesus sits down to the meal with his friends |
| 3. The bread | 22:19 | Jesus gives them bread: "My body, given for you" |
| 4. The cup | 22:20 | Jesus gives them the cup: "the new covenant in My blood" |
| 5. The betrayer at the table | 22:21-23 | Jesus says one of them will betray him |
| 6. Who is the greatest? | 22:24-27 | The friends argue. Jesus says he is the one who serves |
| 7. A promise for the friends | 22:28-30 | Jesus promises them a place in his kingdom |
| 8. "Simon, Simon" | 22:31-34 | Jesus prays for Peter and warns him |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 8Getting the Room Ready
In Jerusalem, lambs were being sacrificed. It was the day of Unleavened Bread. On this day, the Passover lambs were killed for the evening meal.
Unleavened bread is flat bread made without yeast. On the first Passover night, the Israelites left Egypt in a hurry. There was no time for their bread to rise (Exodus 12:39).
Jesus sent Peter and John. "Go and get the Passover meal ready for us," he said.
They asked, "Where do you want us to get it ready?"
Jesus told them what would happen. In the city, a man carrying a jug of water would meet them. They should follow him to the house he went into.
Then they should say to the owner, "The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?" (22:11). The owner would show them a large upstairs room, already set up.
Peter and John went. They found everything exactly as Jesus had said. So they got the Passover meal ready.
Scene 2 of 8"I Have Eagerly Desired"
When the time came, Jesus reclined at the table with his apostles. To recline means to lie on your side and lean on one elbow. People ate special meals this way.
Jesus said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering" (22:15).
Eagerly desired means he had wanted it very much. Jesus knew his suffering was near. He wanted this meal with his friends first.
He told them he would not eat the Passover again until it was fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Fulfilled means made complete. The kingdom of God means God's rule, the way God runs things.
Then Jesus took a cup of wine and gave thanks. "Take this and share it among yourselves," he said. He said he would not drink wine again until the kingdom of God came.
Luke tells about two cups at this meal. This was the first one.
Scene 3 of 8The Bread
Then Jesus took the bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He gave it to his friends.
Jesus said, "This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me" (22:19).
At Passover, families remembered how God rescued Israel from Egypt. Now Jesus told his friends to keep doing what he had done. They should do it to remember him.
Two small words matter a lot here: "for you." Jesus did not say his body was given for good people, or for strong people. He said it was given for the friends right in front of him. Christians believe he says the same words to everyone who receives this meal today.
Scene 4 of 8The Cup
After supper, Jesus took the cup in the same way. He said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you" (22:20).
A covenant is a lasting promise that God makes. Hundreds of years before, God had promised through the prophet Jeremiah, "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah" (Jeremiah 31:31). In that promise, God said he would forgive their sins and remember them no more (Jeremiah 31:34).
Now Jesus said this new covenant would come through his blood. His blood would be poured out when he died.
Once more, Jesus said "for you."
On the first Passover night, the lamb's blood marked the homes God protected (Exodus 12:13). Now, at Passover, Jesus spoke about his own blood, poured out for his friends.
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 5 of 8The Betrayer at the Table
Then Jesus said something terrible. "Look! The hand of My betrayer is with Mine on the table" (22:21). A betrayer is a friend who turns against you.
Jesus often called himself the Son of Man. He said the Son of Man would go "as it has been determined" (22:22). Then he said, "woe to that man who betrays Him" (22:22). Woe is a cry of deep sorrow and warning.
The friends began to ask each other which one of them would do this.
Here's what you know that the other friends did not: it was Judas. Earlier, Judas had made a deal with the chief priests to hand Jesus over. His hand was on the same table. He had been there for the bread and the cup.
Scene 6 of 8Who Is the Greatest?
Then an argument started. The friends argued about which of them was the greatest.
They had heard about the body given for them. They had heard about a betrayer. Now they argued about who was most important.
Jesus answered them. "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them" (22:25). Gentiles are people who are not Jewish. To lord it over people means to boss them around. Those rulers called themselves benefactors, which means people who do good for others.
Then Jesus said, "But you shall not be like them" (22:26). He said the greatest among them should be like the youngest. The one who leads should be like the one who serves.
Jesus asked them which person is greater: the one eating at the table, or the one serving the food. Then he answered his own question. The one eating at the table is greater.
Then Jesus said, "But I am among you as one who serves" (22:27).
That very night, Jesus had handed them the bread and the cup. He was their teacher. He was also the one serving them.
Scene 7 of 8A Promise for the Friends
Then Jesus said something kind to them. "You are the ones who have stood by Me in My trials" (22:28). Trials here means hard times.
Jesus said he was giving them a kingdom, as his Father had given one to him. They would eat and drink at his table in his kingdom.
He said they would sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve tribes were the family groups of Israel, from the twelve sons of Jacob. Jesus was promising his friends a share in his kingdom.
Jesus made this promise right after their argument about who was greatest. He still gave it to them.
Scene 8 of 8"Simon, Simon"
Then Jesus spoke to Peter. He used Peter's first name. "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat" (22:31).
Satan is the enemy of God and God's people. To sift wheat, a farmer shakes it hard in a sieve to separate the grain from everything else. This is a comparison. Satan wanted to shake all the friends hard, to see if their faith would fail.
Then Jesus spoke about Peter himself. "But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail" (22:32).
Jesus added, "And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (22:32). Jesus said "when you have turned back," not "if."
Peter said, "Lord... I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death" (22:33).
Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me" (22:34).
Roosters crow at dawn. Before morning came, Peter would say three times that he did not know Jesus.
Peter was sure he would stay loyal to Jesus. That night, he would fail. But Jesus had already prayed for him.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you" (22:15) | Jesus knew he would suffer. He wanted to be with his friends first. He was not surprised by what was coming. |
| "This is My body, given for you" (22:19) | Jesus gives himself to his friends. Lutherans believe Jesus is truly present in this meal, as he said. |
| "Do this in remembrance of Me" (22:19) | Jesus tells his followers to keep this meal. Christians have kept it ever since (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). |
| "The new covenant in My blood" (22:20) | God first promised the new covenant to Israel (Jeremiah 31:31). It promises forgiveness: "I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). Christians believe Jesus brings this promise to all people. This does not cancel God's promises to the Jewish people. Paul wrote, "God's gifts and His call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). Irrevocable means they can never be taken back. |
| "I am among you as one who serves" (22:27) | In God's kingdom, greatness looks like serving. Jesus serves all the way to the cross (Mark 10:45). |
| "Sift each of you like wheat" (22:31) | This is a comparison. Satan wanted to shake the friends until their faith failed. |
| "I have prayed for you" (22:32) | Jesus prayed for Peter before Peter failed. Peter's faith was held up by Jesus's prayer, not by Peter's strength. |
Back Then
The Passover lambs were killed on the 14th day of the first month (Exodus 12:6). Jewish people later called this month Nisan. The meal was eaten that evening, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Exodus 12:8). (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
People reclined at special meals. They lay on couches or cushions around a low table and leaned on one elbow. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
The Passover meal had several cups of wine. Exodus does not mention wine. Later Jewish writings describe four cups, each with its own prayers. Many scholars think a custom like this was kept in Jesus's time. That may explain why Luke mentions a cup in 22:17 and another cup in 22:20. (Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah)
A Jewish day began at sunset. So when Jesus said "today" that evening, "today" included the whole night ahead. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Jesus and all twelve apostles were Jewish. This was a Jewish Passover meal. Jewish families still keep Passover every year.
Literal Reader Alert
Is the bread really Jesus's body? Lutherans believe Jesus meant what he said. Luther's Small Catechism says the Sacrament is Christ's true body and blood "under the bread and wine." A later Lutheran confession is the Formula of Concord (1577). It says Christ's body is present "under the bread, with the bread, in the bread." Lutherans often shorten this to "in, with, and under." The Sacrament still looks and tastes like bread and wine. We cannot explain how. We trust Jesus's words. Other Christians understand this meal in different ways. You can read about them in From the Wider Church below.
Did God make Judas betray Jesus? Luke says several things side by side. Jesus would go "as it has been determined" (22:22). Satan entered Judas (22:3). Judas still chose to make the deal (22:4-6). Jesus said "woe to that man" (22:22). Luke does not explain how these fit together. God's plan did not take away Judas's choice. It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries.
Does Jesus mean no one should lead? No. Jesus says "the one who leads" should be "like the one who serves" (22:26). Leaders are still needed. They lead by serving.
Did Jesus give up on Peter? No. Jesus knew Peter would fail, and he prayed for him anyway. He even gave Peter a job for afterward: strengthen the others (22:32).
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus | Longing | He wanted very much to share this meal before his suffering (22:15) |
| The friends | Unsure | Jesus said one of them would betray him, and they did not know who (22:23) |
| The friends | Proud | They argued about which of them was the greatest (22:24) |
| Peter | Confident | He said he was ready to go to prison and to death (22:33) |
| Judas | The Bible doesn't say | Luke tells what Judas did, not what he felt (22:3-6) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Where are you at this table tonight? Tap one.
Arguing to be first
The friends did that too, on this very night. Jesus did not send them away. He showed them the one who serves, and he still promised them a place in his kingdom.
Sure I'd never fail
Peter was sure too. He did fail. But Jesus had already prayed for him. Your own strength is not what keeps your faith alive. Jesus is.
Feeling like the betrayer
The guilt can feel very heavy. Jesus gave the bread and cup "for you" to people who would let him down. Tell God what you did. Talk to a pastor too. In Jesus, there is forgiveness. If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
Alone at a full table
On this night, Jesus's friends argued, and one was about to betray him. Jesus still stayed at the table with them. He stays with you too.
It's really bad right now
Please tell a trusted adult today. If you are in danger right now, call 911 or your local emergency number. In the United States, you can also call or text 988 any time, day or night. Outside the United States, findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
You Might Have Heard
"You have to get your life cleaned up before you can take Communion."
What's true: The Lord's Supper is holy. Paul says each person should "examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (1 Corinthians 11:28). That means taking it seriously and trusting Jesus's words.
What the story is mainly about: Look who was at the table. There were friends who argued about who was greatest. There was a friend who would deny Jesus three times. There was a friend who had already agreed to betray him. Jesus gave the bread and the cup to them, "given for you" (22:19). The meal is not a prize for people whose lives are in order. It is a gift for sinners who need forgiveness.
Where Jesus is: At the table as the host, and also as the one who serves. He is the host who gives himself.
Good News
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus did not pull away from his friends. He fed them. He served them. He prayed for Peter before Peter failed.
Peter would fail that same night. Jesus had already prayed, "that your faith will not fail" (22:32). Your faith does not depend on how strong you are. It is a gift. The Holy Spirit gives it and keeps it alive through God's word, and through this meal.
Jesus gave his body and blood for friends who would fail him. He gives them "for you" too.
From the Wider Church
All Christians who share this meal do it because Jesus said, "do this in remembrance of Me" (22:19). They use different names for it: the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, or the Eucharist. Eucharist comes from the Greek word for giving thanks. Jesus "gave thanks" before he broke the bread (22:19).
Christians understand the meal in different ways. Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe the bread and wine become Christ's body and blood. Reformed Christians, like Presbyterians, believe Christ is truly present by the Holy Spirit. Believers receive him by faith as they eat and drink. Baptists and many others keep the meal to remember Jesus's death and to proclaim it, as Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 11:26). Lutherans believe Christ's true body and blood are present in, with, and under the bread and wine. All of these Christians love Jesus and read the same words carefully. Since 1997, the ELCA has shared Communion with several Reformed churches. One of them is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These churches explain Christ's presence differently, but they share the meal.
Christians also connect this meal to Passover. Paul wrote, "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7). This does not take Passover away from Jewish people. God gave it to them, and they still keep it.
Big Idea
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus gave his body and blood "for you" to friends who would fail him.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism (1529), Luther explains the Sacrament of the Altar. He says it is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine. It is given for us Christians to eat and to drink. Christ himself set it up.
Luther says the benefit is shown in the words "Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins." Remission means forgiveness. He says that in the Sacrament "forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words."
Who is ready to receive it? Luther says the one who believes these words: "Given, and shed for you." He says the words "for you" call for faith. The person receiving must believe them. (Small Catechism, Concordia Triglotta English, 1921)
In Church
Christians remember this meal on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It is a shared list of Bible readings for Sundays and holy days. On Maundy Thursday every year, the lectionary reads three passages. They are the first Passover, Paul's words about the Lord's Supper, and John 13 (Exodus 12, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). In Year C, most of this passage is read on the Sunday of the Passion. That Sunday is also called Palm Sunday. The reading is the long passage Luke 22:14 to 23:56.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
How did that feel?