SOURCE: Orthodox Photos
On
the fifth day after the Lord’s entrance into
Jerusalem, which, according to our reckoning, was
Thursday (on Friday evening, the first day of unleavened
bread, they sacrificed the Passover lamb), the disciples came to Jesus saying,
"Where will you have us prepare the Passover for you
to eat?"
Christ communing the apostles. Fresco in the church of the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God, Sretensky Monastery.
Jesus Christ said to them,
"Go into the city, and a
man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him and,
wherever he enters, say to the householder, ‘The
Teacher says where is My guest
room, where I am to eat the Passover with My
disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room
furnished and ready. There, prepare for
us."
He sent two of His disciples,
Peter and John. They went and found it as He had told
them, and they prepared the Passover.
That evening, Jesus Christ
knowing that He would be betrayed that night came with His
twelve apostles to the prepared upper room. When they were
seated at the table, Jesus Christ said, "I have
earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I
suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it again until it
is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." Then, He rose, laid aside His
garments, and girded Himself with a towel. He poured water
into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and to wipe them with the towel with which He was
girded.
When He had washed their feet,
and taken His garments, and resumed His place, He said to
them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call
Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I
then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you
also ought to wash one another’s feet; for I have
given you an example that you also The Washing of the
Disciples’ Feet should do as I have done to
you."
By this example, the Lord
demonstrated not only His love for His disciples but also
taught them humility, that is, not to consider it beneath
oneself to serve someone even though he may be of lesser
status.
After eating the Old Testament
Jewish Passover, Jesus Christ established on this evening
the sacrament of Holy Communion. Therefore, the occasion
is called in the Orthodox Church the "Mystical
Supper."
Jesus Christ took bread,
blessed it, broke it in pieces, and giving it to the
disciples said, "Take, eat; this is My Body, which
is broken for you for the remission of sins;"
that is, for you, It will be handed over to suffering and
death for the forgiveness of sins. He took a cup of wine;
and when He had given thanks to God the Father for all His
mercy to the race of mankind, He gave it to the disciples
saying "Drink of it, all of you; for this is My
Blood of the New Covenant, Which is poured out for you for
the remission of sins."
These words indicate that under
the appearance of bread and wine the Saviour taught His
disciples that it was His own Body and own Blood which on
the next day He gave up to suffering and death for our
sins. How the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of
the Lord is a mystery, incomprehensible even to the
angels, and is therefore called a
mystery.
After giving the Eucharist to
the apostles, the Lord gave the commandment to always
perform this sacrament. He said, ‘Do this in
remembrance of Me’ (I
Cor. 11:25).
This sacrament is performed by us now and will continue to
be performed until the end of the age; in the divine
service, it is called the
Liturgy.
During the sacramental Last
Supper, the Saviour has revealed to the apostles that one
of them would betray Him. They were very sorrowful and
bewildered. Looking at one another, in fear they began to
ask after one another, "Is it I, Lord?" Judas
said, "Is it I, Master?" The Saviour quietly
said to him, "You have said it," and no one
heard it. John was reclining next to the Saviour. Peter
beckoned to him and said, "Tell us who it is of whom
He speaks." John, lying close to the breast of the
Saviour, quietly said, "Lord, who it is?" Jesus
Christ quietly answered, "It is he to whom I shall
give this morsel when I shall have dipped it." So
when He had dipped the morsel in a dish with salt, He gave
it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, and said to him,
"What you are going to do, do
quickly."
Now no one at the table knew
why He said this to him. Some thought, because Judas had
the money bag, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we
need for the feast;" or he was told to give something
to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel, he
immediately went out, and it was night.
Jesus Christ continued to talk
with His disciples and said, "Little children, yet a
little while, I am with you. A new commandment, I give to
you, that you love one another as I have loved you. By
this, all men would know that you are My disciples if you have love for one
another. Greater love has no man than this that he gives
his life for his friends. You are My friends if you fulfil that I have
commanded you."
During this conversation, Jesus
Christ foretold to the disciples that they all would be
offended because of Him that night; all would scatter
leaving Him alone. The Apostle Peter declared,
"Though they all to be offended because of You, I
would never be offended."
Then, the Saviour said to him,
"Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the
cock crows, you will deny Me
three times and will say that you do not know
Me."
But Peter more vehemently began
to assure Him saying, "If I must die with You, I
would not deny You."
So said all the disciples.
Nevertheless, the words of the Saviour saddened them.
Comforting them, the Lord said, "Let not your heart
be troubled. Believe in God (the Father) and believe in
Me (the Son of
God)."
The Saviour promised His
disciples that He would send from His Father another
Comforter and Teacher instead of Himself, that is, the
Holy Spirit. He said, "I will pray to the
Father, and He will give you another Comforter, the Spirit
of truth, Whom the world cannot
receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You
know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you."
That means that the Holy Spirit must be with all true
believers in Jesus Christ and in the Church of Christ.
"Yet a little while, and the world will see
Me no more, but you will see
Me; because I live (I am life, and death cannot conquer
Me), you will live also… The Comforter (the Holy
Spirit) Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and
bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. The
Holy Spirit, even the Spirit of truth, Who proceeds from the Father,
He will bear witness of Me. You also are witnesses because
you have been with Me from the
beginning" (John 15:19,
26-27).
Jesus Christ also predicted to
His disciples that they would have to suffer much evil and
persecution from people because they (the disciples)
believe in Him. "In the world, you have tribulation;
but be of good cheer," said the Saviour, "I have
overcome the world" (conquered evil in the
world).
Jesus Christ concluded His
conversation with a prayer for His disciples and for all
who believe in Him, so the Heavenly Father may keep them
in steadfast faith, in love, and they may be in unity
among themselves.
When the Lord finished the
supper during the conversation, He stood with His eleven
disciples; and when they had sung a hymn, He went forth
across the Kidron valley to the Mount of Olives, into the garden of Gethsemane.
Note: See the Gospels of Matthew 26:17-35; Mark 14:12-31; Luke 22:7-39; John 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18:1.