Reflections on a Difficult Gospel Passage - The Lord's Supper

It is unfortunate that although intended as a symbol ofbased on the recollections of an eyewitness who was
our unity in Jesus Christ, the Lord's Supper haspresent at the time. Furthermore, Mark and Matthew
become a point of division among Christians acrossstate that the Sanhedrin wanted to get Jesus arrested
the millennia. In addition to distinct understandingsand executed before the Passover; an intention that
surrounding the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper whichwas blocked if their timing of the Last Supper and
include (but not limited to) strong beliefs relative tocrucifixion is erroneous.
Transubstantiation, Consubstantiation, Memorialism, andStein doesn't really adopt a position. After exploring
Spiritualism; there is also the problem of determiningseveral related theories attempting to explain the
whether or not the Lord's Supper was or was not aapparent discrepancy between John's account and
Passover Meal which this article will briefly reflect upon.the synoptics, Stein confesses that no one explanation
John clearly states that the Last Supper took placeis totally convincing at the present time.
before the Passover and that Jesus was crucified onJocz agrees with Stein that the discrepancy cannot
the afternoon before the evening that was thereally be reconciled if the synoptics and John are
traditional time for the Passover celebration. If wethinking of the same Passover. However, he suggest
accept John's declaration at face value, then wethat the dilemma could be solved if the assumption
would have to believe that Jesus did not eat thewas made that the Last Supper was a paschal meal,
Passover meal with His disciples since He, Himself wasbut in anticipation of the festival, which would mean
the paschal Lamb and sacrificed about the same timethat the paschal lamb was missing. This solution, he
as the Passover lambs.maintains, makes reconciliation possible. "John was right,
Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palacefor Passover began on Friday night; the synoptics
of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning,were right, for the Last Supper was a paschal meal
and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did notthough without the lamb."
enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat theBeck examines the difficulty from the features that
Passover. John 18:28.were typically characteristic of a Passover celebration
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but thesuch as; reclining at the table, eating the broken bread
Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are nofrom a dish, and drinking red wine. Yet, other features
friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a kingsuch as the paschal lamb, bitter herbs, and four cups
opposes Caesar." When Pilate heard this, he broughtare not mentioned. Thus, Beck acknowledges the small
Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a placechance of erasing the contradiction between the
known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic issynoptic gospels and John.
Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of PassoverOthers, such as John Hurt, advocate no discrepancy
Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilateand insist the issue is solved by simply noting that John
said to the Jews. John 19:12-14.uses Roman time, while the synoptics use Jewish time.
Matthew, Mark and Luke state that the Last SupperOne of the great values we learn from the Bible and
was the Passover meal. Yet both John and theextra-biblical sources is that there is much more to fully
synoptic tradition seem to agree that the day of theunderstanding the Lord's Supper than we may have
crucifixion was on Friday. At this point and time, I leanrealized. Ultimately of course, it becomes a matter of
toward John's position on the timing of the Last Supperbelief.
and the crucifixion due to John's purporting to be