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The Last Supper
Thursday before the crucifixion; arrest in Gethsemane that night· Event· Bible story & events
Mostly agreed by scholarsMost historians agree; some details uncertain.
On his last night Jesus shared a meal with the Twelve, called the bread his body and the wine his blood, and was then arrested.
See it on the Bible & Christianity map →What it is
Mark, Matthew and Luke present it as a Passover meal in an upstairs room in Jerusalem. Jesus breaks bread, saying 'this is my body', and passes a cup, 'my blood of the covenant' (Mark 14:22–24). He predicts that one of them, Judas, will betray him. John's Gospel instead tells how Jesus washed the disciples' feet (John 13). Afterwards they go out to Gethsemane, where Judas arrives with armed men.
Why it matters
It is the origin of the Eucharist (Mass, Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper), the central ritual of most churches, repeated weekly or daily for nearly 2,000 years.
Sources and history
Paul's account (1 Corinthians 11:23–26, about AD 54) is the earliest, older than the Gospels; he says he 'received' it as tradition. Historians widely accept the meal itself; its exact words are debated.
Questions and debates
Was it a Passover meal or the evening before (John)? Churches also differ on the bread and wine: Catholic, Orthodox and Lutheran teaching holds Christ is truly present; many other Protestants see a memorial.
Connections (4)
▸The first Passover is the festival remembered at The Last SupperMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
Passover recalls the night God spared Israel's firstborn and led them out of Egypt, kept with lamb, unleavened bread and wine. Jesus came to Jerusalem for the feast, and in Mark, Matthew and Luke the Last Supper is a Passover meal. Christians came to see Jesus as the new Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
When and where
Jerusalem, at Passover, about AD 30 or 33; Mark 14:12–16 describes the disciples preparing the meal in a borrowed upstairs room.
How do we know?
All four Gospels set Jesus' death at Passover, which historians accept. Whether the meal itself was a Passover meal depends on which Gospel one follows.
Questions and debates
John puts the crucifixion as the Passover lambs were slaughtered, so the supper came a day earlier. Scholars debate which timing is right, or whether groups used different calendars.
▸Jeremiah the prophet promised a 'new covenant' recalled at The Last SupperMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
Jeremiah 31:31–34 promises a 'new covenant' in which God will write his law on people's hearts and forgive their sins. At the Last Supper Jesus calls the cup 'the new covenant in my blood' (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25), presenting his death as that promise kept.
When and where
Jeremiah spoke in Jerusalem around 600–586 BC, before the Babylonian conquest; the Last Supper took place in Jerusalem about AD 30 or 33.
How do we know?
Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jeremiah 31 in full and applies it to Christ. The word 'Testament' itself comes from the Latin for 'covenant'.
Questions and debates
Mark and Matthew have 'my blood of the covenant', echoing Exodus 24:8, without 'new'; whether Jesus said 'new' is debated. Jews read Jeremiah's promise as still addressed to Israel.
▸The Last Supper came the night before Crucifixion of Jesus under Pontius PilateMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
After the meal Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Judas led Temple guards there, and Jesus was arrested that night. Hearings before the high priest followed, then Pilate in the morning. By the next afternoon he was dead, so Christians remember both on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
When and where
Jerusalem, Thursday night to Friday afternoon of Passover week, about AD 30 or 33; Gethsemane lies across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives.
How do we know?
All four Gospels, and Paul's 'on the night when he was betrayed' (1 Corinthians 11:23), place the supper immediately before the arrest and death.
Questions and debates
Some propose a longer timeline, with the supper on Tuesday, to fit all the hearings. Whether a night trial was legal under Jewish law is also debated.
▸The Last Supper is the origin of the Eucharist in The sacraments (baptism, Eucharist and the seven)Mostly agreed by scholars
The connection
At the Last Supper Jesus took bread and wine, saying 'this is my body... this is my blood' (Mark 14:22–24) and 'do this in remembrance of me' (Luke 22:19). Christians repeated the meal from the start, and it became the Eucharist, Mass or Lord's Supper, the central sacrament of most churches.
When and where
Jerusalem, about AD 30–33. Paul records the words around AD 54 (1 Corinthians 11:23–26); the Didache (c. 100) and Justin Martyr (c. 150) describe the rite.
How do we know?
Paul's letter is the earliest written record, and the meal's continuous practice is well attested. What it means is a matter of faith.
Questions and debates
Whether the meal was a Passover supper (Mark) or held the day before (John) is debated, as is what 'this is my body' means; Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans and Reformed differ.