Luke 22:7-27 NRSV
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.” 9 They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?” 10 “Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” 13 So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 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 until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23 Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.24 A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like 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 at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

John 13:1-21 NRSV
1Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he. 20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” 21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

Reflection:
The Last Supper took place on the fifth day of holy week and the night before Jesus would be crucified. Everyone had made their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast.  Passover was one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals during which the entire population of the Kingdom of Judah made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. During this meal, they would commemorate the time in which God’s angel passed over the houses of the Hebrews protecting them from the last of the plagues of Egypt. In order to be “passed over” the Hebrew’s were instructed to put lambs’ blood over their door posts.

This is the context in which Jesus and his disciples find themselves at the Last Supper, so it is a fitting time for Jesus to institute the new covenant at the same table where they were remembering the old one. Jesus is the new sacrificial lamb separating us from our sin and reconciling us back to God. The table represents a place of friendship and intimacy. People in that culture were much less likely to eat with someone they didn’t love than we are today. This is why Jesus was often criticized for eating with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus, knowing that Judas was going to betray him, still ate with his betrayer—a powerful example of sacrificial love. Jesus loved his followers even though they would all, in their own way, fall short before the weekend would be over. When they argued about who the best was, Jesus reminded them that in the eyes of the kingdom of God, those who take on the role of a servant are the greatest.

We who have been separated from God through sin have been reconciled again through Christ. When we come to the table, Jesus is saying never forget that I have given you my body and my blood so that we could be reconciled. That’s what this table represents—a God who longed to be reconciled to his creation and who went farther than we ever could go to reconnect Creator with creation. The institution of the Lord’s Supper was the new covenant that reconnected us to God.

But God also wants us to be connected and reconciled to one another. In John’s gospel, we have a different story about the Last Supper than what is found in the other gospels. John tells the unique story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Jesus Christ, who was their teacher and Lord, gave them a powerful example of how to serve and love one another well. This lesson made Peter uncomfortable because he did not feel worthy to have Jesus serve him in this way. This story should remind us of how we should love and serve each other. In this story we have a God who not only comes to our level, but as Peter’s lack of comfort suggested, took on the role of a servant in order to show us that we should love each other in the same way. This table not only connects us to God but also connects us to one another. On this day we remember when Jesus instituted the new covenant and all that means for us as believers. When we share in this meal together, we not only remember the past but also look forward to a future where we will all gather together at the Lord’s heavenly banquet forever.

Application:
I invite you over the next couple of days to plan a more formal dinner with your family. During the meal share stories that are significant to your family and your family’s history. Take turns telling each other how you love one another and appreciate each other by naming specific things that they contribute to the family. At the end of the meal share the story of the last supper and what it means to you as a believer. Close your meal by thanking God for all the ways that he has blessed you and your family.

Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, on this day, long ago, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this remembrance of me.” He took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you,” instituting the Lord’s Supper.  We thank you, Lord, for giving us a tangible way to remember the gift of our Savior. We thank you also for the promise that we will all eat and drink anew together in the coming kingdom. We pray that you would help us to remember the depth of Jesus’ love each time we take Communion. Amen.