Those scripture references describe the Passover meal popularly referred to as "the last supper," when the man called jesus used the bread and wine in a dress rehearsal to remind his disciples in a very real way of what they were to do to him ~ eat him up and drink his blood. The mind-blower is that at the meal, he blessed the matzah (unleavened bread) in an unusual way, calling it his body and breaking it for his disciples to share, and then he blessed the chalice of wine (which, according to luke's story, he did not drink...) in an equally unsettling manner ~ he called it his blood. It was a practice session with impact for when they actually shared in theREAL Last Supper ~ the literal feast on his body to honor what their master verily, verily charged unto them days before the Passover.
Imagine, if you will, being a fly on the wall "in the upper room" over 2,000 years and a decade ago, where the man called jesus assumed the seat at the head of the table and observed with his disciples the high holy jewish ceremonies in remembrance of the tale of how death passed over the homes of their ancestors because they splashed the required sacrificial blood on the doorposts.
Are you there?
Having been married for a number of years to an Israelite who followed the religious belief system of Judaism, to help set the scene for those unfamiliar with the practices of traditional Jewish custom, I can tell you that the Seder (passover meal) is not a celebration; it is an observance, and it's supposed to be an extremely solemn occasion. In addition to eating matzah and drinking wine, it is common tradition for whole horseradish (root) to be eaten, to remind them of the bitter times of their forefathers and to literally bring tears to their eyes, for the shedding of tears is a most important element in the observance of passover. Roasted lamb is a most important serving in the Seder, for it represents the sacrificial lamb that was eaten after the required blood of it was splashed on the doorposts and its body cooked (biblically, "burned") upon the altar grill as is in jewish custom concerning sacrifical offerings to the god of their understanding. Hence the biblical reference in Mark 14:12: "And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover," and in luke 22:7: "Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed."
The tears they shed at the table together that evening were undoubtedly full of emotion; not so much for the past of passover because I am sure that they were crying about the events that were to unfold in their very-near future.
Suffice it to say that during the non-celebratory observance they had gathered for, there was no laughing, joking, goofing around or spreading of good cheer going on that night at the dinner table "in the upper room" at all.
Do you see it more clearly in the moment yet?
I am sure it was very quiet as they took their seats at the table after the necessary preparations and waited for their master to bless the Seder according to custom.
Remember and bear in mind, that the setting of the passover observance was used by him to be a solemn reminder to his disciples and he called the matzah his flesh as he broke it and told them to eat it as such. The wine of which he did not partake, he described as his blood and told them to drink it as such.
Zero in on that image with me because I can just see his serious facial expression as he spoke and made meaningful eye contact with each of them, then watched each bite of bread and each sip of wine from the chalice that they shared the wine from.
Consider the story of how they ran out of wine at that rich governor's wedding reception he was at with his mother when he miraculously turned the water in barrels into the best wine they had consumed all night. With that idea in mind, being the miracle worker he was purported to have been, I can reasonably imagine beyond a shadow of a doubt that his blessing of the meal had a powerful psychological impact on the disciples, but more especially an actual and mysteriously eerie effect on the matzah and wine jesus passed around, so that each bite, chew and swallow of the bread in their mouths had the distinct flavor, quality and texture of cooked meat as they consumed it during the sacred meal, and that what they drank from the chalice that he did not drink from with them had also mysteriously taken on the aroma, taste and consistency of blood.
If you are still that fly on the wall, flutter with me over to the middle of the table and land right in the center so you can see everyone's face up close.
Can you imagine the initial response and recovery after that first bite and that first sip, by each disciple who realized that what it tasted like they were eating and drinking was definitely not what they thought they knew they put in their mouth was supposed to taste or feel like?
There they were, eating the meaty "bread" and drinking the bloody "wine" while watching each other weep in a true display of the charged emotion of the occasion as they prepared themselves in mind and body when it hit home that they were really going to be eating jesus soon whenever the sacrifice was made.
On Easter Sunday, I was moved to add that as they ate and drank, the euphoric effects of the blood-wine that he did not drink any of may have caused them to "have a foretaste" or sampling of the power claimed to have been embodied in his flesh and blood, which I imagine was in no way an unpleasant or undesirable feeling for them to have experienced, and probably even had them more eagerly looking forward to the sacrifice because they mighthave been crying inspired tears of joyful anticipation of their "blessed assurance" after having their "FORETASTE of glory devine." Wow.
As I said, he knew he was going to be in big trouble in a matter of hours ~ very soon. He used the Seder as an opportunity to prepare them by going through the motions, of what was to actually take place within a few days.
I thought I would provide the biblical text for those who, like me, may be too lazy to reach for a bible for themselves or who may not own one or otherwise have an excuse not to peruse the references. Now, read them carefully again; don't add anything to it or take anything away from it....
