Some people are saying that the Last Supper was not Passover.
This video is my response to their objections.
It's time to UNLEARN the lies.
UNLEARN
Hey, welcome to UNLEARN.
My name is Lex, and I'd like to invite you to join us each week as we search out Biblical
truth together and UNLEARN the lies we have inherited.
Now, let's get started.
Zach Bauer is a friend and fellow brother in Messiah, and he has some great videos on
YouTube.
In fact, we've done several videos together in the past.
I encourage you to check out his channel New2Torah and watch some of his videos.
However, he posted a video a couple of years ago that, at the time he posted it I agreed
with him, but as I have studied this topic more, I have come to a different conclusion.
This video is not meant to diminish Zach or his ministry, I greatly appreciate the work
he does.
I simply want to respond to his objections and show that they are not as simple as he
might think.
Zach, I want you to know that I respect you, but I respectfully disagree with you about
the Last Supper.
With that being said, lets take a look at Zach's first objection.
There are a couple of things to consider with this event.
First, Passover is on the 14th day of the first month and is not a High Sabbath.
The High Sabbath takes place on the 15th day of the first month.
"And in the first new moon, on the fourteenth day, is the Pesach of Yahweh, and on the fifteenth
day of this new moon is a festival.
For seven days unleavened bread is eaten."
- Numbers 28:16-17
"In the first new moon, on the fourteenth day of the new moon, between the evenings,
is the Pesach to Yahweh.
And on the fifteenth day of this new moon is the Festival of Matzot (Unleavened Bread)
to Yahweh – seven days you eat unleavened bread.
On the first day you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work."
- Leviticus 23:5-7
This places Passover at the night beginning the 14th, and the first day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread is a High Sabbath that begins on the 15th.
So, if Yeshua and the disciples were eating Passover the night of the 14th, it would have
been possible for Judas to buy something for the Feast of Unleavened bread that would begin
the the following night.
Another thing we need to realize is that the Pharisees kept their Passover on the night
of the 15th, contrary to Scripture.
And because the Pharisees represented the majority voice in such matters, most of the
Jews would not have been celebrating Passover the same night as Yeshua and His disciples.
Modern Jews still keep Passover on the night of the 15th, beginning the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, instead of keeping it on the 14th as the Scriptures command.
However, we should follow the example of our Messiah and not the traditions of the Pharisees.
So, if the 14th was not a High Sabbath, and the majority of Jews waited until the 15th
for their Passover, then what exactly is the problem thinking that Judas might be going
to buy something?
Moving on, let's take a look at Zach's second objection.
You are right, the word "lamb" is not mentioned explicitly, but it is mentioned by implication.
The Gospels tell us the disciples were "preparing the Passover", which implies they were preparing
the lamb for Passover.
You do realize that the Passover lamb was often referred to as "the Passover"?
So, when it says they went to prepare "the Passover" it is to be understood that they
were preparing the Passover lamb.
The text even tells us it was on the day the Passover was supposed to be killed.
"And the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Pesach (Passover) had to be slaughtered.
And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Pesach for us to eat.”
And they said to Him, “Where do You wish us to prepare?”
And He said to them, “See, as you enter into the city, a man shall meet you carrying
a jar of water.
Follow him into the house he enters.
And you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest
room where I might eat the Pesach with My taught ones?”
And he shall show you a large, furnished upper room.
Prepare it there.
And going they found it as He had said to them, and they prepared the Pesach."
- Luke 22:7-13
So, on the day the Passover lamb is to be killed Yeshua told His disciples to prepare
the Passover so He can eat it with them.
What were they preparing?
They were preparing the passover lamb for supper.
Why did Yeshua and the disciples call it Passover?
Because it was Passover.
It says after the meal Yeshua took the bread and wine, so, what meal did they eat?
They weren't only eating bread and wine, they had a Passover meal, which would have included
a lamb and bitter herbs.
Why would Yeshua say He was going to eat the Passover with his disciples if He really wasn't
going to eat the passover with them?
What about the bitter herbs?
You are right Zach, the phrase "bitter herbs" is not used in the text, but do you really
want to base your conclusion on an argument from silence?
Just because it is not explicitly stated in the text does not mean it was not present
at the table.
What do you suppose Yeshua dipped the bread into before giving it to Judas?
It is quite possible that He dipped the bread in the bitter herbs.
The bitterness would represent the bitter betrayal of Judas perfectly.
You claim that Artos always means leavened bread, but that is not true.
Artos simply means bread and can be used for leavened or unleavened.
We see a very clear example of this when Yeshua breaks bread with the disciples after His
resurrection.
"And it came to be, when He sat at the table with them, having taken the bread [artos],
He blessed, and having broken, He was giving it to them."
- Luke 24:30
These events would have taken place during the Feast of Unleavened bread, but it says
He took Artos and broke it with them.
This either means they were completely disregarding the command to eat only unleavened bread during
the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Artos can be used to refer to unleavened bread.
I think the answer is obvious that they were actually eating unleavened bread.
We also see artos being used for the showbread in the Temple, which was also unleavened bread.
"But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and
those who were with him: how he went into the House of Elohim and ate the showbread
[artos] which was not right for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only
for the priests?"
- Matthew 12:3-4
"For a Tent was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, and the table,
and the showbread [artos], which is called the Set-apart Place."
- Hebrews 9:2
How do we know the showbread was unleavened?
It is mentioned in a number of places including the Talmud and the Jewish Historian Josephus,
but more importantly, it is mentioned in the Torah, in Exodus 29:23 which says,
"...and one thin cake from the basket of the unleavened bread [ha'matzot] that is before
Yahweh."
- Exodus 29:23
Therefore, you cannot make the claim that the use of the word artos always refers to
leavened bread, nor can you conclude that they ate leaven at the Last Supper.
Think about the implications of what you are saying.
Leaven is connected to false doctrine that puffs up, and it is also connected to sin.
"And Yeshua said to them, 'Mind!
And beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees'...Then they understood
that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees
and the Sadducees."
- Matthew
"Your boasting is not good.
Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump?
Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened.
For also Messiah our Pesach was slaughtered for us.
So then let us celebrate the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil
and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
- 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
So, why would Yeshua take leavened bread and say, "this is my body"?
Also, when you consider the deep spiritual and prophetic connections that Unleavened
Bread shows us about Yeshua, it only makes sense that He broke unleavened bread.
When making unleavened bread, they pierce it numerous times to prevent it from rising.
They also cut stripes in it, and while it is cooking it appears to be bruised in places.
This is a beautiful picture of the prophecy mentioned in Isaiah 53 about the Messiah.
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."
- Isaiah 53:5
There is no doubt in my mind that Yeshua broke Unleavened Bread with His disciples that night.
Ok, let's move on to his third objection.
Notice the way Zach words this objection saying, "This is highly outside of traditional protocol".
We know that there were multiple occasions when Yeshua broke traditional protocol.
The directive to paint blood on the doorposts and stay inside all night was specific to
the first passover in Egypt.
The purpose in the blood on the doorposts and staying in all night was for their protection
from the destroyer.
"And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin,
and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin, and you,
none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.
And Yahweh shall pass on to smite the Mitsrites (Egyptians), and shall see the blood on the
lintel and on the two doorposts, and Yahweh shall pass over the door and not allow the
destroyer to come into your houses to smite you."
- Exodus 12:22-23
These instructions concerning the blood on the doorpost and remaining inside until morning
were given to protect them from the death angel.
It was only those in Egypt at the first Passover who were required to paint their doors and
stay inside all night.
It might be a tradition of some people to stay inside the house all night, but it is
not required for the yearly remembrance.
So, if it was merely a tradition, and not required by Torah, then why is this even being
mentioned in your argument?
We know that Yeshua had no problem with violating man's traditions.
Another thing to consider is that Yahweh did not remain inside His house on the night of
the Passover in Egypt, but He was outside of the homes protecting those inside.
So, when Yeshua, Yahweh's Son, went out to the Garden to pray for His followers, He was
doing a similar act of protection for His people
Ok, let's look at the final objection.
I already mentioned that the Pharisees kept the Passover on the 15th instead of the 14th,
which explains why they had no problem going out that night to arrest Yeshua.
It also explains why they did not want to be defiled that day, because they were getting
ready for their Passover seder on the 15th.
Could this have any connection with Yeshua's warning to beware the leaven of the Pharisees?
Over and over the Bible says that Passover is on the 14th, and it never says the Passover
is on the 15th.
Yet, many have just blindly followed the Pharisees into keeping Passover on the 15th.
Yeshua warned us to beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is a warning against their
doctrine.
Yet, it is their doctrine tells us to keep Passover on the 15th contrary to what the
Torah says.﻿
"And in the first new moon, on the fourteenth day, is the Pesach of Yahweh, and on the fifteenth
day of this new moon is a festival.
For seven days unleavened bread is eaten."
- Numbers 28:16-17
This verse clearly tells us that the 14th day is the Passover and the 15th day begins
the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
There is a distinction made between these two days.
Passover is not the first day of Unleavened Bread, Passover takes place the day before
the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Gospels clearly tell us that Yeshua said He would eat the Passover with His disciples.
"The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room where I might eat the Pesach with My
taught ones?"
- Luke 22:11
If the last supper was not a Passover, then why did Yeshua and the disciples call it Passover
numerous times in the Gospels?
If it was not Passover, then what was it?
Zach suggests that it was a graduation ceremony.
If it was a graduation ceremony, then how are we to do it as a remembrance of Yeshua?
We don't graduate every year, and the disciples would not have had another graduation ceremony
ever again.
So, what exactly are we supposed to do in remembrance of Him?
For you to conclude that the Last Supper was not Passover, you have to ignore the fact
that Yeshua and the disciples called it Passover 4 times in Matthew, 5 times in Mark, and 6
times in Luke.
You also have to ignore the fact that Yeshua specifically said that He was going to eat
the Passover with His disciples.
Let me suggest to you that Yeshua and the disciples were correct, and the meal they
ate was the Passover, and Yeshua was telling His disciples to do Passover each year in
remembrance of Him.
It's really that simple.
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See you next time.