Was the last supper a Passover meal or not? 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.
There is some controversy about if Yeshua's last supper was a Passover meal or not. This
is due to a question about the timeline presented in the gospels. Some people think there is
a conflict between the synoptic gospels and the gospel of John, because the synoptics
say that Yeshua ate the Passover at the last supper, while John says that Yeshua died on
the preparation day for the Passover.
I want to say up front that no matter which side of this discussion you find yourself
on, the important thing is that you keep Passover. Don't let disagreements cause strife. We can
disagree and still have fellowship. I know this because I have discussed this topic with
friends who disagreed with me in the past and we did not allow it to ruin our fellowship.
When we find ourselves in a disagreement with a brother, we must see it as an opportunity
to dig deeper into the Scriptures and let iron sharpen iron. We are all trying to figure
these things out, and we are constantly learning and unlearning.
I've actually been on both sides of this discussion, so I understand the frustration this topic
can cause. A few years ago I even made a video arguing that the last supper was not Passover.
In fact, here is a clip from that video...
There is a saying that, "an honest but mistaken man once shown the truth either ceases to
be honest or ceases to be mistaken." My desire is to be an honest man who is willing to correct
my mistakes. That's why I chose the name UNLEARN for this ministry. We must always be humble
enough to admit when we make mistakes, and willing to repent and make the appropriate
changes. When we are presented with new information, we need to be willing to re-evaluate what
we believe about that topic.
I have recently been presented with new information that has changed my understanding about the
Last Supper. I am now convinced that the last supper was in fact a Passover meal, and in
this video I am going to explain why.
The argument really boils down to a question about when the Passover meal is supposed to
be eaten. Some say it is to be eaten at the evening beginning the 14th, while others say
it is to be eaten the evening beginning the 15th.
I previously believed the Passover was to be killed at the end of the 14th and eaten
on the 15th. This is how most modern Jews celebrate Passover, and I assumed they were
correct in their observance. However, after a closer examination of the Scriptures, I'm
convinced that the Passover must be eaten at the evening beginning the 14th, because
Yahweh passed over their houses during the night of the 14th. That is why the 14th day
is called the Passover.
"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
So we see from this verse 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 begins.
The synoptics tell us that Yeshua and His disciples ate the Passover the night beginning
the 14th day.
"And on the first [prōtē] day of the Unleavened Bread the taught ones came to Yeshua, saying
to Him, “Where do You wish us to prepare for You to eat the Pesach?” And He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time
is near. I am to perform the Pesach at your house with My taught ones.” And the taught
ones did as Yeshua had ordered them, and prepared the Pesach."
- Matthew 26:17-19
Now, we just discussed that Passover is on the 14th and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
begins on the 15th, so why does Matthew say on the first day of unleavened bread they
asked where to kill the Passover? The word translated as "first" is the Greek word prōtē
which means "before", "best", or "what comes first". So, it could be translated "before
the day of Unleavened Bread", which makes more sense, because if it was already the
Feast of Unleavened Bread they would have been a day late.
We know the meal Yeshua ate with His disciples took place on the evening beginning the 14th,
because Yeshua died the evening beginning the 15th according to John's Gospel. John
tells us it was the preparation day for the High Sabbath, which is on the 15th.
"Therefore, since it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the stake
on the Sabbath – for that Sabbath was a high one – the Yehuḏim (Jews) asked Pilate
to have their legs broken, and that they be taken away."
- John 19:31
This was not the preparation day for the weekly Sabbath, it was the preparation day for the
High Sabbath beginning the Feast of Unleavened bread.
Now, back to Matthew 26. These verses really cause problems for those who say the Passover
is eaten on the 15th, because they say that Yeshua died before the Passover was to be
eaten, but all three Synoptic Gospels say that Yeshua ate the Passover before He was
killed.
Notice that Yeshua made an emphatic statement that He was going to eat the Passover at that
place with His disciples.
And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says,
“My time is near. I am to perform the Pesach at your house with My taught ones.” And
the taught ones did as Yeshua had ordered them, and prepared the Pesach."
- Matthew 26:18-19
If you say that this was not a Passover meal, then you are disagreeing with the words of
Yeshua. Not only that, but the Bible also says the disciples "prepared the Passover",
indicating that they prepared the lamb. All three synoptic Gospels are in agreement on
these points, but Luke includes something that the others do not say.
"And going they found it as He had said to them, and they prepared the Pesach. And when
the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve emissaries with Him. And He said to them,
“With desire I have desired to eat this Pesach with you before My suffering, for I
say to you, I shall certainly not eat of it again until it is filled in the reign of Elohim.”
- Luke 22:13-16
Yeshua again calls this meal the Passover and says that He has been looking forward
to eating it with them before He suffers. He had eaten Passover every year of His life,
but this Passover was special, because this was His Passover. He knew that this was the
Passover when He would establish the New Covenant in His blood.
"And as they were eating, Yeshua took bread, and having blessed, broke and gave it to the
taught ones and said, “Take, eat, this is My body.” And taking the cup, and giving
thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood,
that of the renewed covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins."
- Matthew 26:26-28
Passover is a covenant meal and Yeshua ate the Passover with His disciples explaining
that it is the New Covenant in His blood. This connects with the covenant that Yahweh
made with Israel before they left Egypt, when He covered them with the blood and protected
them from the destroyer.
“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 12:23
So, we see the 14th day is the Passover beginning at sunset, because Yahweh passed over them
that night, and the 15th day is the High Sabbath. Yeshua ate the Passover covenant meal with
His disciples on the night beginning the 14th, then He died at the end of the the 14th, finalizing
the salvation and sealing the New Covenant in His blood.
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