The Last Supper

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Mark 14:12-72, John 16:16-24, John 16:32-33, Psalm 41:7-13

Scripture Reading: Mark 14:12-72, John 16:16-24, John 16:32-33, Psalm 41:7-13

At the Last Supper, Jesus broke bread and served it to His disciples as a symbol of how His body would soon be broken—not just for their salvation—but for whoever would believe in Him. Likewise, Jesus took wine and told them to drink, and in doing so foreshadowed that His blood would be shed on the cross to bring redemption and restoration to the world.  

At the time, the disciples could not fully comprehend what Jesus was revealing to them. Only after Jesus’s death and resurrection could they truly understand the significance and sacredness of this Passover meal. And even though we read passages like Mark 14 and John 16 with the knowledge of the events that follow this unforgettable dinner (spoiler alert: Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday lie ahead!), much like the disciples, we, too, may miss the weightiness and magnitude of the Last Supper.

In 1 Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul provided instructions on receiving communion to the church of Corinth. He called on the church to remember the holiness of the Last Supper and to treat communion with reverence. Even then, believers were prone to misinterpret or underestimate just how remarkable the events of the Last Supper were, and are, for followers of Jesus.

Where does that leave us? How can we ensure we are not just readers of the events of the Last Supper but people deeply and irrevocably marked by them? Today, as we reflect on Jesus’s words and actions at the Last Supper and what they signify Jesus has done for us—for all—we choose to remember. We pause and ponder the full weight of Jesus’s death and resurrection. We meditate on the sacredness of His body and His blood shed for us. We turn our hearts toward God in repentance and thanksgiving, confident Jesus’s death on the cross brings us into right standing with a merciful God. We worship the Lord in awe of all He has given to make things right for us, to redeem us, and bring restoration to our lives. We marvel at a God who fulfills His promises to His people and, even in our greatest sins and transgressions, makes a way for our atonement.

May the Last Supper remind us that Jesus’s death and resurrection are not meant to be glossed over, simply read through in Scripture, or memorialized during Lent. They are meant to be partaken. Jesus’s sacrifice must not just be believed; it must also be received. With each new day, we have a fresh opportunity to remember and feast on what the Lord has done for us—to be nourished and sustained by Jesus and transformed into a people whose hearts are set on Him.

Written by Nicole Smithee

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69 thoughts on "The Last Supper"

  1. Karen Breaux says:

    ❤✝️

  2. Wanda Woehlert says:

    ❤️

  3. Kayla Shelton says:

    Thank you Jesus for the ultimate sacrifice you gave for us ❤️

  4. Meagan C says:

    When I see Jesus at his most difficult moment, praying alone while his friends slept, I remember that even though I’ve struggled all my life with “fitting in,” especially in the church I grew up in, that God is always with me. Even Jesus was left by His earthly friends for a time, but He chose to cling to the Father. So sad, but so comforting. We are not alone. Not ever, if we trust Jesus.

    1. Kim Harper says:

      ❤️

  5. Kristina Vanderink says:

    ❤️

  6. Kelsey Hershberger says:

    ❤️

  7. Charlene Witherington says:

    Thank you Jesus ❤️

  8. Mercy says:

    The question that SHARON JERSEY GIRL asked first thing in her post really pierced my heart. The betrayal of a close one, this stood out to me. Sometimes it is the unexpected and hidden cost for us to bear. Is it truth or is it fact? “If they do it to Me, they will do it to you” (John 15:20). Mr. Spurgeon’s excerpt: “The kisses of an enemy are deceitful (Proverbs 27:6). Let us be on guard when the world puts on a loving face, for it will, if possible, betray me as it did my Master, with a kiss. Knowing the deceitfulness of unrighteousness, let me be wise as a serpent, to detect and to avoid the designs of the enemy. Holy Spirit, don’t allow me, a poor frail human being, to be betrayed with a kiss. Do I live in the world as carelessly as others do, and yet make a profession of being a follower of Jesus? Surely, if I act thus inconsistently, I am a Judas, and it were better for me that I had never been born. Dare I hope that I am clear in this matter? Then, O Lord, keep me so. O Lord, make me sincere and true. Preserve me from every false way. Never let me betray My Savior. I do love you Jesus, and though I often grieve You, yet I would desire to abide faithful even to death. O God, forbid that I should rise to great heights in professing, and then fall at last into the lake of fire, because I betrayed my Master with a kiss.” What a powerful prayer and such self reflection grief in Spurgeon’s words. I echo his prayers over us, over our weaknesses at the place called Gethsemane of our lives, where our eyes are heavy, when we slumber in the crucial hour of prayers. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” Jude 1:24. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). May the Lord give us strength, awareness and understanding of the purpose, strategies, persistence, resilience and hope on our pilgrim’s journey following the ONE. So thankful and honored to be walking this road with you dear shes. We lift one another up. I thank God for you everyday. Be blessed dear sisters.

    1. Victoria E says:

      Amen, thank you for sharing Mercy.

    2. Searching says:

      Amen ❤️

  9. Kimberly Z says:

    ❤️❤️

  10. Gwineth52 says:

    Dear Shes
    On Maundy Thursday…
    This sentence brought me to a standstill …
    “Jesus’s sacrifice must not just be believed; it must also be received”.
    Anew.
    Afresh.
    With the rising of the Son.
    Thanks be to God.

  11. Toya RS says:

    Our church does communion every 1st Sunday to remember what Jesus has done for us. The pastor also tells the gospel each week. I’m grateful to be able to learn more n more about Jesus each day.

  12. MARTHA HIX says:

    Thank you Jesus.
    We love you. ❤️

    1. Searching says:

      ❤️

  13. Emily Tucker says:

    ❤️

  14. Katarina Friedman says:

    The cross was not done to Christ but instead he went willingly. He chose to atone for all our sins and make it right. Even when his closest friends betrayed him. My prayer is that I lean into the Lord and glorify him in all that I do and say. Today scripture was so good in reminding me how great is our God

    1. Gwineth52 says:

      Yes, Katrina.
      On of my takeaways from the Monday podcast was the guest host saying Jesus was happening TO the cross. THIS man was doing something!

  15. Brandi Young says:

    How beautiful the cross. How more beautiful the man who hung on it for me! Thank you, Jesus! I often wonder what the MAN JESUS was feeling. He was fully God and fully man at the same time. Was it peace? Was it fear? Was it hurt and anger at his betrayer? One day I’ll sit and ask my Savior those questions!

  16. Heather van Eeden says:

    Searching, thanks for the BG verse today
    1 Corinthians 1:18

    “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.”

    It reminded me of this song

    Message of the Cross
    Song by Delirious? ‧ 1994

    Soon I’ll be dancing ‘round the kitchen to it.

    Be blessed sister She’s

    H

    1. Gwineth52 says:

      Yes, Heather.
      “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross…”

  17. Cheryl Blow says:

    Remembering that His body was broken for all and His blood was shred for our redemption! May I never just go through the motions without considering the cost Jesus paid!

    Praying for all! Your insights were a blessing!

  18. Mari V says:

    Reading this morning in Mark had me reliving/watching The Chosen all-over-again. Last night we watched part 3 of The Chosen. The last scene was…..sigh…I don’t want to ruin it for those who have not seen it. Reading it this morning made it come to live even more. Late night and I’m running late for work Love you all. If you get a chance go see part 3.

  19. Sharon Jersey Girl says:

    Judas’ betrayal, Peters denial, all who deserted Jesus.
    .
    We do not (or should not) take following Jesus lightly. Following Him involves denying self, giving our all, walking with Him daily – even when the journey gets difficult. It’s taking a stand when no one else does. It’s me being transformed on a daily basis, tried and purified.
    .
    Following Jesus can be scary, difficult – at times, seemingly impossible — but SO worth it!
    .
    We can keep going forward, we can keep following and along with Paul can proclaim…
    “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18
    .
    “Remember and feast on what the Lord has done for us.”
    .
    March on fellow soldiers, march on.

    @Kira H. – praying for your co-workers husband, how heartbreaking.
    @Kristy – I am so sorry for your loss. How hard it must be to have your dad gone so suddenly & unexpectedly. May God give peace and comfort to your heart today, and each day forward.

    Have a blessed Thursday sisters! ❤️

    1. Rhonda J. says:

      Yes, Amen!! Oh, that when you know, you know…and MUST remain steadfast!! Oh how it sorrows me to remember when I was only what I now know to be “lukewarm.” Would he have spit me out if it came to that moment? Or was he waiting for me b/c He knew….so many questions.

    2. Kristy says:

      Thank you so much Sharon. We will have suffering in this world but Be courageous! I have conquered the world. Not we might or we could. We will. Jesus guarantees it! So thankful for His promises. Especially grateful for the reality of the Cross and what that means for each of us if we believe, when it is our time. I really appreciate your prayers and kindness! Along with everyone else that commented yesterday and prayed for me. The Hymn of Heaven by Phil Wickham is on repeat for me. My dad IS in heaven, he accepted Him as His Savior and I know that I will be with him again one day.

    3. Gwineth52 says:

      Yes, Sharon JG
      I sometimes wonder about the Peter in me…

    4. Mercy says:

      ❤️

  20. Cee Gee says:

    Nicole said, “With each new day, we have a fresh opportunity to remember and feast on what the Lord has done for us —
    to be nourished and sustained by Jesus and
    transformed into a people whose hearts are set on Him.”
    .
    May I approach the ‘piece of life’ handed to me each day with the attitude Nicole mentioned.
    .

    This communion hymn came to mind: Break Thou the Bread of Life
    .
    Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
    As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
    Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
    My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word!
    Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me,
    As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee;
    Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
    And I shall find my peace, my all in all.
    Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
    Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me;
    Give me to eat and live with Thee above;
    Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love.
    Oh, send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me,
    That He may touch my eyes, and make me see:
    Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
    And in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.
    Mary A. Lathbury, 1877
    .

    Love, hugs, and prayers! ❤

    1. Gwineth52 says:

      Yes, Cee Gee
      My morning mantra…
      “Every day is a new day…to begin again”.
      Praise to the Father.

      1. Cee Gee says:

  21. Adrienne says:

    Oh, Peter… or should I say, “Oh, Adrienne”?
    .
    Insert sad face emoji.

    1. Gwineth52 says:

      Same here, Adrienne.
      Ouch & Amen

    2. Mercy says:

      ❤️

  22. Donna Wolcott says:

    A heart of gratitude for the price paid for my gift of salvation.
    I’m looking forward to our service tonight, to share the bread and remember.

  23. Rhonda J. says:

    GM She’s!

    So many thoughts on these scriptures…for I have read them several times in the last couple of weeks and watched in Passion of Christ. One of the many ways I might put this in perspective is as a parent trying to tell your kids something important, life changing even, and them not understanding or even giving it their full attention. You earnestly try to say…this is going to happen, and you need to do this…and they don’t…and they grow and mature and see what you mean eventually. Maybe, maybe not. Some will, others will not. What am I not getting? What does the Lord want me to understand right now in my life? That I am trying to grasp in my own limited understanding, or running around in trying to control or fix, or burying my head in the sand. Do I know that my Jesus gave it ALL. To be my provider, protector, my provision, my restorer…my first go to? In the big, in the small.
    In the insane, too big to grasp.
    In the dreary, hopeless nights, where it looks like the sun will never shine again.
    What is my posture to the One, that says- Child, I have already covered the cost with My Son,
    I have torn the veil for you,
    I have started the new covenant with you.
    You don’t have to do anymore, or strive to get to me. I have washed you white as snow, in Jesus, I am providing for you. Give me your heart, and let the Holy Spirit therefore, be everlasting, every day in you. You are a child of mine, and I am your protector. See the body was broken, the blood was shed. The cost was paid. In this world, you too, shall suffer, and be challenged, and have afflictions, but the cost has been paid, in full. Now go…trusting and obeying, walking the narrow path, to everlasting love and care.
    Lord, we will all be a Peter…proclaiming our Love for you and our passion and devotion. And then. We slip, we slide, or even totally willingly deny you. But God, we are so thankful that with truly repenting hearts you are full of mercy and grace and love us so much you give us chance after chance. The Holy Spirit works to sanctify us. That is truly a gift of precious kind—how can we fathom all this? It takes a lifetime for sure. Lead us to the cross Lord…I lay it down. Maybe yesterday, certainly today, and for sure tomorrow…I need your grace nonstop. Help me stay awake and prayerful.

    Now I have grandkids (my granddaughter is in town with a friend and got to come here for a night!) that I so want to give them all this—But how do you make them understand the gravity, the sheer importance of Jesus…?!! In one conversation- although I have tried to pour into her over her 12 years, it is still of little importance to her wordly life. I want her to “get” it so badly. But all I can do is water the seeds I suppose and pray!! But it makes me somewhat feel perhaps Jesus heart during that last supper and garden.

    1. Adrienne says:

      ❤️

    2. Mercy says:

      The Lord will get through to her in her circumstance. You just need to mention His Name and how He has helped you. That’s what my grandma did. She always told me to call out to Him when I am sad or when I need help. She repeated that so often when I was a child coming over to her home. And even now, when she is old and with dementia, she cannot help me, but God can, her words still echo in my mind.

  24. Katie Megee says:

    Thank You Jesus

  25. Erica Chiarelli says:

    Jesus knew the Word, because He WAS the Word made flesh. Imagine The Spirit giving David that Word in Psalms, Jesus knowing full well it was about Him…thousands of years before. His time in the Garden always hits me. He must have remembered the first Garden and wept for where that sin brought them. How much it broke…the beauty of the original garden and how twisted humanity has become… His body and blood were the True Passover were the elements they were memorializing for now and all of time. Hell and death will come for us but because His blood was placed on the door posts of our heart, it will pass us over. We are covered and free for all eternity!

    1. Penny Allen says:

      Amen!

    2. Mary Kuester says:

      Amen!

    3. Gwineth52 says:

      Yes, Erica.
      Reminding me of an old hymn, that goes like this…
      “Have you been washed in the blood?…”

  26. Jody Striker says:

    ❤️

  27. Lindsey Bradley says:

    Help us to partake, Lord!

  28. Jennifer Jackson says:

    Jesus gave all. ✝️

  29. Danielle B says:

    Lord without Thursday and Friday, there would be no Resurrection Sunday . Thank you for your love and sacrifice!

    1. Gwineth52 says:

      Oh yes, Danielle B
      Friday is Good…but Sunday is coming!

  30. Kimberly says:

    Reading Mark 14 hits hard. Jesus is sharing His last meal, knowing He’s about to be betrayed by one friend, denied by another, and abandoned by the rest. He’s pleading with His closest people to stay awake with Him—and they just can’t. It’s heartbreaking.

    But it’s also… real. Raw. Human.

    Then you flip to John 16, and Jesus is still speaking with such kindness: “You’re going to weep. It’s going to be rough. But that sorrow won’t last. You’ll see joy again. Real joy. No one will take it from you.” And even though He knows they’re about to scatter and leave Him totally alone, He says, “Take heart. I’ve already overcome the world.”

    It’s like He’s saying: “Yeah, you’ll mess up. But that’s not the end of your story.”

    1. Adrienne says:

      ❤️

    2. Gwineth52 says:

      Yes, Kimberly
      Ain’t that just like a human…
      messed up, yet made whole
      by His obedience.

  31. Aimee D-R says:

    Amen

  32. Lucille Prosser says:

    Amen ❤️✝️

  33. Searching says:

    The Last Supper. As Nicole Smithee pointed out, the disciples did not fully comprehend Christ’s words -what was about to happen nor the eternal impact. Even now, with the Bible fully available, I can’t comprehend it all – but I believe it wholeheartedly.
    .
    The devo says “we choose to remember.” Free will is the first thing that came to mind.
    Free will = choice to: believe in God and Jesus, respond/lean into to our belief, remember God’s sacrifice of giving His Son and of Jesus submitting to God’s will, receive/accept His gift of salvation, worship, pray, repent, praise; allow ourselves to be guided, nourished, refreshed, restored, sustained, transformed, loved.
    .
    BG verse for today 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

    KRISTY – praying for you as you grieve
    TINA – ❤️ “I’ll tell you something, for absolutely nothing, ……. no matter how much it ‘costs’ you, Jesus paid the highest price!
    MERCY ❤️ “remember that the cross will soon be followed by the crown”
    KIRA H – praying for your coworker and family
    TANYA EVANS – praying
    SUSAN BURLEY ❤️ “We sacrifice what we love for what we love more.”

    1. Adrienne says:

      May my free will always be His will. ❤️

    2. Mercy says:

      Free will is a choice! Wow. Remembering Him is a choice. Abiding in Him is a choice. Reading His words is a choice. Prayers is a choice. Loving righteousness is a choice. Putting God first and denying self is a choice. Thank you sister ❤️❤️❤️.

  34. Tina says:

    Sitting quietly, in my garden, with the sun on my face taking in the enormity of this gift of Jesus’ body broken for me/us. This gift of HIS blood, shed for me/us, and partaking in what it really really means for and to me/us..
    The Last Supper, it may be called, but for me, for us, it is much, much more, it’s a promise of redemption, a promise of great atonement for our sins and transgressions, it is a promise of love, oh, such great, great love everlasting, and a promise that we are never lost, because He, Jesus, has made a way for us to always find our way back to Father God.
    .
    So, I will sit, with tears rolling, knowing I am changed and covered in Hope because of Jesus!
    .
    BUT GOD..
    .
    AMEN..
    .
    Happy Maunday Thursday, my beautiful SHE’S.❤❤

    1. Searching says:

      Beautiful ❤️

    2. Mercy says:

      Hugs dear Tina. The garden is also my favorite place to sit (hopefully soon when it warms up). The garden is my healing place. And to think of the Gethsemane garden, a total different place for Him.

  35. Kelly (NEO) says:

    Remembering to remember when so many things in this life clamor for our attention takes determination for sure.
    .
    I’m slowing down to reflect on these last moments with the disciples. Each one giving up so much to follow this Teacher. Each one with different strengths and weaknesses yet all loved by Jesus.
    .
    The Skit Guys have great charachter videos about these men. One reflects Judas. You can watch them on their website.
    .
    Be blessed today as you sit with the Last Supper.
    .
    Praying for your requests

    1. Searching says:

      ❤️

    2. Kelly (NEO) says:

      Thinking of the song The Basin and the Towel by Michael Card. Lyrics are:
      .
      And the call is to community
      In an upstairs room, a parable
      Is just about to come alive
      And while they bicker about who’s best
      With a painful glance, He’ll silently rise
      Their Savior Servant must show them how
      Through the will of the water
      And the tenderness of the towel
      And the call is to community
      The impoverished power that sets the soul free
      In humility, to take the vow
      That day after day we must take up the basin and the towel
      In any ordinary place
      On any ordinary day
      The parable can live again
      When one will kneel and one will yield
      Our Savior Servant must show us how
      Through the will of the water
      And the tenderness of the towel
      And the space between ourselves sometimes
      Is more than the distance between the stars
      By the fragile bridge of the Servant’s bow
      We take up the basin and the towel
      And the call is to community
      The impoverished power that sets the soul free
      In humility, to take the vow
      That day after day we must take up the basin
      And the call is to community
      The impoverished power that sets the soul free
      In humility, to take the vow
      That day after day we must take up the basin and
      Day after day we must take up the basin and
      Day after day we must take up the basin and the towel
      Take up the basin and the towel
      (Day after day)
      Basin and towel

      1. Cee Gee says:

      2. Adrienne says:

        ❤️

    3. Gwineth52 says:

      Yes, Kelly
      There’s a space & a place for us, always, at His table.
      God of mercy, full of grace.

    4. Mercy says:

      Amen to slowing down ❤️

  36. Alana Anderson says:

    Amen❤️

  37. Susanna D says:

    Amen!