Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30)

The Last Supper designates the final meal Jesus shares with his disciples before his crucifixion. The scene takes place during the Jewish festival of Passover, and Jesus gathers with his disciples to commemorate the event. The Last Supper is described in all four gospels (Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39, and John 13:1-17:26).

Jesus and his disciples gather to consume traditional Passover meal. During the meal, Jesus reveals that one of his disciples will betray him, causing distress and self-examination among the disciples.

On this occasion, Jesus transcribes the Old Testament ritual onto a new meaning linked with his own death sacrifice as a Passover lamb. Jesus does a symbolic act of breaking bread and sharing wine with the disciples. The bread signifies his body, destined to be broken on behalf of people, while the wine symbolizes his blood, to be shed for the forgiveness of sins. This act serves to inaugurate a new covenant between God and humanity, mediated through Jesus' sacrificial offering.

The Last Supper concludes with Jesus and his disciples singing a hymn and departing for the Mount of Olives, where the events leading to Jesus' arrest and crucifixion begin to unfold.