The Real Jesus of the Four Gospels

by John Birdseye Atwater

THE LAST SUPPER

As the feast of unleavened bread of the Passover approaches, Jesus sends Peter and John (Luke XXII:8) into Jerusalem to secure a room, in which He and His disciples may eat, or "kill", the Passover (Matt. XXVI:17-19). The room is secured, the Passover made ready, and "when the evening was come, He sat down with the twelve" (Matt. XXVI:20).[36]

While they were eating, Jesus tells the twelve that one of them shall betray Him, and indicates, in a rather veiled way, that Judas is the one. They all ask, "Master, is it I?" and He says to Judas, "Thou hast said" (Matt. XXVI:20-25).

Jesus then blesses the bread and the wine, and gives them to eat and drink and says: "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt. XXVI:26-29).

After singing a hymn, they go to the Mount of Olives, and Jesus warns them of the approaching calamity. "All ye shall be offended because of me this night." The apostles, and especially Peter, affirm that they would die rather than deny Him. Jesus says to Peter: "Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice" (Matt. XXVI:30-35).

Jesus with the disciples then goes "unto a place called Gethsemane." He takes Peter and James and John a little farther and says to them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." He goes apart from them and prays, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." He returns to find the disciples sleeping. He repeats the prayer twice, and then says to them, "Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners" (Matt. XXVI:36-45).

In Mark the two disciples are sent into the city to meet a man "bearing a pitcher of water." They are to follow him into whatsoever house he shall go in, and there secure the guest chamber. This was done, "and they made ready the Passover" (Mark XIV:12-16).

While they are eating, Jesus tells them that one of them shall betray Him—"one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish," but does not specify which one it is. The other incidents of the evening follow (Mark XIV:17-42) as in Matthew.

Luke recounts the passing of the bread and wine, and the saying of Jesus that one of the twelve should betray Him, without specifying which one (Luke XXII:22).

He then relates a new incident (that is, at this feast), a strife among the apostles as to which should be greatest. Jesus rebukes them, telling them not to imitate the Gentiles, but that he that is chief should be as he that serveth (Luke XXII: 24-30).[37]

The prediction of Peter thrice denying his master takes a little different form. Instead of saying to the apostles, "All ye shall be offended because of me this night," Jesus addresses Himself to Peter alone. Evidently, having some doubt of his constancy, He says: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." Peter then asserts, "Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison and to death." Jesus then predicts that Peter will deny Him thrice before the cock crows (Luke XXII:31-34).

There follows a passage very difficult to understand, in view of the fact that a short time later Jesus rebukes one of His followers for cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant. He reminds His apostles of the time when He sent them forth without purse or scrip, and they lacked for nothing. He then tells them that now they should take both purse and scrip, "and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." "And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And He said unto them, It is enough" (Luke XXII:35-38).

The visit to the Mount of Olives and the prayer offered there is described more briefly than in Matthew or Mark. There is no mention of the garden of Gethsemane, but Luke adds that an angel from heaven appeared, "strengthening Him" (Luke XXII:39-46).

John's version of the Last Supper is quite different from that of the other three evangelists. He omits any description of the selection of the place for the feast. He places the supper before the Passover, apparently correctly, instead of its being the celebration of the Passover, as in the other three Gospels (John XIII:1). He omits any mention of the blessing and passing of the bread and wine. He alone of the evangelists relates that, after the supper, Jesus took a basin of water and a towel, and washed the apostles' feet, impressing on them a lesson in humility (John XIII:4-17). Jesus says to the apostles that one of them shall betray Him. Peter and John ask Him, "Who is it?" Jesus answers, "It is the one to whom I shall give a sop." He then gives the sop to Judas, and says, "What thou doest, do quickly." Judas goes away at once, although none of the apostles (unless Peter and John) understand that He is accused (John XIII:18-30). After his departure, John has Jesus delivering a long discourse, covering four chapters and part of another, none of which appears at this time in the other three Gospels. After this is finished, Jesus goes with His disciples over "the brook Cedron," into a garden, but there is no mention of the praying there, which appears in the other Gospels (John XVIII:1).