The Last Supper (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note
Exam code: 8062
12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
17 When it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”
22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
26 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:12–26)
Jesus’s words and actions during the Last Supper
The Last Supper is when Jesus shared the Passover
The disciples did not know that it would be the “last supper” they would share with Jesus
To them, it was just a celebration and a gathering as a community
Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen in the days to come and that this would be his Last Supper
This affected his words and actions
Jesus made two prophecies at the Last Supper:
The first was that one of the disciples would betray him, although he did not name the person
It was Judas Iscariot who would betray Jesus, telling the authorities where to find him. Jesus was aware that the authorities were going to arrest him when he was alone or in a small group and not in front of the crowds of followers
This meant that one of his inner group would have to betray him and let the authorities know where and when to find him
The second was that Peter would deny him three times: “I tell you that before the cock crows twice tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.” (Mark 14:30)
Peter denied that this would happen, but it did, shortly after Jesus’s arrest
Jesus’s words and actions at the Last Supper
Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples at the Last Supper
He divided up the bread and passed it round, saying, “Take; this is my body.” (Mark 14:22)
By calling the bread “my body” when he broke it, Jesus was saying that his body would be broken too, meaning that he would suffer and die
Jesus then passed around a cup of wine, saying, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:24–25)
By calling the wine “my blood”, Jesus was telling the disciples that he would shed blood — that he would suffer and die at the crucifixion
The “covenant” refers to the agreement that God had made with the Jews in the Old Testament, that he would look after his people and that they would be faithful to him
Jesus is saying that this action was establishing a “new covenant”, a new relationship between God and his people
The reference to not drinking the wine again until he reached the Kingdom of God was a reference to both Jesus’s death and the coming of the Kingdom of God
The Last Supper
Attribution:
The Last Supper, created in the late 15th century by Leonardo Da Vinci. This photographic image is licensed CC BY 4.0.The original work of art is in the public domain
The importance of the Last Supper for Christians
The Last Supper is important to Christians because:
It marked the beginning of the events that led to Jesus’s death and resurrection, the central events of their faith
It allows Christians to remember Jesus’s sacrifice and to celebrate his victory over death
It was the first time that Jesus had shared the bread and wine in this way, describing it as his body and blood
This is seen as the first Eucharist or Holy Communion
Jesus told his followers to “do this in memory of me”, and therefore, the bread and wine has been shared in this way from the earliest days of the Christian Church
Christians remember the Last Supper at the Eucharist or Holy Communion to this day
They may give it different names — Mass, Holy Communion, Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper — but it remembers the same events
Christians today have different interpretations of the words and actions at the Last Supper:
Catholics believe the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus when the priest blesses them and says Jesus’s words
This belief is called transubstantiation
Most Protestants believe that the bread and wine are symbolic of Jesus’s presence when they share them in memory of him
Some Christians, such as the Salvation Army and Quakers, do not celebrate the Eucharist because they do not believe in the need for ritual to demonstrate their faith in God
Worked Example
At the Last Supper, what did Jesus say the wine represented?
[1 mark]
A. His blood of the new covenant, poured out for many
B. The blood of the lambs sacrificed at Passover
C. The wine of celebration for the Kingdom of David
D. The promise God made with Noah after the flood
Answer:
A. His blood of the new covenant, poured out for many
Jesus said that the bread was his body and the wine was his blood at the Last Supper.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You may be asked to show an understanding of the different ways in which Christians interpret the words of Jesus at the Last Supper. For example:
Explain two ways in which Christians today understand the words, “Take it; this is my body.” [4 marks]
You can give the contrasting understandings that the bread is:
Literally the “body of Christ” (transubstantiation)
A symbol of the body of Jesus, a remembrance of his sacrifice
Check that you understand the differing interpretations of Jesus’s words. Your revision on the sacrament of Holy Communion will also help with this topic.
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