What was Jesus celebrating during the last supper?
Everyone - even those who do not follow any religion - has heard about the Last Supper, and even well known, there are several famous works portraying this event. But what was Jesus celebrating with his apostles at this time? As you know, Christ was Jewish, and although the last supper today is related to the Christian Passover, the truth is that Jesus was celebrating the Passover, that is, the Jewish Passover.
This is one of the most important festivities of the Jewish calendar, consisting of the celebration of the escape of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt led by Moses. According to the Book of Exodus from the Torah - the Jewish Bible - Moses tried to persuade Pharaoh several times to free his people and even warned the ruler that God would cast ten plagues upon Egypt if he did not agree.
The Ten Pests of Egypt
Pharaoh disagreed with the liberation of the Israelites, and the plagues - waters of blood, frogs, lice, flies, death of animals, scabies, hail, locusts, darkness and death of the firstborn - began to fall one by one. Egypt. However, following the instructions God had given Moses before the last plague, all Jews marked the doors with the blood of lamb so that the lives of their firstborn could be spared.
Thus, after an angel sent by God killed all the first-born Egyptians, Pharaoh eventually agreed to free the Jewish people out of fear of divine wrath. The celebration of this date has been going on for over 3, 000 years, and that is what Jesus and his apostles were "celebrating" during the last supper. But how did the two Easteras eventually mix?
Passover x Easter
It turns out that the Passover celebrated during the last supper took place on the eve of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, so the two festivities eventually came together. And not only that: the Jewish liturgical year is not just the basis for the Jewish festivities, but for the Christian ones as well, setting the day for those undated date celebrations, which vary according to astronomical events.
But while the Christian festival originates in the Jewish festival, the two have different meanings. Thus, while Passover marks the deliverance of the Jewish people in Egypt, the Christian Passover represents the deliverance of all who were separated from God because of their sins, which were forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Passover Curiosities
We have already published here in Mega Curioso several articles related to the Christian Easter, including one about how this festival is celebrated in other parts of the world. Below you can check some curiosities about Passover:
- The celebration of this festival lasts between seven and eight days, depending on the country;
- At the beginning of Passover, there is a ceremonial dinner - called Seder - full of symbolism, at which families and friends gather to celebrate;
- The Seder's dish consists of a boiled egg, bone-in toasted lamb meat, bitter vegetables (such as the escarole), vegetables dipped in salted water, celery and a mash made from a mixture of apple, pear, walnuts and wine;
- On the eve of the Seder, all firstborn must fast to remember the salvation of all firstborn Israelites who survived the plagues of Egypt.
* Originally posted on 02/08/2013.
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