The Last Supper was a Jewish Seder meal

The Last Supper, c. 1520, Andrea Solari (after Leonardo da Vinci)

Reflection at Morning Worship with the Community of Brendan the Navigator streamed on Tuesday 14th October 2025

The reading we have just heard is Mark’s short account of the Last Supper (Mark 14:12-25), at which Jesus instituted the Eucharist. It is clearly a Jewish Seder meal, presided over by Jesus in the company of his disciples. The Seder meal is an annual ceremony at which Jews, both then and now, remember the Passover, how God led them out of bondage in Egypt on a 40 year trek through the wilderness. The Seder is celebrated not in a Synagogue or Temple, but in the home, where the family is gathered. Through the ceremony, children are taught the story of how God saved the Children of Israel and led them to the Promised Land.

This reminds us that Jesus and his disciples were Jews. Antisemitism, hatred of Jews as a distinct people and religion, has been a stain on humanity for centuries. Jesus was a Jew, and anyone who hates Jews must hate Jesus too. As Christians we must be very clear that antisemitism is incompatible with our Christian faith. 

Antisemitism resulted in the Holocaust, the genocide of 6 million Jews during WW2. People of good will swore it would never happen again. But antisemitic views have been increasing again in recent years. This is largely due to the actions of the racist Zionist Israeli state, which expelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians when it seized power in 1948, and has been denying rights to Palestinians ever since. This is the background to the foul attack on Israel by Hamas two years ago, followed by the equally foul genocide Israel has been perpetrating on Palestinians in Gaza. Zionist apologists attempt to equate any criticism of the Israeli state with antisemitism, but we must be careful to distinguish between antisemitism and anti-Zionism. It is not antisemitic to oppose the racist and genocidal actions of the Zionist Israeli state.

Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi, but he was unafraid to criticise the Jewish leaders of his day, and the encrusted traditions of their faith, when he saw that they were incompatible with the lovingkindness of the God he called his Father. So at his Last Supper, knowing full well what his fate would be at the hands of his enemies, he modifies the Seder liturgy.

In the Seder liturgy, the host breaks the unleavened bread in half and says, “This is the bread of affliction our fathers ate in the wilderness.” Instead, Jesus breaks it and says, “Take; this is my body.” Over the blessing of the third cup of wine, the host at the liturgy is supposed to say, “This is the cup of redemption from bondage in Egypt.” But Jesus makes another substitution and says, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many”.

By doing so, Jesus institutes our Christian Eucharist, which we still celebrate in his memory. He offers his whole being, his body and his blood, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He commands us to celebrate it in his memory. When we do so, we participate in an acted parable, that shows us how to confront evil, receive God’s forgiveness, and be united with him in the eternal life of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Seder meal concludes with a beautiful blessing, said together by those who are present. It goes like this.

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe,
who, in His goodness, feeds the whole world with grace,

with kindness and with mercy.

He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting.

Through His great goodness to us continuously we do not lack food,

and may we never lack it, for the sake of His great Name.

For He is a God who feeds and sustains all, does good to all,

and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created,

as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

Blessed are You Lord, who provides food for all.