The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 189

(' Diol. oum Trypbo,' ob. iii.). 'fo the over the couches for the reception of guests. some effect write Irenoms (' Adv. li,or.,' " In this large upper cham her thus pre- iv. 23) and Tertullian (' Adv. J adreos,' pared," said the Lord, " make the neces- eh. 8). Clement of Alexa.ndriB is most sary arrangements for the Paschal Supper; «ll'flnile: "'l'ho Lord did not eat 1,is last procuring and preparing the lamb, the un- Passover on tho legal dny of the Passover, leavened bread, the herbs, and other cu"- but on the previous dny, the 13th, anu tomary dishes." It seems probable that snffered on the day following, bP,ing himself tuis" large upper room," evidently belonging the Passover" (Fragment from • Chron. to o. disciple, or at least to one friendly to Pnschal.,' p. 14, edit. Dindorf). Hippolytus Jesus, was the same room which, in the of Portus bears similar testimony. The happier hours after the Resurrection, wit- question-as to whether the famous Lest nessed the appearance of the Risen to the Supper was the actual Passover Supper, or eleven, and, later, the descent of the Holy the anticipatory Paschal Feast, which we Ghost at l'en tecost. believe it to have been-is important; for Vera. 14-38.-Th,. Last Supper. thus the lnnguage of St. Paul (1 Cor. v. 7), Ver. 14.-And when the hour was come, " Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us," he sat down, and the twelve apostles with is justified. "The apostle regarded not the him. The preparation had been made in Last Supper, but the death of Christ, as the the " large upper room," and the Lord and antitype of the Paschal sacrifice, and the the twelve snt down, or rather reclined on correspondence of type and antitype would the couches covered with carpets, the tables be incomplete unless the sacrifice of the before them laid with the dishes pecaliar to Redeemer took place at the time on which the solemn Passover Supper, each dish 11lone that of the Paschal lamb could telling its p:irt of the old loved story of the leg-oily be offered" (Dean Mansel). great deliverance. There was the lamb Ver. 9.-And they said unto him, Where the Paschal victim, and the bitter herbs, the wilt thou that we prepare 1 It is probable unleavened bread and tbe reddish sweet that the disciples, in asking this question, conserve of fruits--<:ommemorating, it i.i cone! uded that the Passover was to be eaten ea.id, by its colour the haru labours of brick- bv them and their Master at the same time making, one of the chief burdens of the w°ith the rest or the Jews on the following Egyptian bondage-into which the l\Iru;ter dny; but, our Lord gave directions for its dipped the sop, and gave it to the trnitor- being eaten the ea.me evening. opostle (John xiii. 26). Tl.ie Lord reclined, Ver. 10.-And he said unto them, Behold, probably, at the middle table; St. Johu when ye are entered into the city, there next to him; St. Peter most likely on the shall a man meet you. The no.me of the other side ; and the others recliuing in an mun who should meet them WILB omitted- order corresponding more or less closely pnrposely, think Theophylact and others, with the threefold division of the twelve lest the pluce of meeting should be pre- into groups of four. 'l'he Supper itself had maturely known to Judas. Bearing a pitcher its special forms and ceremonies, which the of water. This would be an unusual sight Lord transformed as they proceeded in such in au Oriental city, where the water is drawn a way RS to change it into tl.te sacred Supper by women. It is probable that the " man" of the New Testament. whom the Master foretold John and Peter Ver. 15.-And he said llllto them, With would meet, was the master of the house, desire I have desired to eat this Passover who, according to the Jewish custom on tht1 with you before I snlfer. Tb.is peculiar 13th of Nisau, before the stars appeared in the expression, "with desire,'' eto., is evidently lieavens, had himself to go to the publio a reproduction by SI. Luke of the Lor<l'.i fountain to draw the water with which the very words repeated to him originally in unleavenecl bread for the Passover Fea,,;t Aramaio (Hebrew). They seem to be a wns kneaded. touching apology or explanation from him Ver. I 2.-And he shall show you a large to his own, for thus anticip,1ting th;, regular U!]per room furnished: there make ready. Pa,.so1•er Supper by twenty-four hours. He The house which possessed so large nn had been longin~ with an intense lougi11g upper chamber must have been one of con- to keep this last Passover with them: First sideruble size, and evidently belonged to l\ as the dear human FTiend who would m,urn nmn of some wealth ond position, possibly this his eolemn last farewell. (Do not we, to Nicodemus or Joseph of Arima\hrea. when we feel the end is coming, long fot 'fh11t it perhaps belonged to St. Mark's a Inst communion with our dearest ones?) family has also been suggested. It had And, secondly, as the Divine ,\faster who evidently been prepared beforehand for the would gather up into a final discourse his purpose of the feast, in obedience to a pre- most important, deepe~t teaching. We find vious direction of Jesus. "Furnished" (lnpo,- this teaching espe<'ia.lly reporte,l by St. John l'•vov) applies spccicllly to Cl\rpets spread in his Gospel (xiil.-xvii.). And thfrdlv,  ms THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [rn. xxn. 1-71.