betrayal, the Paschal lamb could have no further meaning, and it was right that the

commemorative Aphikomen should take its place. The symbolical cord, if the figure may

be allowed, had stretched to its goal--the offering up of the Lamb of God; and though

again continued from that point onwards till His second coming, yet it was, in a sense,

as from a new beginning.

Immediately afterwards the third cup was drunk, a special blessing having been spoken

over it. There cannot be any reasonable doubt that this was the cup which our Lord

connected with His own Supper. It is called in Jewish writings, just as by St. Paul (1 Cor

10:16), 'the cup of blessing,' partly because it and the first cup required a special

'blessing,' and partly because it followed on the 'grace after meat.' Indeed, such

importance attached to it, that the Talmud (Berac. 51, 1) notes ten peculiarities, too

minute indeed for our present consideration, but sufficient to show the special value set

upon it.131

The service concluded with the fourth cup, over which the second portion of the 'Hallel'

was sung, consisting of Psalms 115, 116, 117, and 118, the whole ending with the so-

called 'blessing of the song,' which comprised these two brief prayers: 'All Thy works

shall praise Thee, Jehovah our God. And Thy saints, the righteous, who do Thy good

pleasure, and all Thy people, the house of Israel, with joyous song let them praise, and

bless, and magnify, and glo rify, and exalt, and reverence, and sanctify, and ascribe the

kingdom to Thy name, O our King! For it is good to praise Thee, and pleasure to sing

praises unto Thy name, for from everlasting to everlasting Thou art God.'

'The breath of all that lives shall praise Thy name, Jehovah our God. And the spirit of all

flesh shall continually glorify and exalt Thy memorial, O our King! For from everlasting

to everlasting Thou art God, and besides Thee we have no King, Redeemer, or Saviour,'

In this manner was the Paschal Supper celebrated by the Jews at the time when our Lord

for the last time sat down to it with His disciples. So important is it to have a clear

understanding of all that passed on that occasion, that, at the risk of some repetition, we

shall now attempt to piece together the notices in the various Gospels, adding to them

again those explanations which have just been given in detail. At the outset we may

dismiss, as unworthy of serious discussion, the theory, ether that our Lord had

i

observed the Paschal Supper at another than the regular time for it, or that St. John

meant to intimate that He had partaken of it on the 13th instead of the 14th of Nisan. To

such violent hypotheses, which are wholly uncalled for, there is this one conclusive

answer, that, except on the evening of the 14th of Nisan, no Paschal lamb could have

been offered in the Temple, and therefore no Paschal Supper celebrated in Jerusalem.

But abiding by the simple text of Scripture, we have the following narrative of events:--

Early on the forenoon of the 14th of Nisan, the Lord Jesus having sent Peter and John

before Him 'to prepare the Passover,' 'in the evening He cometh with the twelve' (Mark

14:17) to the 'guest-chamber,' the 'large upper room furnished' (Luke 22:11,12) for the

Supper, although He seems to have intended 'after Supper' to spend the night outside

the city. Hence Judas and the band from the chief priests do not seek for Him where He

had eaten the Passover, but go at once to 'the garden into which He had entered, and

His disciples'; for Judas 'knew the place,' (John 18:1,2) and it was one to which 'Jesus

ofttimes resorted with His disciples.' 'When the hour was come' for the commencement

of the Paschal Supper, Jesus 'sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him,' all, as usual

at the feast, 'leaning' (John 13:23), John on 'Jesus' bosom,' being placed next before Him,