Judas and the Last Passover

Judas was an apostate. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. If Jesus knew all things, would He have permitted this devil-filled man to participate in such an intimate moment of worship at the communion table?

What Exactly is Communion?

Before determining if Judas took communion at the Last Passover, it’s helpful to first define exactly what communion is according to the Scriptures.

The English word ‘communion’ only appears four times in three verses in the King James Bible (KJV). It doesn’t appear at all in the New American Standard (NASB) or the New International Version (NIV). In 1 Corinthians 10:16, the KJV says, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”. The Greek word for communion here is koinonia, which means fellowship and intimacy. It means joint participation; a togetherness; a commonality; a partnership. With these definitions taken together, believers would understand this beautiful word to simply mean a community of Christ-followers who, despite their uniqueness, share a common faith. And not only that, they share their lives in regular fellowship with one another and with their Lord!

As such, the NASB renders the verse, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”

Similarly, the NIV has translated koinonia as participation, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?”.

When we come to the Communion Table, we are coming to the Fellowship Table. While it is indeed the special moment in our corporate worship that we gaze upon Lord together as we engage in a time of serious self-examination and a remembrance of what Christ did for His children on the cross, we see from 1 Corinthians 10:16 that we are actually sharing in the body and blood of Jesus Christ. How is this so and what does this mean?

In order to understand this, we must know what would have been going through the minds of the disciples as they reclined at the table, watching and listening to Jesus. When Jesus broke the bread, what were they thinking? When he took the cup, what must have been swirling around in their Jewish minds?

The account of the Last Passover meal occurs in all four Gospels (Matthew 26:20-29, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:14-23 and John 13:18-30). We also learn some things about communion when the Apostle Paul gives instructions to the Corinthian church as he relates to them what happened in the Upper Room when Jesus broke the bread and took the cup.

But before we visit those passages, it seems best to start at the end… the end of the Bible, that is, in the book of Revelation, where we must observe some foundational things.

Important Foundations

Revelation 21 reveals some details about the New Jerusalem, which is in the future for us. The city has no temple because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple¹. The foundation stones of the city consist of many beautiful jewels, including sapphire². It is interesting that what we consider to be costly stones are foundations to an other-worldly city.

Sapphire is a precious and popular gemstone that is typically a deep blue color with excellent transparency. It is known as a tough and durable gem³. It is one of the hardest naturally occurring substances, highly valued for its beauty and durability⁴. It would make sense that if God were to build a New Jerusalem, the foundation would be tough, durable, hard, beautiful… and transparent?!

The Bread

A good Jew would know exactly what Jesus was referring to when he was about to break the bread at the table. One of the most important and meaningful elements of the Jewish Passover meal was unleavened bread. It was usually made with wheat flour and water, with extra care to make sure there was no fat, sugar or salt, and especially no yeast. Yeast is an agent to accelerate fermentation, which would cause the bread rise. The absence of yeast was seen as a sign of purity. It was perfectly acceptable to use barley oats or rye as a substitute for wheat flour if necessary. The unleavened bread was to be prepared quickly to avoid any natural fermentation. It was baked in an oven or cooked over an open flame; and the finished result was a flat piece of bread resembling a thin cracker.

Leaven in bread is seen as representing sin. Just as having a small amount of leaven in the bread, which permeates the whole lump of dough⁵, even a small amount of sin permeates our entire being. Paul gave instructions to the Corinthian church to, “clean out the old leaven”. Paul identified the “old leaven as malice and wickedness”, knowing that such sins would wreak havoc on the church. But then he continued in his exhortation to celebrate the feast with the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”⁶.

When the disciples saw Jesus take a piece of the unleavened bread, their minds would harken back to the Old Testament events of what the bread represented: that is, the yearly Passover feast celebrating the Israelites deliverance from bondage in Egypt! Exodus 13:7-10 gives the reason for the the perpetual feast:

“Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing with yeast shall be seen among you, nor shall any dough with yeast be seen among you in all your borders. And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt. And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year”.

And then Jesus said it. He broke the bread, gave it to them and said, “this is My body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me”⁷. At that moment, they should have understood that the Bread of Life was telling them: “you know that unleavened bread you ate at all those Passover meals to commemorate your deliverance from bondage? I, Jesus, am the true deliverer from the bondage of sin, and from this point forward, you are going to celebrate that when you come to this table!”.

The Cup

There were no instructions regarding drinks at the Passover meal. When Jesus took the cup then, the disciples didn’t have an Old Testament event or instruction to recall. That is until Jesus spoke and said in Luke 22:20, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”. Mark adds a little more flavor when he states, “When He had take a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many”.

The phrases, “new covenant in My blood” and “the blood of the covenant” would have most assuredly meant something vitally important to them. Blood was means to seal or ratify a covenant. When Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew and the rest of them lifted the cup to their lips to drink of the fruit of the vine, the truths from Exodus 24 would have rushed into their minds.

For several chapters preceding that passage of Scripture, Moses is relaying to the people all the ordinances that God has for them. In chapter 24, God calls Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders of Israel to come worship at a distance. Verse 2 then says that Moses alone was allowed to come nearer to God than the rest, seemingly as a mediator of sorts. When he relayed the words of the Lord to all the people, they respond in one voice saying, “All the words which the Lord has spoken, we will do!” (Exodus 24:3 NASB20). Then, they offered bulls as sacrifices to the Lord and sprinkled blood on the altar. After that, Moses took the book of the covenant, presumably all the words he had just written down containing the ordinances that God gave him, and read it to the people. And again they agreed by saying, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” (Exodus 24:7 NASB20).

When Jesus speaks of the “blood of the new covenant”, He is telling us that His very own blood is the seal of God’s promises to us, granting us forgiveness, eternal life, peace and security.

Moses took more blood and sprinkled it on the people saying, “Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words”. The covenant was being ratified in blood. When Jesus speaks of the “blood of the new covenant”, He is telling us that His very own blood is the seal of God’s promises to us, granting us forgiveness, eternal life, peace and security.

Now what happens next in Exodus 24 should amaze us. In verse 9-10, it say that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the seventy elders saw the God of Israel! When the covenant was sealed in blood, it says they SAW the God of Israel. Now we know from other scriptures that no one can see God and live⁸, but it seems that they saw some form of God similar to when Moses was hidden in the cleft of the rock and saw God’s glory pass by. What we see in Exodus 24:10 is quite astonishing. It appears that they are gazing at God who is standing one a pavement of SAPPHIRE, as clear as the sky itself. God, who built the New Jerusalem on a foundation containing sapphire, is somewhat visible to Moses and his companions just after the ratification of a covenant of blood, and God does not strike them dead. In fact, it is quite the opposite – verse 11 says that “they saw God and they ate and drank”. They had a celebration! Just as the disciples celebrated with a hymn after the last Passover meal, they were celebrating joyfully their opportunity to fellowship with God.

What Does This Mean for Us?

The Corinthian church required some corrective instructions from Paul. We can learn much from what the Apostle had to say to them in light of communion. That church (much like today’s church) was divided. There were factions among them. The church was full of strife and therefore coming to the Table in an unworthy manner. As Paul issues corrections to his friends in Corinth, he reminds them of the purposes of communion.

A Remembrance of Christ’s Sacrifice⁹

If indeed we are to see the bread like the disciples saw it (remembering their great deliverance from slavery) then approaching the communion table should be a time of joyous celebration that we’ve been delivered once and for all from the bondage of our sin! And if we understand the ratification of the covenant with blood, we should view communion like it really is spelled out for us in the meaning of the Greek word koinonia: a participation in the shed blood of Jesus Christ (His blood being the means by which our sin is paid for) and the resulting joyful worship of our Savior and King. In the same way that the Corinthian church was being taught, the Lord’s Table should serve as a constant reminder of the great price that Jesus paid to redeem us. This is why our communion services are regular and often. As we remember, our hearts swell up with thankfulness and gratitude!

A Proclamation of the Lord’s Death¹⁰

When we share in the bread and the cup, we are making a public proclamation about the death of Jesus. The verse in the NASB20 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes”. The Greek word for ‘proclaim’ (katangello) is much more robust than our English word. It means to announce, declare, make known, publish – all with the included idea of celebrating and openly praising¹¹. Again, we see this idea of a joyous celebration of worship as we publicly herald the Lord’s death at the table.

A Representation of the New Covenant¹²

As already discussed, Jesus sealed the new covenant with His very own blood. This is full assurance that the shedding of His precious blood is effectual for the believer’s salvation. The promise of God to remove our hearts of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh¹³ is not just empty words, but rather a guarantee that cannot fail – because the promise is sealed by the blood of the Lamb. What an amazing reality that catapults us into exuberant worship!

From the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:23-30 then, we understand that it is indeed a reverent moment approaching and participating in the table. We don’t want to eat and drink in a flippant manner. In fact, we are to commanded to examine ourselves in verse 28! But as we confess our sins and reflect on what God has done for us through His one and only Son, the communion table becomes for us a time of joyous celebration and heartfelt worship.

Did Judas Actually Take Communion at the Last Passover?

So we still haven’t answered the original question: Did Judas the betrayer take communion with Jesus and the other eleven disciples, or was he dismissed before the bread and the cup?

From the gospel accounts of the Last Passover, it is clear that Judas was present. The question is, how long was he there? Was he dismissed before the bread and wine was distributed? Does it even matter? There are many theological opinions on this. Here are a couple of them:

John Chrysostom and Augustine of Hippo, both respected early church fathers, believed that Judas did in fact receive communion:

“That one sold, having taken thirty pieces of silver, and Christ gave his own blood as a ransom for us, and he would have given it to the seller, if, of course, he wanted it, because Judas was there before the betrayal, he took part in the holy meal, and tasted the Last Supper.¹⁴”

“It must be understood that our Lord had already distributed the sacrament of His body and blood to all His disciples, among whom was Judas also, as Luke narrates: And after that, we came to this, where, according to the relation of John, our Lord, by dipping and handing the morsel, does most openly declare His betrayer.¹⁵”

The great reformer John Calvin holds the opposite position. Regarding the statement from Jesus, “He who eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” in John 6:56 (KJV), Calvin remarks:

“When he says that he dwelleth in us, the meaning is the same as if he had said, that the only bond of union, and the way by which he becomes one with us, is, when our faith relies on his death. We may likewise infer from it, that he is not now speaking of the outward symbol, which many unbelievers receive equally with believers, and yet continue separated from Christ. It enables us also to refute the dream of those who say, that Judas received the body of Christ as well as the other apostles, when Christ gave the bread to all; for as it is a display of ignorance to limit this doctrine to the outward sign, so we ought to remember what I have formerly said, that the doctrine which is here taught is sealed in the Lord’s Supper. Now, it is certain, in the first place, that Judas never was a member of Christ; secondly, it is highly unreasonable to imagine the flesh of Christ to be dead and destitute of the Holy Spirit; and, lastly, it is a mockery to dream of any way of eating the flesh of Christ without faith, since faith alone is the mouth — so to speak — and the stomach of the soul.¹⁶”

Drawing Conclusions

I tend to agree with John Calvin on this. Based on what we know now about communion, it seems antithetical to God’s purposes that Jesus would allow Judas (who was a devil¹⁷) to be a part of the group that would “see and worship God who stood on the sapphire foundation”. Jesus knew it was critical to protect the table from such people. An apostate may get a taste of the heavenly gift and, like Judas, be exposed to Jesus himself, but they would never be allowed to be in full communion with God and see Him through the sapphire. They do not get to celebrate God’s goodness and will never experience the joy of having any of God’s glorious light fall upon them.

With that said, I cannot be dogmatic because of how the order of events are explained in the Luke and John accounts:

Luke 22:19-20 has Jesus distributing the bread and the cup. The following verse then says, “Behold the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table”. Unless Judas got up and fled the scene while the others were still holding the communion elements, it would appear that Judas was still present.
John 13:26 recounts Jesus dipping the morsel and giving it to the betrayer. The morsel is understood to not be the actual bread of the communion table, but rather a different part of the Passover meal. After the morsel, Satan entered Judas (13:27) and he went out immediately (13:30). This passage offers some clues of the possibility of Judas’s exit before the bread and cup were consumed.

Whether or not Judas fully participated, we cannot and should not make him the center of the communion table accounts. Paul’s teaching to the Corinthian believers starts with “on the night He was betrayed” which immediately conjures up images of evil Judas. His betrayal should indeed serve as a sobering reminder of the danger of apostasy, even prompting us to ask, “Is it I, Lord?”, but when we eat and drink, it shall be to the glory of God. The table shall be to us an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Him through the sapphire as it were, celebrating with each other the wonderful things our God has done.

Footnotes

Revelation 21:22-23 ↩︎
Revelation 21:19-21 – jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardis, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth and amethyst ↩︎
https://www.minerals.net/gemstone/sapphire_gemstone.aspx#google_vignette ↩︎
https://geologyscience.com/gemstone/sapphire/ ↩︎
Galatians 5:9 – “A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” (NASB20) ↩︎
1 Corinthians 5:8 ↩︎
Luke 22:19 (NASB20) ↩︎
Exodus 33:20,23; John 1:18; 1 John 4:12; 1 Timothy 6:16 ↩︎
1 Corinthians 11:24,25 (see also Luke 22:19) ↩︎
1 Corinthians 11:26 ↩︎
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2605/kjv/tr/0-1/ Thayer’s Greek Lexicon; Strong’s G2605 ↩︎
1 Corinthians 11:25 (see also Luke 22:20) ↩︎
Ezekiel 36:26 ↩︎
Saint John Chrysostom. “On the Betrayal of Judas. The Second Sermon.” In Saint John Chrysostom. A full collection of his works. Moscow, 1993. Pg. 434. ↩︎
Thomas of Aquinas. Summa Theologica //Question 81. The use which Christ made of this sacrament at its institution // Article 2. Whether Christ gave His body to Judas? ↩︎
Commentary on the Gospel According to John, John Calvin, Books For The Ages – AGES Software • Albany, OR USA Version 1.0 © 1998, page 236 ↩︎
John 6:70 ↩︎

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