To show his people that he is really a resurrected being and not a spirit, both in the New Testament account and in the apocryphal version, Jesus calls for food—real food—and insists that they share it with him in a sacred meal. The meal usually follows the baptism, putting its seal upon the initiation and the union of those who follow the Lord. In 3 Nephi the sacral meal with the risen Lord, repeated more than once, is an event of transcendent importance, to which we shall refer below.
Most scholars and theologians have seen the purpose of the forty days to be the laying of a firm foundation for the sending out of the disciples into all the world to lay a foundation for the church. At the time of the crucifixion they were utterly demoralized and scattered, in no condition to go forth as powerful ambassadors of the Lord into all the world. The forty-day teaching has the object of preparing them for their missions. This is exactly the case in the Book of Mormon. After the founding of the church among the people come two chapters (3 Nephi 27–28) dealing exclusively with the preparation of the chosen disciples for their special missions into the world, upon which after his departure they immediately set forth.
As might be expected, the appearances of the Lord to the astonished multitude, as well as his departures from them, are events of celestial splendor, nowhere more movingly described than in chapter 11 of 3 Nephi. The utter glory of his presence among the people or with the disciples is a constant theme in both the Book of Mormon and the other sources. And yet it is combined with a feeling of the closest and most loving intimacy, especially moving in the Book of Mormon accounts of his dealings with the children.
The Last Supper; the Betrayer; the Sacrament
A room borrowed from a stranger, a meal eaten in the shadow of the next day, an argument about which of them is the greatest, and a traitor sent out into the night; and in the middle of it, bread broken and a cup passed, with instructions.
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Note. The Joseph Smith Translation changes “this is my body” to “this is in remembrance of my body” in Matthew and in Mark, and leaves Luke, who already said “this do in remembrance of me”, untouched. Two earlier Restoration texts, the Book of Mormon sacrament prayers and the 1830 revelation on the emblems, had already read it the same way.
? How to read this edition
The reading is the Joseph Smith Translation, in the text of the Covenant Christian Edition, carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.
17Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came unto Jesus, saying unto him, Where do you desire that we prepare for you to eat the passover? 18And he said, Go into the city to such a man and say unto him, The Master says, My time is at hand, I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples. 19And the disciples did as Jesus appointed them, and they made ready the passover.
20Now when the evening came, he sat down with the twelve. 21And as they did eat, he said, Truly I say unto you that one of you shall betray me. 22And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23And he answered and said, He that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me, 24but the Son of Man goes as it is written of him. But woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. 25Then Judas, who betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, You have said.
26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and broke it, and blessed it, and gave to his disciples, and said, Take, eat. This is my body. This is in remembrance of my body, which I gave a ransom for you. 27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it, 28for this is in remembrance of my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many as many as shall believe on my name, for the remission of their sins.
And I give unto you a commandment that you shall observe to do the things which you have seen me do, and bear record of me, even unto the end.
29But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
30And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. 31Then said Jesus unto them, All you shall be offended because of me this night; for it is written: I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of you, I will never be offended. 34Jesus said unto him, Truly I say unto you that this night, before the cock crows, you shall deny me three times. 35Peter said unto him, Though I should die with you, yet will I not deny you. Likewise also said all the disciples.
12And now the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where do you desire that we go and prepare, that you may eat the passover? 13And he sends forth two of his disciples, and says unto them, Go into the city and there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him, 14and wherever he shall go in, say to the master of the house, The Master says, Where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared. There, make ready for us. 16And his disciples went forth and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them. And they made ready the passover.
17And in the evening, he comes with the twelve. 18And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Truly I say unto you, one of you who eats with me shall betray me. 19And they all began to be very sorrowful, and began to say unto him one by one, Is it I? And another said, Is it I? 20And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve who dips with me in the dish. 21The Son of Man indeed goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.
22And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed it and broke and gave to them, and said, Take it, and eat. This is my body. Behold, this is for you to do in remembrance of my body; for as oft as you do this, you will remember this hour that I was with you. 23And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and they all drank of it. 24And he said unto them, This is in remembrance of my blood, which is shed for many, and the new covenant which I give unto you; for of me you shall bear record unto all the world, and as oft as you do this ordinance, you will remember me in this hour that I was with you, and drank with you of this cup, even the last time in my ministry. 25Truly I say unto you, of this you shall bear record, for I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine with you until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. And now they were grieved, and wept over him.
26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. 27And Jesus said unto them, All you shall be offended because of me this night; for it is written: I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. 28But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
And he said unto Judas Iscariot, What you do, do quickly, but beware of innocent blood. 10Nevertheless, Judas Iscariot, even one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests to betray Jesus unto them, for he turned away from him and was offended because of his words. 11And when the chief priests heard of him, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray Jesus.
29But Peter said unto him Jesus, Although all men shall be offended with you, yet I will never be offended, yet will not I. 30And Jesus said unto him, Truly I say unto you that at this day, even in this night, before the cock crows twice, you shall deny me three times. 31But he spoke the more vehemently, If I should die with you, yet will I not deny you in any way. Likewise also said they all.
7Then came the day of unleavened bread when the passover must be killed. 8And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. 9And they said unto him, Where do you desire that we prepare? 10And he said unto them, Behold, when you have entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he enters in, 11and you shall say unto the master of the house, The Master says unto you, Where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 12And he shall show you a large upper room, furnished; there make ready. 13And they went and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the passover.
14And when the hour had come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15And he said unto them, I have eagerly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer, 16for I say unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof until it is fulfilled which is written in the prophets concerning me. Then I will partake with you in the kingdom of God. 17And he took the cup and gave thanks and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves, 18for I say unto you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God shall come.
19And he took bread and gave thanks, and broke it and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of me. 20Likewise also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you.
21But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22And truly the Son of Man goes as it was determined, but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed. 23And they began to inquire among themselves who of them it was who should do this thing.
24There was also a strife among them: who of them should be accounted the greatest. 25And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they who exercise authority upon them are called benefactors; 26but it ought not to be so with you. But he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who is chief, as he who does serve. 27For which is greater? He who sits at a meal or he who serves? Is not he that sitteth at meat? But I am not as he who sits at a meal, but I am among you as he who serves. 28You are they who have continued with me in my temptations, 29and I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father has appointed unto me, 30that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired you that he may sift you the children of the kingdom as wheat, 32but I have prayed for you that your faith fail not; and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren. 33And he said unto him, being grieved, Lord, I am ready to go with you, both into prison and unto death. 34And he the Lord said, I tell you Peter that the cock shall not crow this day before you will three times deny that you know me.
35And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse and scrip or shoes, did you lack anything? And they said, Nothing. 36Then said he unto them, I say unto you again, he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise a scrip; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 37For I say unto you, this that is written must yet be accomplished in me: And he was reckoned among the transgressors; for the things concerning me have an end. 38And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.
21When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, Truly, truly I say unto you that one of you shall betray me. 22Then the disciples looked one on another, wondering of whom he spoke. 23Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him that he should ask who it should be of whom he spoke. 25He then, lying on Jesus’ breast, says unto him, Lord, who is it? 26Jesus answered, He it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27And after the sop, Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That which you do, do quickly. 28Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spoke this unto him; 29for some of them thought, because Judas had the money bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. 30He then, having received the sop, went immediately out; and it was night.
31Therefore, when he had gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32If God should be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall immediately glorify him. 33Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek me, and as I said unto the Jews — Where I go, you cannot come — so now I say to you. 34A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another — as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35By this shall all men know that you are my disciples — if you have love one to another.
36Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered him, Where I go, you cannot follow me now, but you shall follow me afterward. 37Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. 38Jesus answered him, Will you lay down your life for my sake? Truly, truly I say unto you, the cock shall not crow until you have denied me three times.
It Matters Not What You Shall Eat
The occasion was ordinary and the answer was not. In August 1830 Joseph Smith set out from Harmony to buy wine for the sacrament and, according to the heading the Covenant Christian Edition preserves, was stopped on the road by an angel. What he was told settles what the emblems are for, and it uses the same word the Joseph Smith Translation would later put into Matthew and Mark: remembering. The last sentence answers the promise made at this table, that he would drink it new in his Father’s kingdom.
Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Lord, your God, and your Redeemer, whose word is quick and powerful, for behold, I say unto you, it matters not what you shall eat or what you shall drink when you partake of the sacrament, if it so be that you do it with an eye single to my glory, remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins. Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you that you shall not purchase wine neither strong drink of your enemies. Wherefore, you shall partake of none except it is made new among you, yea, in this my Father’s kingdom, which shall be built up on the earth.
Behold, this is wisdom in me; wherefore, marvel not, for the hour comes that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with all those whom my Father has given me out of the world.
When Has He Partaken of the Fruit of the Vine New?
Early in 1834 Joseph Smith and the elders at Kirtland wrote a long serialized letter to the scattered Saints. Arguing that Christ must come again, they pointed to the promise he made at this table, that he would drink the fruit of the vine new with his apostles in his Father’s kingdom, and asked when that had ever happened. Later in the same installment they read it as a promise the faithful will share.
Letter, “The Elders of the Church in Kirtland, to Their Brethren Abroad,” circa March 1834 (the second installment of the epistle the History of the Church dates 22 January 1834) · published in The Evening and the Morning Star, March 1834 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 65–66) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗How is it that these old apostels should say so much on the subject of the coming of Christ? He certainly had once came; but Paul says, To all who love his appearing, shall be given the crown: and John says, When he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Can we mistake such language as this? Do we not offer violence to our own good judgment when we deny the second coming of the Messiah? When has he partook of the fruit of the vine new with his ancient apostles in his Father’s kingdom, as he said, just before he was crucified?
… But from the few items previously quoted, we can draw a conclusion, that there is to be a day when all will be judged of their works, and rewarded according to the same; that those who have kept the faith will be crowned with a crown of righteousness; be clothed in white raiment; be admitted to the marriage-feast; be free from every affliction, and reign with Christ on the earth, where, according to the ancient promise, they will partake of the fruit of the vine new in the glorious kingdom with him: at least we find that such promises were made to the ancient saints.
When Thou Art Converted, Strengthen Thy Brethren
Luke alone keeps the words to Peter at this table: Satan had asked to sift him, but “when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Speaking to the Female Relief Society in June 1842, Joseph Smith took them as the pattern of how a leader deals with a failing disciple, and set them beside the other thing Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my sheep.”
Discourse to the Female Relief Society, 9 June 1842, Nauvoo · recorded by Eliza R. Snow, Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 240–241) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Also recorded in the History’s copy of the minutes.
How mild the Savior dealt with Peter, saying “when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”— at an other time he said to him “lovest thou me? “Feed my sheep”.— If the sisters love the Lord let them feed the sheep and not destroy them. How oft have wise men & women sought to dictate br. Joseph by saying “O if I were br. Joseph I would do this and that.” But if they were in br. Joseph’s shoes, they would find that men could not be compel’d into the kingdom of God, but must be dealt with in long suff’ring— and at last we shall save them. The way to keep all the saints together and keep the work rolling, is to wait with all long suff’ring till God shall bring such character to justice. There should be no license for sin, but mercy should go hand in hand with reproof.
Many Men Will Say, I Will Never Forsake You
Joseph Smith is not expounding this passage here; the sermon, preached at the temple stand in June 1843, is on why the Lord gathers his people to build a temple. It is shown because it names the same failure this table ends on: all of them promise they will never be offended because of him, and before morning they have all fled. Switch to “Scribal accounts” for Wilford Woodruff’s record.
Discourse, 11 June 1843, Nauvoo · History, 1838–1856, vol. D-1, pp. 1572–1573 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 309); reported by Wilford Woodruff · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Many men will say I will never forsake you, but will stand by you at all times but the moment you teach them some of the mysteries of the kingdom of God that are retained in the heavens, and are to be revealed to the children of men, when they are prepared for them. They will be the first to stone you and put you to death, it was this same principle that crucified the Lord Jesus Christ, and will cause the people to kill the Prophets in this generation.
Where the Meal Comes in the Sequence
Nibley kept finding the same short order of rites in the earliest Christian sources and in the Book of Mormon: a washing, then a meal. This chapter and the one before it are that order. What he adds is what the meal is for: not a commemoration bolted onto an initiation, but the seal put on it.
What gives substance to this peculiar doctrinal structure is the imposing body of rites and ordinances that goes with it.77 Ritual and doctrinal elements are inextricably interwoven in a complex in which everything is oddly literal and all fit solidly together: The kerygma, whether above or below, is real and must have a “seal,” which is baptism, though the word is also used to designate rites of washing and anointing that go with it;78 after such rites the initiate receives a symbolic but real and tangible garment, 79 and then sits down to a sacral meal, a real repast celebrating the perfect unity of the participants with each other and with the Lord, who is present in spirit.
Recent findings indicate unusual emphasis placed on a perfect unity of the sexes in marriage ordinances which were real enough and secret enough to excite the scandalized speculations of outsiders and the fantastic imitation of the Gnostics.82 After all allowances have been made, there remains a definite residue of early Christian ritual that goes far beyond anything known to later Christianity, which admittedly got its liturgy from the synagogue and the Hellenistic world, while the rites just mentioned all look to the temple and belong to the instructions of the 40 days.
While the schools have their methods for dealing with unwelcome doctrines and traditions, the populace also has ways of absorbing and adapting teachings it does not understand, and the 40-day tradition left a bold imprint on vulgar Christianity. The fact that the Christian liturgy has always allowed a 40-day interval, and an important one, between the Resurrection and the Ascension is not to be lightly explained away,84 but it is the popular literature of the pseudo-Acts of the Apostles and the legends of the martyrs that most clearly indicate what was paramount in the teachings embraced by the newly converted masses of the age of Constantine.85 Here we have the monotonous repetition as one standard miracle, the raising of the dead, performed to demonstrate to a skeptical world the reality of the resurrection of Jesus.86 As the saint performs this miracle, or has it performed on him, Jesus himself stands by, now in his own person, now in that of the apostle, who is but his double or understudy.
For the Remission of Sins
Matthew alone, of the four, adds four words to the cup: “for the remission of sins.” Barker notices that this is not a flourish but a specification: the only evangelist writing for a Jewish readership is the only one who says which covenant is being renewed, and the phrase he uses identifies it exactly. It is also the clause the Joseph Smith Translation expands rather than trims.
Matthew, writing for a Jewish community, was the only evangelist who felt the need to define which covenant Jesus was renewing at the Last Supper, and his phrase “for the remission of sins” immediately identifies it as the temple covenant, the covenant renewed by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. The eternal covenant, also described as the covenant of peace or wholeness, underlies the biblical world view. The creation was established and secured by the bonds of this covenant.
Jesus spoke of those who would inherit the earth (Mat. 5.5) and at the Last Supper, he spoke of the New Covenant and of his blood poured out for the remission of sins (aphesis, the Jubilee word, Mat. 26.28).
In his prayer after the Last Supper — known as the great high priestly prayer — Jesus prays, “Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had with you before the world was made” (John 17:5 [John 9:19]) — a reference to the glory in the Holy of Holies as the state before the visible creation. Jesus the high priest was returning to his place of origin.
Despite the apparently clear accounts of the Eucharist in the Synoptic Gospels, there are many problems as to its true origin and significance. The Passover is the least likely context as this was the one sacrifice not offered by a priest (m.Yoma 5.6), and the earliest tradition remembers Jesus as the great High Priest. The words of institution known to the evangelists (Matt.26.26-28 [Matt. 12:5]; Mark 14.22-24 [Mark 7:6]; Luke 22.14-20 [Luke 13:3-4]) and Paul (1 Cor.11.23-26 [1 Cor. 1:46]) indicate as their context the priestly sacrifice of the Eternal Covenant, in other words, the Day of Atonement. The position of the Christian altar in a church building, beyond the boundary between earth and heaven, shows that it derived from the kapporet in the Holy of holies, the place where the Atonement blood was offered.
Even though Paul knew Christ as the paschal lamb (1 Cor.5.7 [1 Cor. 1:19]), he had also been taught that his death was “for our sins in accordance with the scriptures” (1 Cor.15.3 [1 Cor. 1:61]). This indicates that the earliest interpretation of the death of Jesus was based on the fourth Servant Song, which, in the form known at Qumran, depicts a suffering Messiah figure who bears the sins of others (1Q Isaa 52.13-53.12). He was the High Priest who sprinkled the atonement blood (Isa.52.15 [Isa. 19:1]) and was himself the sacrifice (Isa.53.10 [Isa. 19:2-3]). A similar expectation is found in Peter’s temple sermon; the Servant, the Author of life, was about to return from heaven bringing “times of refreshing” (Acts 3.13-21 [Acts 2:2-3]). Again, these texts indicate that the original understanding of the death of Jesus was the renewal of the Eternal Covenant on the Day of Atonement.
The Joseph Smith Translation does not touch “for the remission of sins.” It expands what surrounds it (“shed for AS MANY AS SHALL BELIEVE ON MY NAME for the remission of THEIR sins”), which narrows the beneficiaries while leaving the covenant Barker identifies exactly where it was.