Matthew 26:20

‘Now when evening was come, he was reclining at meat with the twelve disciples,'

The evening introduced the new day of the 15th of Nisan, the time for partaking in the Passover (the Jewish day began in the evening). At this meal it was specifically required that they ‘recline', that is, lay on cushions at the table so as to partake of the meal. The reclining indicated the joy and certainty of the meal and its significance. Up to this point therefore the meal follows the normal pattern. (All pictures of Jesus and His disciples sitting at table should therefore be binned). The reclining was intended to indicate the restfulness of the hearts of the participants because of their confidence in God and His certain deliverance.

On the table would be dishes containing unleavened bread, vegetables, sauces and bitter herbs. The unleavened bread symbolised both the need for the removal of corruption (all leaven was to be removed from their houses) and the haste with which the original participants expected to have to leave (no time to leaven the bread). The bitter herbs symbolised the bitterness of life that had been theirs and the afflictions that they had endured. There would also be sufficient wine for the passing around of four cups.

It is interesting that Jesus has restricted those at the meal to the twelve. It makes it very clear that He has something very special to say to them