Although the Last Supper was celebrated as the Passover meal, many scholars think that the word "before" means that this meal was the day before the official Passover, that Jesus died on the official date of the Passover, as our Passover lamb.

The events of the Passover are full of difficulty for the harmonist. It is however almost certain that the “Last Supper” was not the paschal meal, but was partaken of on the 14th, that is after sunset on the 13th of Nisan. It is quite certain, from John 18:28, that Jesus was crucified on the preparation, and although the synoptic narratives seem at first sight to disagree with this, it is probably only the want of a complete knowledge of the facts that creates the apparent discrepancy.

The order of events in the “Passion” was as follows: when the 14th commenced, at sunset, Jesus sent two disciples to prepare the feast for that evening, instead of for the following evening. A sign of hastening on the meal may be detected in the words “my time is at hand,” Matthew 26:18, cp. Luke 22:15, “with desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.” The supper follows, which bears a paschal character, and follows the paschal ceremonial. Early in the morning of the 14th of Nisan the irregular sitting of the Sanhedrin took place. Then followed the formal sitting of the Sanhedrin, and the trial before Pilate, the “remission” to Herod, and, finally, the Crucifixion. This view meets the typical requirements of our Lord’s death completely. During the very hours when our Great High Priest was offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins upon the cross, the Jewish people were engaged in slaying thousands of lambs in view of the paschal feast about to commence.

Jesus was not surprised by the events of that evening. He knew that it would happen and He previously described in detail what would happen to Him:

18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”

33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again."

John tells us that even knowing all that would happen to Him, He loved His disciples until the end. Even after being betrayed by Judas and the rest abandoning Him, His love for them did not waiver.

It is a fact in scripture that Jesus loves us. This is why He came into this world. It is also clear that His love for us never wanes or fails. Like James says "the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow," His light remains steady and constant. " “For I, the Lord, do not change;" (Mal. 3:6)

The word know or knowing is used 7 times in this one chapter. Chapters 13 through 17 are a revelation of Jesus that is honest and personal, deeper than any that has come before:

1. First Verse: Jesus knew that this was the time He would depart from this world.
2. Verse 3: Jesus knew that the Father had given Him all things, that He had come from God and was returning to God.
3. Verse 12: Jesus wanted His disciples to know that in the Kingdom of God each person serves and is served by each person. It turns the world on its head. It is the greatest who serves the most.
4. Verse 17: A servant (us) is not greater than his master (Jesus). This seems simple enough, but how many times do we expect to have things that Jesus did not have: A home (He had no place to lay His head), wealth, or honor in this world.
5. Verse 18: Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him. He said that He knew the ones He chose, and that Judas was not one of them.
6. Verse 22: The disciples did not know that Judas was the traitor.
7. Verse 35: The world will know you belong to Jesus by our love for one another. How many who belong to Christ have caused divisions and strife in the church over some non-essential doctrine or man-made idea? I am not discounting the need to expose and denounce essential false doctrines, but many within the church compete with one another and slander one another and condemn differences in practice. You and others may have personal preferences in style of worship. Do not confuse these personal preferences with essential doctrines. We who belong to Jesus are on the same team. Act like it!