Peter, James and John, Page 13

POINT #3: The Two Suppers

There were two “suppers”⁹ in Jerusalem shortly before the Passion of Christ began. One has only to read the scriptural accounts to see that this is so. John tells us clearly of two suppers; the one in Jn 12 is “six days before the Passover,” while that in Jn 13 is immediately before the Passover “when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world.” This timing is borne out beyond question by the quite different events described in each passage. The first supper was in Bethany before the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, and the second was in the upper room in Jerusalem immediately before the betrayal and Passion. The first supper is described only by John, the second by all four Gospels. Only in this way can the accounts be seen as harmonious.

POINT #4: The Two Anointings

There were two anointings of Jesus during this time period. The anointing in Bethany in Jn 12 is not to be associated with the anointing at the house of Simon the Leper, also in Bethany, reported in the synoptics. First we have the anointing by Mary Magdalene of Jesus’ feet at Lazarus/John’s house on Saturday (Jn 12,1-8), followed by the anointing of his head at Simon’s house on Tuesday evening or Wednesday (Mt 26,1-13; Mk 14,1- 9). The first is reflected in the humiliation of Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet in the upper room at the last supper. As noted in fn 9, the anointing in Luke’s Gospel does not appear to have occurred during this period.