How many people were at the last supper? Almost certainly more than thirteen.

 The assumption is there were thirteen there – Jesus and his twelve disciples. Then twelve after Judas goes into the ‘night’.

 The Bible record points to there being more people there.

 The security situation points to there being more people there.

 The culture points to there being more people there.

 The Bible Record

 The Bible never says there were only twelve disciples in the upper room. Yes, the twelve were certainly there (Matthew 26:20; Mark 14: 17; Luke 22:14); but the Scripture never says it was only the twelve.

 In Mark 14:51 we read about a young man who had been with Jesus and the other disciples in Gethsemane. When the soldiers tried to arrest him, this young man managed to get away, but lost his linen cloth. So, he ran away ‘naked’. Nearly every scholar believes that this was Mark John.

 Mark John was not an apostle; but he was in the garden. You can argue that he came separately and met Jesus and the apostles in the middle of the night. That seems unlikely. It is much more likely that he was in the upper room for the last supper and then left with the others, as the Gospel of John records. Jesus says, ‘Rise, let’s go’. (John 14:31)

 And the Beloved Disciple. He is there at the last supper (13:23). And at the end of the Gospel he tells us that he is the disciple (not the apostle) who is the author of all that we have read, (21:24). Most scholars, for good reason, do not believe that John Zebedee was the author of the Gospel – for more on that see here, https://sternfieldthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/02/who-wrote-gospel-of-john-not-son-of.html - so that means that as well as John Mark, we definitely have another non apostle at the table.

 There is one more aspect of the Bible account that points to there being more than thirteen in the upper room. Jesus announces that one of his disciples will betray him (John 13:21). The disciples are confused and Peter makes a sign to the Beloved Disciple to discreetly ask Jesus who the traitor is. Jesus explains about the bread; the bread is offered to Judas, and then Judas leaves. If there are just twelve at the table it would seem that they are descending into a new depth of dumbness. In this type of setting it is absolutely obvious who the traitor is: announcement; signing; whispering; Jesus offers bread to Judas; Judas goes out. Even a three-year-old would be able to work out that the traitor was Judas. But, according to the writer of the fourth Gospel, the disciples have not worked it out. They think that Judas is going out either to buy something for the upcoming Feast of Unleavened Bread, or to give money to the poor who that Passover night would be gathered in some number in the entrance of the temple (John 13:29).

 If we have more in the room, then it is much easier to understand why the disciples did not understand why Judas had left. We have to free ourselves from the paintings, and imagine a room where there are more people and different circles of conversation happening. There is shock with Jesus’ announcement, and then these different conversations start, so very few see either Peter’s sign to the Beloved Disciple, or his whispered conversation with Jesus, or even the bread being offered to Judas.

 That is the Bible record. It never says there were only thirteen; it points very definitely to Mark John and the Beloved Disciple as being there; and the action between Peter, the Beloved Disciple, Jesus and Judas was not noticed by all the guests – because of numbers.

 The Security Situation

 Things were tense in Jerusalem and dangerous for Jesus. This private dinner was a perfect opportunity for the authorities to arrest Jesus so the group needed protection. This was provided by ‘the master of the house’. This man is rich. He owns a house in the capital – with a large upper room. He is probably influential. It is his presence in the upper room which gives the security. The authorities want to arrest Jesus when he is isolated, not when he is with a well to do supporter.

 It is worth noting that some think this well to do supporter is the Beloved Disciple. And if the Beloved Disciple is also the ‘other disciple’ who is mentioned in chapter 18 then we know he is very influential. For we are told that he is known to the high priest. He just has to knock on Caiaphas’ door and not only can he walk in, but he can bring Peter with him. Such a man would definitely give security.

 The Culture

 This was not a culture of fixed social gatherings with guest lists and seating plans. That is a Western idea. A social gathering in the East is more fluid. If people come, their names were not checked. That is why the woman with the difficult reputation was able to be at the social gathering with Jesus and Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7. Already we know that Mark John and the Beloved Disciple (who is possibly the owner) were there. The flow of the culture would mean that if others were ‘insiders’, then they too would have been welcomed. That’s the East. John Mark’s mother could have been there. Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Mary Magdalene. Others.

 There is something else about culture. In the East meals are a serious business. You can’t have people round and just put a pizza in the micro-wave. That is true for all meals – but it is especially true for a meal at Passover time. It is a little like Christmas for Christians.

 So, Peter and John are sent to prepare the Passover meal (Luke 22:8), but do we have to believe they had no help? The menu for the Passover meal is not bread and cheese. It is at least a bean stew, lamb, olives, fish, unleavened bread, dates, the wine - and probably more. There is a lot of work. The culture in the East is that usually more people get involved in the kitchen. It is perhaps more likely that Peter and John were shown a room where they prepared the Passover, and then were helped by close and trusted friends. Martha would have been excellent. 

 So….

 It is of course impossible to say exactly how many people were at the Last Supper, but perhaps a good guess would be between twenty to thirty. Stay with thirteen and we have to have John Mark setting out in the middle of the night to get to Gethsemane; the Beloved Disciple has to be John Zebedee which stirs up a nest of problems; the disciples have to be stupid; the security appalling; and the culture boxed into a rigid dinner party with a strict guest list.