The Last Supper (Jesus Christ Superstar) |
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6:50 |
This scene represents the Last Supper, when Jesus celebrated the Passover with his 12 best friends.
During the supper he will have an argument with Judas, who will go to the religious authorities and betray him. A few hours later, the Roman soldiers, guided by Judas, will come to arrest him. The following afternoon he would be crucified, so this dinner was a celebration... and a temporary farewell.
Judas firmly believed Jesus would be the warrior leader many were expecting to liberate them from the Romans. But instead, Jesus was only preaching love and peace, so Judas felt all his hopes and dreams betrayed, and so he betrayed his friend Jesus.
But the most important thing happening during this dinner was the institution of the Eucharist, which is the basis for the Christian mass. Jesus shared the bread and the wine with his best 12 friends as his own body and blood and said "do this in remembrance of me", and so Christians do till the present day.
At Easter, the Last Supper is celebrated on Thursday, called Maundy Thursday, and that leads us to the second most significant thing happening here. The word "Maundy" derives from Old French "mandé", from the Latin "mandatum", the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye* love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet. On this video, the washing of the feet has been replaced by a quick hand washing.
A song from the musical movie "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1973).
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* in Old English "you" was the object form and "ye" /ji:/ the subject form, as you can see in that sentence ("... that ye love one another as I have loved you")
Look at all my trials and tribulations
Sinking in a gentle pool of wine.
Don't disturb me now, I can see the answers
'Till this evening is this morning, life is fine.
Always hoped that I'd be an apostle.
Knew that I would make it if I tried.
Then when we retire, we can write the Gospels,
So they'll still talk about us when we've died.
The end...is just a little harder, when brought about by friends.
For all you care, this wine could be my blood.
For all you care, this bread could be my body.
The end! This is my blood you drink.
This is my body you eat.
If you would remember me when you eat and drink.
I must be mad thinking I'll be remembered.
Yes, I must be out of my head.
Look at your blank faces.
My name will mean nothing
Ten minutes after I'm dead.
One of you denies me.
One of you betrays me.
No! Who would?! Never! Impossible!
Peter will deny my in just a few hours.
Three times will deny me,
And that's not all I see.
One of you here dining,
One of my twelve chosen
Will leave to betray me.
Cut out the dramatics!
You know very well who.
Why don't you go do it?
You want me to do it!
Hurry, they are waiting.
If you knew why I do it
I don't care why you do it!
To think I admired you.
Well, now I despise you.
You liar. You Judas.
You want me to do it!
What if I just stayed here
And ruined your ambition.
Christ you deserve it.
Hurry, you fool. Hurry and go.
Save me your speeches,
I don't want to know. Go. Go!
Look at all my trials and tribulations
Sinking in a gentle pool of wine.
What's that in the bread? It's gone to my head,
'Till this morning is this evening, life is fine.
Always hoped that I'd be an apostle.
Knew that I would make it if I tried.
Then when we retire, we can write the Gospels,
So they'll all talk about us when we've died.
You sad, pathetic man, see where you've brought us to,
Our ideals die around us and all because of you.
But the saddest cut of all:
Someone had to turn you in.
Like a common criminal, like a wounded animal.
A jaded mandarin,
A jaded mandarin,
Like a jaded, faded, faded, jaded, jaded mandarin.
Get out they're waiting! Get out!
They're waiting, Oh, they are waiting for you!
Every time I look at you I don't understand
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand.
You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned...
Oh....
Always hoped that I'd be an apostle.
Knew that I would make it if I tried.
Then when we retire, we can write the Gospels,
So they'll still talk about us when we've died.