While Matthew, Mark and Luke say the Last Supper coincided with the start of the Jewish festival of Passover, John claims it took place before Passover. "This has puzzled Biblical scholars for centuries. In fact, someone said it was 'the thorniest subject in the New Testament'," he told the BBC's Today programme.

How are Passover and the Last Supper related?

Each year Jews celebrate the Passover festival. Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Passover meal together. ... As this was the last meal that Jesus would share with his disciples, he took elements of the Passover meal and made them symbols of his death.

Is the Lord's Supper the same as Passover?

Jesus and His disciples were having a special meal in the upper room, and Jesus would use this special meal to teach His disciples about His death and resurrection. ... It was a Jewish Seder meal, a meal that was a memorial to the event in the Old Testament called the Passover.