Extraordinary undertaking: First Baptist Church in Du Quoin to recreate Christ's Last Supper; three performances April 17, 18 and 19

The Last Supper is the final meal that Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. Moreover, the Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist also known as "Holy Communion" or "The Lord's Supper."

The First Epistle to the Corinthians is the earliest known mention of the Last Supper. The four canonical Gospels all state that the Last Supper took place towards the end of the week, after Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and that Jesus and his Apostles shared a meal shortly before Jesus was crucified at the end of that week.

During the meal Jesus predicts his betrayal by one of the Apostles present, and foretells that before the next morning, Peter will deny knowing him.

During the Last Supper, Jesus takes bread, breaks it and gives it to the Apostles, saying: "This is my body which is given for you." The Gospel of John does not include this episode, but tells of Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles, giving the new commandment "to love one another as I have loved you," and has a detailed farewell discourse by Jesus, calling the Apostles who follow his teachings "friends and not servants," as he prepares them for his departure.

First Baptist Church members Gordon and Alice Swetland have always believed that recreating the Last Supper through a live performance with painstaking and exacting detail would be an amazing event during the Easter season.

As this story is written the work has already begun to do that. Members of the First Baptist Church at the corner of North Washington Street and East Park Street in Du Quoin will host three performances of the Last Supper in their new Family Life Center on Thursday, April 17, again on Friday, April 18 and finally on Saturday, April 18 at 7 p.m.

The attention to details includes many of the church members growing beards as was common with the men of Christ's time. The church is trying to get costuming that will replicate the clothes worn by the Apostles.

Christ and the Apostles will be portrayed by a cast that includes: Howard Wilson, Steve Bratten, Cliff Harrell, David Hock, Monte Kuhnert, Gary Stanhouse, Paul Lilly, Matt Schaub, Bob McCormick, Randy DeMent, Rudy Rice, Bob Cook and Andrew Darnell.

The evening will open with a video about the life of Jesus.

His Apostles will one-by-one take their places at the table with Christ. "Their positions will look like the painting," says Alice Swetland.

At that point, each of Christ's Apostles will come out of their positions and have speaking parts. There will be the foot washing referred to in the Bible

Where was the Last Supper eaten. The real answer is: we don't know. The gospels tell us that it was in a rented room, but we aren't given the exact address. Nonetheless, there is a "traditional site" in Jerusalem that is identified as the "upper room" where Jesus ate the Last Supper.

One community resource the First Baptist Church group needs is someone to paint or airbrush onto four king-size sheets strung together the backdrop for the Last Supper, something which would have the look of that "upper room." The look of that room appears in all of the Last Supper paintings. If you can offer some help, please contact Alice Swetland on her cell phone at 318-3125.