<p>22:14 <i>And when the hour had arrived, he sat down with the apostles</i>- There is no actual mention of the slaying of the paschal lamb, which should have been done that evening. It had already been strangely provided for them. &quot;Sat down&quot; is &quot;dining&quot; in Matthew; the idea is of reclining.</p><p>Joachim Jeremias gives a whole string of quotes from Rabbinic and historical writings that indicate that &ldquo;At the time of Jesus the diners sat down&quot; to eat. Yet the Gospel records are insistent that Jesus and the disciples&nbsp;<i>reclined</i>&nbsp;at the last supper (Mt. 26:20; Mk. 14:18; Lk. 22:14; Jn. 13:12,23,25,28). Yet at the Passover, it was apparently common to recline, because as Rabbi Levi commented &ldquo;slaves eat standing, but here at the Passover meal people should recline to eat, to signify that they have passed from slavery to freedom&quot;. The breaking of bread is thus stressed in the records as being a symbol of our freedom from slavery. It should not in that sense be a worrying experience, taking us on a guilt trip. It is to celebrate the salvation and release from bondage which has truly been achieved for us in Christ our Passover.</p><p>&quot;With the apostles&quot; doesn't mean that only the twelve partook or were present. There are reasons to think that there were others present too.</p>