The Last Supper with Twelve Tribes

When I made this painting, my wife and I had been serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators for 30 years. I had been painting for only three. Since then I've made many, many paintings; this one remains the most famous.

It's large, 20 feet wide (6 meters), nearly life-size. I painted it to show the inclusion of all peoples at the table of the Lord. Twelve tribal men, randomly chosen, are there to represent all—from every race.

It's not a literal representation; there's no Matthew included, or John, or Judas. The similarity to DaVinci's famous painting is intentional, for the sake of familiarity. The face of Jesus is dark, like the men at the table. He came and took on our form. God became one of us.

People have asked why I didn't include a woman. My answer: Of course, women are invited to the table, but you can only say so much in one painting. Another question, “Why no white man? Same answer. (The man on our left may seem white, but he's actually a Crow Indian of Montana.)

Speaking of inclusion, regarding the actual Last Supper, someone might ask, “Why all Jews?” As the gospel spread, were not Gentiles there? Gentiles would be included, of course, in ever-expanding numbers, all the way to the ends of the earth. Of the over 6000 people groups in the world, nearly all of them now have the Word of God in their language; and the ones that don't will soon. The work continues.

And that's what this particular rendition of the Lord's Last Supper symbolizes, people invited and attending from every nation, tribe, people, and language. (Revelation 7:9)

I originally named the painting, “The Last Supper with Twelve Tribes,” tribal men being featured. My father had his own name for it. In his later years, he would carry bookmarks of the painting in his shirt pocket and give them to everyone he met. “My son painted this,” he'd say. “It's of the next supper; and if you believe in Jesus, you'll be there, too.” So that's what some people call the painting now, “The Next Supper.”

Depicted (from left) are: Crow of Montana, Berber of North Africa, Masai of Kenya, China, Ecuador, Afghanistan, Jesus, Ethiopia, Tzeltal of Mexico, Canela of Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Salish of British Columbia, Mongolia.

If you believe, you'll be there, too.

The following devotionals are not about the painting per se, but rather focus on the Lord's table itself. The Lord instituted it. His coming to earth in human flesh was the high point of history. His sacrificial death on our behalf was the culmination of that. It's important that we remember it.