The Passover with the Disciples
Study Scripture: Matthew 26: 17 – 30
Background Scripture: Matthew 26: 17 – 30
Lesson 6 April 9, 2022
Key Verse
But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:29
INTRODUCTION
It would be an understatement to say Jesus’ last week on earth was eventful. As the divine clock ticked to the climactic events of His life on earth, crucifixion and resurrection, the various agendas of friend and foe alike would dovetail into the divine will. Yes, everything would unfold ‘as it is written’; however, all would be held responsible for their actions.
Relentlessly the events of the Savior’s life move toward His death on the Cross. He had completed His public manifestation to Israel as Messiah and the nation rejected Him. The religious hierarchy rejected Him and He denounced them as hypocrites in some pointed, public exchanges. It was the penultimate day and Jesus’ hour had come!
After a pre-burial ‘anointing’ in Bethany, a portent of the earth-shattering event to occur in a week or so, Jesus’ final days or even hours are recorded in the Study Text for us by the former ‘tax-collector’ Matthew. It will all climax at Passover as the Ultimate Passover Lamb is sacrificed for the sins of God’s people.
In this section Matthew drew attention to three things: the preparations for the Passover meal, Jesus’ prediction of His betrayal and the institution of the Lord’s Supper.
We must carefully stress however that we are looking at a family affair. Passover is a family dinner. Jews gathered together at Passover time as a family to share the Passover lamb.
We should see therefore that for the disciples and Jesus this is going to be a special meal with The Teacher. It is so special that we do not read that on this occasion the regular family of the disciples and/or Jesus were invited and this is a bit curious for Passover was a family meal and there were several special traditions in the Jewish Passover celebrations for fathers and children.
We know that several of the disciples were married so probably they had families but yet these disciples were with Jesus expecting that they would celebrate the Passover together with Him for this was a new family. This ragged band followed Jesus and so they were a family. The disciples were obviously looking forward to this special dinner for they had been through crazy events and the pressure was building up and they probably sensed that something was going to happen after the entering Jerusalem with the shouts of hosanna, tables being overturned in the temple, healings and sermons, and conflict with religious leaders. So this Passover would provide for significant comfort to the disciples.
In our busy workaday world celebration of Lord’s Supper should provide a time of comfort for us as we remember Jesus and what He did for us and the other brethren.
If we consider it we will see that maybe the Lord’s Supper that was instituted indicates something of the new family relationship that we are to be in with other believers.
Jesus often spoke of going to Jerusalem and the things that would happen there, (Matthew 16:21-25) and as they journeyed from Galilee, there was a sense of foreboding, and the disciples could sense a note of finality in Jesus, (John 11:16).
“And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).
And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples apart, and on the way he said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify: and the third day he shall be raised up.(Matthew 20:17-19).
It is Passover week in Jerusalem and the city is teeming, past overflow with pilgrims who have arrived for the feast. God commanded the Jewish people to observe the Passover Feast in memory of their dramatic deliverance from bondage in Egypt (Exodus 12). Passover became a national holiday. God commanded it to be celebrated in Jerusalem on the 14th day of the first month
(Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 28:16). This was the month of Nisan (formerly called Abib in the Hebrew religious calendar), which is late March and early April.
There were a number of competing agendas at play in these final two days in Jerusalem. Jesus’ enemies were stepping up efforts to execute Him; Judas the betrayer had sold himself to the Devil and the religious leaders; the disciples by now seemed to realize the ‘kingdom’ was not around the corner and there still a few but very important boxes to tick on the Master’s agenda; final item – the cross.
In between He would share the Passover Meal with His disciples; institute the Lord’s Supper; deliver the Upper Room and Olivet Discourses; Gethsemane; arrest, trials, crucifixion….
The Lord Jesus left the church two ordinances to observe until His Second Coming. He left the church the rite or ordinance of Baptism in water, which emphasizes one’s entrance into the church, the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-13), and He left the church the Lord’s Supper, which among other things, emphasizes one’s continuance in the ‘Body of Christ’.
An ordinance (Ecclesiastical) is a symbolic rite that sets forth primary facts of the Christian truth and is universally obligatory on believers. It is usually not considered a conduit of grace but simply a practice commanded by the Lord.
A sacrament is often thought of as being a means of God’s grace—as a worshiper performs a certain religious rite, he or she receives divine blessing, either for salvation or for sanctification.
In other words, a sacrament, at some level, involves a supernatural work of God. An ordinance is simply an act of man in obedience to God.
The Lord’s Supper is a practice that practically every Christian Church follows. It is considered a rite established by Christ Himself, with His specific instructions to continue its observance until He returns. There is however considerable disagreement about the precise nature of this Supper and it’s meaning.
In the New Testament and in common practice various terms are used for the Lord’s Supper, such as the “communion” (1 Cor.10:16), the “Lord’s Table” (10:21) the Eucharist (11:24); the term refers to the thanksgiving that accompanied and characterized the supper. Perhaps the most commonly used term is the “Lord’s Supper,” a term that stresses that He is the host and believers are His guests.
The Scripture passages which deal directly with the Lord’s Supper are: Matthew 26: 26-29;
Mark 14: 22-25; Luke 22: 19-20; 1 Corinthians 10: 15-17 and 11: 23-29. A literal interpretation of these passages shows among other things:
– Jesus himself instituted the Lord’s Supper, and so it is of divine origin.
– Its practice was to be carried on perpetually as a result of Jesus’ direct command.
– Bread and wine were the materials used by Jesus and by the early Church.
– The bread was broken and the wine was poured out.
– The bread and the wine were distributed to those partaking in the Lord’s Supper.
– The Lord’s Supper was held to commemorate the death of Christ and looked forward to His return.
– The bread was representative of Christ’s body and the wine representative of His blood, which were shed to fulfill the ancient promise of a ‘New Covenant’.
– Participation in the Lord’s Supper is for Christians.
There can be serious physical and spiritual danger if one participates in an ‘unworthy’ manner and if the Supper was not conducted in the proper and appropriate way. Due reverence to God for His gift of love should be shown, with a sensitive recognition of God’s presence, the proper sense of our unworthiness and God’s graciousness.
The Supper is a communion / participation / fellowship with Christ and all others present.
Preparation is an essential prelude to the observation of this rite.
The Supper is the only act of worship for which Jesus gave special direction.
The importance of the Lord’s Supper then cannot be over emphasized. Not partaking without an exceptionally good and valid reason, is an act of direct refusal to obey Christ. Churches should provide occasions / opportunities for believers to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
What is the relationship if any between the Lord’s Supper and the Jewish Passover? This last meal Jesus shared with His disciples before He died is traditionally regarded as a Passover Feast. The Gospels make this clear. Even Paul in 1 Corinthians 11: 23-25 described Jesus’ new and distinctive actions which we now call the Lord’s Supper, as taking place “after supper”, indicating that a full meal had already been had. The Gospels clearly state that Jesus and His disciples sat down to have a Passover meal, (Mark 14: 12-16).
The Lord’s Supper is rooted in the Passover. It is interesting that Passover that Jesus celebrated with His disciples was actually the last authorized Passover in the word of God for everything that had been anticipated in the Passover sacrifice and all that it symbolized has come to its fulfillment.
So Jesus now used some of the emblems in the Passover and establish them for use in the Lord’s Supper.
The Jews in the Passover use unleavened bread and so Jesus took it and instituted its use so that we would remember what bread does for the believer. It is intended to remind us of the fact that Jesus gave His body for us and so we will feed on Him the Bread of life.
In addition, the Jewish people when observing Passover used four different glasses of wine leaving a fifth glass of wine untouched for the coming of Elijah. But Jesus used the third glass pointing out that this third glass suggested His blood that was shed for the establishment and institution of the New Covenant. So the use of the wine therefore spoke about the blood that was shed for the foundation of the New Covenant signifying that the Old Covenant was passing away into the New Covenant to be established in Jesus’ blood.
Passover was a memorial sacrifice. Year after year the Jews celebrated the Passover to commemorate that great deliverance from the bondage to Pharaoh. They did it by means of the slaughter of a lamb, a lamb for a family.
In addition, not only was Passover a memorial sacrifice of physical deliverance by way of a penal sacrifice which was the life of a lamb slain, year after year they anticipated a future fulfillment of what they were doing. For them the future held out to them that there would be a time when the Lamb of God would come and deliver them not only from bondage to Pharaoh but from bondage to Satan, sin, and the world. They look to the coming of Elijah the prophet which would tell them that the Messiah would in fact come, and deliver them and so many of them left the empty seat just for that prophet to appear among them. Passover celebration anticipated that future appearance.
In contrast, The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of a spiritual deliverance from a bondage to sin by a penal sacrifice—not of a physical sacrifice, an animal—but by the lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, in the case of the Passover, we have a memorial sacrifice. In the case of the Lord’s Supper, we have a memorial observation of quite a different sort.
One writer state: “The Passover was a memorial of a physical deliverance through sacrifice, the deliverance being from Egypt’s bondage by means of the slain Passover lambs, whose blood was put on the door posts and lintels of the houses of the children of Israel to escape the death of their firstborn sons by the destroying angel. The Lord’s Supper corresponds in a real way to the Passover, for it is the memorial of a spiritual deliverance from the bondage of sin through the slain Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered at the Cross of Calvary. The Passover was an anticipation of the future fulfillment in the coming of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus.”
There is therefore some similarity with the Lord’s Supper. In the case of Passover which anticipated a future fulfillment of what they were doing when they ate the Lamb so did the Lord’s Supper. BUT that fulfillment pointed to in the Lord’s Supper was somewhat different for Jesus commanded that the Lord’s Supper be observed until He comes with the Kingdom.
He will come and set up His Kingdom and we are to celebrate that Lord’s Supper until He comes for the time will come when we will be with Him in the Kingdom of God, and as Isaiah states we will have the Marriage Supper of the Lamb on Mount Zion where He will come and remove the veil that is over all the earth.
So the Lord’s Supper is an anticipated observance that looks toward the future.
Note that the Lord’s Supper was originally done with the inner circle of disciples, those intimately and fully committed to Christ. From this, Christians accept that the Lord’s Supper should be restricted to believers, though Judas appeared to have been present (vs. 21). John 13:30 seems to indicate Judas left before Jesus actually instituted Communion. Even if only in appearance, he was a disciple and soon to be exposed as a traitor. This gives added weight to Paul’s later call for self-examination, thereby stressing that for a person to partake of the Supper in a worthy manner, one not only had to be a believer, but also should be a practicing believer. If this were not the case, that person would be Something for an individual or for separate individuals to practice by themselves in isolation, rather it is something for the ‘functioning’ body of Christ, and not for non-believers.
There is no specific teaching on who should administer the Lord Supper in the Church. Some groups do not limit or restrict who can administer the Lord’s Supper, holding that any believer with the spiritual qualifications to partake of the Supper can administer it for the brethren.
Notice in our Text also a clear demonstration of the sovereignty of God as Jesus prepares the disciples for preparing for the Passover Supper.
Note also that Jesus teaches at this Passover that despite the sovereignty of God and the plan of God there is human responsibility. Jesus declares that it would have been better for the traitorous disciple Judas not to have been born and so we know that there is something coming after death for those who betray Christ. Jesus certainly rules out any annihilation theory or any theory that teaches that there is no hell and everlasting punishment.
Other groups establish a particular form for convenience. Some groups base their practice on whether they believe that certain rites should be restricted to clergy or officers who hold a special position.
Still others believe that the Supper is a Sacrament, which conveys grace and accomplishes the individual’s salvation, and therefore only certain qualified persons can administer the sacraments. The Roman Catholic Church considers the Lord’s supper not simply as a rite but as a Sacrament, for it conveys grace.
Jesus came to fulfill the role symbolized by the Passover rite. He was the Paschal Lamb. The Supper is then first and foremost a remembrance of Christ’s death as that climatic event, which brought about the promise of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God. It deals with the past and with the fact of the removal of the penalty of sin. This is why Paul said “for as often as you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim His death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).
Note the focus at the Lord’s Supper is on what happened to Christ and what Christ did. It does not focus on anything else apart from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not set up to let us recite the specific things, other things, that God has done for us.
The Supper therefore forces deep and critical self-examination on believers, so that a vital relationship with Christ will continue without interruption. It is to be a constant proclamation that the crucified Christ has been resurrected and will one day return.
These matters must not be allowed to slip from our conscious mind. We must frequently reflect on their truths, so that believers will live in a constant state of preparedness and partake with the brethren, in total and continuing unity.
THE TEXT
Verse 17. … first day of Unleavened Bread … this would be the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and all necessary preparations would have been completed on this day. The Supper would be observed after sunset, technically on Nissan14 according to Jewish reckoning.The sacrificial (paschal) lamb, was on occasion called the ‘passover’ and must be killed on this day, (Exodus 12). There were particular instructions regarding the preparation of the lamb, the main course of the Passover Supper and here Jesus referred to the Lamb as the ‘passover’, as opposed to the Feast itself. There can be no doubt that Jesus fully intended to observe the Passover in its entirety…. that thou mayest eat the passover?
Note the concept of preparation is prominent in the lead up to the Supper as we see in this verse.
It was at Jesus’ direct command and preparation will subsequently become an important aspect of the Lord’s Supper as we observe it today. We too must prepare to enjoy this supper.
… where do You want us … the disciples’ question showed that they did not know where the Passover was to be held or what preparations had been made. It is Peter and John, two of the most intimate of the disciples who were sent to handle the preparations. They were not told the location of the housewhere they were to gather, but were to discern that by a set of circumstances, all of which were somewhat out of the ordinary.
A location had to be found. This was no small thing for thousands of pilgrims were in Jerusalem looking for a suitable place to celebrate the Passover. Point, the Lord will provide a place and a means to get to know Him and what His person, death, and life mean to us if we are available.
– The site had to be made ready. It had to be cleansed or purified.
– A lamb had to be selected, taken to the temple, examined, sacrificed, and roasted.
– The other food items had to be provided, the bitter herbs, the bread, the sauce, and the wine.
The lesson here is that for effective and meaningful worship to occur, worship that is not merely lip service, there must be, by the very nature of worship, the proper preparation both physically and spiritually. As the Lord told the woman at the well, “God is spirit, and those that worship Him, must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
Note, The Lord provided the necessities for this time of fellowship and worship.
Verse 18. … to a certain man … some speculate that Jesus had made some prior arrangement but there is nothing in the Text to support this view and the circumstances of the time, at a particular place and the unusual sight of a man carrying water all seem peculiar for something prearranged.
Contrary to this thought, we have here an instance of the supernatural foresight of the Lord. It was the providence of God that the man, left home with the pitcher at exactly that moment, returned at a similarly appointed hour and stopped for a few seconds at the specific corner where he was met and engaged by Peter and John; keep in mind the city is overflowing with pilgrims!
… and say to him … notice the detailed instructions given to the disciples, including exactly what they should say to the homeowner. This will be a test of their faith and an indication that acceptable faith will produce obedience. One writer comment:
“Christ could have described the house to them; probably it was a house they knew, and he might have said no more than, Go to such a one’s house, or to a house in such a street, with such a sign, But he directed them thus, to teach them to depend upon the conduct of Providence, and to follow that, step by step. They went, not knowing whither they went, nor whom they followed. Being come to the house, they must desire the master of the house to show them a room and he will readily do it….”
… . The disciples did as Jesus had directed them… and found their guide, and the house and the room, just as Jesus had said to them.
Note, those who go on Jesus’ words and according to the orders He gives them, need not fear disappointment! The Lord provided the necessities for this time of fellowship and worship.
Verse 20. Jesus’ attention to the details of the Law was precise, they assembled and sat down at the prescribed hour. No angel or fastidious Jew could rightly accuse the Him of any omission regarding His observance of its edicts.
… reclining at the table … the custom was to recline around a low table and eat from that position. The table was generally U shaped, the guests would recline on their left sides on cushions with heads toward and feet away and eat from the table with their right arm.
Judas was in the party; it appears after he made his bargain with the chief priests, scribes, and elders, he returned and took his place with the rest of the disciples, both to cover his sin and to wait for the best opportunity to betray the Master.
Note, it is possible that those whose hearts are filled with Satan, can and do continue a plausible profession of religion, active in the performance of its external services; while sin lurks in the heart. Though Judas was already guilty of an overt act of treason, it was not yet known to the other disciples and so Jesus admitted him to sit down with the rest at the Passover.
Verse 21. Luke 22:15 tells us Jesus said: I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; The disciples might have been in a festive moodgiven the significance of the occasion to every Jew but Jesus’ mood was probably sombre.
We are told in Luke’s gospel that Jesus’ desire to eat this Passover with them flowed from several sources. There is an emphasis on ‘with you’, and this speaks to His humanity; His love for them, the companionship and fellowship they shared;
How appropriate that this His last Passover should be with those whom He loved and those that loved Him.
This occasion with His friends should have provided some comfort, some solace, it should have been a cushion for Him before His sufferings.
On another plane, His strong desire laid in the fact that this was the last Passover, a prelude to; the inception of the New Covenant; His sufferings and death on the Cross, whereby God’s Justice would be satisfied, the law would be fulfilled, sin atoned for, and the salvation of His elect secured. The end of His earthly mission was in sight, this meal would precipitate the final phase and thus His strong desire.
The eager anticipation of our Lord also related largely to the achievement of God’s purposes, and also to the association He has with God’s people at this meal. This then was an important event for Jesus, for as one writer puts it: “This was not the beginning of the end, it is the beginning of the beginning.”
… One of you will betray me… Mark adds: one who is eating with Me; a bombshell! The festive mood was shattered as Jesus pointed out that one of them would betray Him.
Jesus’ words revealed that the secret plot against His life was no secret to Him. Throughout the story of His arrest, trials, and death, Jesus is in control of events, willingly submitting and never taken by surprise (Mark 14:35–38; John 19:11). Repeatedly He warned of His death (Mark 8:31; 9:30–32; 10:32–34). Now He mentions a betrayal and in this way, He again enters into the fullness of human experience, sparing himself no pain that can be experienced by a person (Phil. 2:8).
Verse 22. … Being deeply grieved…the disciples were obviously downcast at the possibility that one of them would betray Jesus and each tried to maintain their innocence. We may be sure that Judas himself maintained his innocence so as not to draw suspicion.
After Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Son of God, the Lord had begun to reveal that He would be rejected by the Jewish leaders, suffer, and be killed (Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:22). This is the first time, however, that they had heard Him say “one of you shall betray me”. Jesus’ comments hit the group hard. They never dreamed that the cancer of betrayal could infiltrate their group. Judas conducted his charade so flawlessly that no one suspected him.
… Lord, is it I? … out of emotional anguish and with personal urgency, each asked the question.
Judas had already arranged to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16), but none of the other disciples suspected him.
– Each man trusted the others, so the only place to look was inward.
– Each one wondered if some fatal character flaw would be exposed to his own shame and disgrace.
– Still, each one worded the question with the expectation that Jesus would answer in the negative.
Verse 23. … He who dipped his hand with Me … could refer to anyone in the room, for all of them were sharing in that activity during the evening meal.
Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question leaves all uncertain. Sharing the Passover meal at a common table, they all dip pieces of unleavened bread in the common bowls. John 13:26–30 makes clear who the traitor is, but Mark’s account seems to underline the idea that all of them were potential betrayers.
The phrase speaks more to the base and depraved nature of the act; it was done by someone that ate with Him; a friend! This is the issue with betrayal; it is done by a trusted friend.
Incongruous as it may seem, in this atmosphere of anticipation, preparation and solemn worship and remembrance, Satan’s relentless activity to thwart the mission of Christ is revealed; as we learn of the insidious plot of the religious authorities to murder Jesus. Judas ‘one of the twelve’ infiltrated by Satan and now totally under his control, will be the agent of this treachery, as he consented, threw in his lot with theconspirators and actively sought opportunity to betray Jesus.
… is the one who will betray Me … Jesus reemphasized that the betrayal would indeed come from within their group.
Clearly, this defection to Satan was not a sudden or spontaneous act on the part of Judas, for the Devil had long ago established a ‘beachhead’ in his life. Despite his continuance in the company and fellowship of Jesus and the disciples, the sin he nurtured in his heart had inevitably come to fruition in the betrayal of the Master.
The question of what exactly was Judas’ motive is intriguing but whatever the speculation the Bible does not give any support to the idea that there was anything praiseworthy in Judas’ behaviour. Satan is always looking for willing accomplices and Judas made himself available!
It is noteworthy that both Luke and Paul included Jesus’ betrayal as a backdrop to their recording of and teaching on the institution of the Lord’s Supper. This should be a warning to all believers of the unrelenting attempts of Satan to infiltrate their lives, even in the most solemn assembles of worship and communion with God.
Verse 24. …The Son of man indeed goeth, … Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of man more than eighty times in the Gospels. It appears that He used the phrase to connect His work to the figure in the vision of the prophet Daniel. There “one like the Son of man” establishes God’s rule and destroys the evil kingdoms that have dominated His people (Daniel 7:13, 14).
The phrase underlines Jesus’ authority and power as well as His humanity and humility
(Philippians 2:6–11). Nearer the beginning of His ministry, Jesus used the phrase primarily when asserting His authority as the divine king (Mark 2:10, 11, 28). But after Peter confessed Him to be the Christ, Jesus began to use the phrase to warn of His coming suffering and death (8:31; 9:12, 31; 10:33, 34, 45).
…as it is written of him… Those predictions are about to be realized. This is in keeping with the prophets who spoke of one who was to be rejected and suffer as God’s servant (Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Zechariah 13:7). This, says Jesus repeatedly, is the climax and fulfillment of God’s plan.
The stress is clearly on affirming the sovereignty of God. It had been established and stated in the Word of God. God sovereignly established the plan of salvation in eternity past and Jesus had already been slain before the foundation of the world.
Jesus acknowledged His willing intent to fulfill God’s plan as it is written of him in the Old Testament (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22). He never dodged the work of giving His life to pay sin’s price for our eternal salvation.
… But woe to that man… Note that Jesus also affirmed the responsibility of man as well as the sovereignty of God. There was a woe to that man by whom the Son of man would be betrayed.
God’s purpose does not absolve the betrayer of guilt (Acts 1:15–25).
Judas was not compelled by God to do what God’s plan required. Even so, the all-knowing, all-powerful God can use Judas’s evil act for good (Genesis 50:20). The betrayer, like all humans, remains fully responsible for his actions and so fully subject to God’s judgment.
But that holy judgment stands alongside God’s loving mercy. One disciple will betray Jesus and eleven will abandon Him (Mark 14:27–31, 50). Those willing to receive His mercy can be welcomed back—and will be after the resurrection (Mark 16:7). The faithful are those who seek and receive Christ’s forgiveness, (Mark 2:17).
..if he had not been born … note the import of this statement as it touches the doctrine of eternal punishment of those that are finally impenitent.
One writer comment: “He knows that His destiny, by the design of God, is to be the victim of betrayal. However, the sovereignty of God and the foreknowledge of Jesus neither leave the betrayer without choice nor get him off the hook. If he follows through and betrays Jesus, he would face a fate worse than death, which presumably into his judgment after death. Therefore, Jesus says, it would have been better if the betrayer hadn’t been born. Jesus, without fingering anyone, shares his prediction of betrayal and warns of the consequences, presumably to give the betrayer an opportunity to repent.”
Verse 25. … Surely it is not I, Rabbi?… Judas maintained his charade of loyalty to the very end. Knowing full well that he was the one, he still asked, is it I?
His hypocritical question again stresses the awfulness of Judas’ action in betraying Jesus. He might have felt pressure to repeat the question that the other disciples asked, or else he would have given himself away by his silence.
…Rabbi… was a respectful title but notice, the other disciples called Jesus “Lord” (v. 22). Perhaps the different title suggested that Judas viewed Jesus differently from the other disciples.
Interestingly, in 1 Corinthians 12:3 Paul writes: “No man can call Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Now that is a text that teaches, the efficacious grace of God. It does not mean, of course that a man may not utter the word, Lord. Many people utter the word, Lord. What is meant by that passage is, call him Lord, in the sense of acknowledging him as Lord and Savior. No man can call Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
…You have said it yourself… gives the sense of Jesus’ response. Jesus’ reply here was sufficiently vague to lead the other disciples to conclude that Judas was not guilty, but Judas knew otherwise.
In true prophetic fashion, Jesus threw off the cover to reveal Judas’s wicked betrayal. If Judas thought he had successfully hidden his evil work, he found out what he should have known all along: nothing can be hidden from the Lord.
But the Lord’s reply fell on deaf ears. Although Jesus made it clear to Judas that He knew about the nefarious plan, Judas would betray Him anyway. The chief priests and elders had previously planned to wait until after the weeklong feast in order to avoid any riots (Matthew 26:5). Perhaps Judas, feeling exposed, accelerated his plans to betray Jesus that very night (26:45–47).
Judas then left the room (John 13:30).
The Lord’s Supper (vs. 26 – 29)
Verse 26. … Jesus took some bread … specifically the unleavened bread on the table before Him (Exod. 12:15; 13:3, 7; Deut. 16:3),
…after a blessing… the blessing Jesus pronounced was a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the bread, not a consecration of the bread itself. A traditional prayer that many Jews used when thanking God for food was: “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
… He broke it and gave it to the disciples … distributed it among the disciples and instructed them to eat it, with the words: “this is My body.” Jesus’ distribution of the bread to the disciples was more significant than His breaking of the bread. They all ate from a common loaf!
… Take, eat;This is my body… meant the bread represented His body (Luke 12:1; John 6:32-35). The disciples could hardly have eaten the literal flesh of Jesus since He was standing among them. Moreover, this would be something abhorrent to Jews (Lev. 3:17; 7:26-27; 17:10-14; John 6).
His disciples would need to partake of Him personally in a spiritual sense. Just as one needed physical sustenance to live they would need to ingest all that Jesus’ life represented in order to live in the spiritual sense.
The Israelites associated their redemption from Egypt with eating the Passover meal. Now Jesus’ disciples were to associate their redemption with His life, symbolized in this similar meal.
Verses 27 – 28. The Jews shared four cups of wine at different points in the Supper; it was at the 3rd cup (the cup of blessing – 1 Cor. 10:16) that Jesus had them share the wine.
They drank from the same cup!
… My blood… violent, sacrificial death (Gen. 4:10; 37:26)
… of the covenant … the New Covenant – “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more…” (Jer. 31:34).
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it as the people listened; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has [d]made with you [e]in accordance with all these words.” (Ex. 24:7-8).
Blood ratified the Old Covenant
… being poured out…as that of a sacrificial animal (Leviticus 4:7; 1 Peter 1:18, 19) confirms the sacrificial nature of His death. Thus did Jesus frame His looming death in terms that remind us of God’s promise in Isaiah 53:11, 12.
Jesus revealed that the sacrificial death that He was about to die would ratify (make valid) a covenant (Gr. diatheke). Similarly, the sacrificial death of animals had originally ratified the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants with Abraham and Moses (Gen. Gen. 15:9-10; Exod. 24:8). In all cases, blood symbolized the life of the substitute sacrifice (Lev. 17:11).
The blood of Jesus did not just signify life poured out, but life poured out in a sacrificial death. Jeremiah prophesied that God would make a new covenant with the Jews in the future (Jer. 31:31-34; 32:37-40; cf. Exod. 24:8; Luke 22:20). When Jesus died, His blood ratified that covenant. This upper room meal memorialized the ratification of that covenant. Messiah saved His people from their sins by His sacrificial death (1:21). The resulting relationship between God and His people is a covenant relationship.
At this point the symbols and elements (bread and wine) of the Passover were reinvested with new meaning, in the light of what Jesus was about to accomplish by His death on Calvary. The unleavened bread pertains to the earthly body / sinless life of the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21) and the wine is a visual symbol of His shed blood and violent death, as the divine provision for the forgiveness of men’s sin.
Further, these symbolic acts established the New Covenant between God and men. This is the New Covenant which was prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 31:31-34), and which Paul insisted in the book of Romans was a Promise and a Covenant made to Israel.
While the blood of the Passover lamb sufficed to withhold the judgment of God for a time, the blood of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus, actually took away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
This act of worship is to be done in remembrance of Christ. In His absence, the Lord desires all believers to continually remember Him in the fullness of the benefits of His life and death.
So what should be the frequency of the observance? This passage along with 1 Corinthians 11:26 and the practice of the early Christians, all point to the necessity of repetition. Clearly there is to be more than a once yearly observance. There is to be a constant and dramatic display of Christ’s death and its accomplishments.
During Jesus’ time, groups of pilgrims slew their lambs at the Jerusalem Temple, where the blood was be sprinkled on the altar. Then they went to celebrate the meal with their families or other companions in groups of at least ten people. Despite the lamb’s centrality to this feast, the bread and ‘fruit of the vine’ play much larger roles in the accounts of Jesus’ last supper (Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–38; contrast John 13:1–30). The symbolism of the animal’s absence from the story should not be lost on us. As our lesson begins, the sacrifice was already present.
Verse 29. As the first Passover looked forward to deliverance and settlement in the Promised Land, so the Lord’s Supper looked forward to deliverance and settlement in the promised earthly kingdom.
Disciples are to observe the Lord’s Supper only until He returns (1 Cor. 11:26). Then we will enjoy the messianic banquet together with our Savior and King (Isa. 25:6; Matt. 8:11). Thus, the Lord’s Supper is an “appetizer of the eschatological banquet.
… until that day when I drink it with you, new, …by referring to drinking the wine (“fruit of the vine”) “new” (Gr. kainon, i.e., new in a qualitatively different way), Jesus meant that He and the disciples would experience the joy of the messianic banquet and earthly kingdom. This was in keeping with various depictions of God’s kingdom being or centering around a feast (Isaiah 24:23; 25:6–8; Matthew 22:1–14; Luke 13:29; Revelation 19:7–9).
Verse 30. And when they had sung a hymn, …the Passover meal ended with singing, traditionally from the Hallel, Psalms 113–118. These songs extol the Lord as the one true God of all the nations, among other praises.
The mount of Olives lay to the east of Jerusalem. Its elevation gave an excellent view of the city, including the temple. It was here, specifically at Gethsemane, that Jesus would be betrayed and His disciples scattered (Matthew 26:36, 47–56). He then faced the trials that sent Him to His death on the cross (26:57–68; 27:11–26).
CONCLUSION
Jesus knew that His whole life pointed to a final Passover that would be an act of ultimate obedience. He would be preparing Himself to fulfill His mission as the perfect Passover Lamb (John 1:29;
1 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 5:12; 13:8). His life was given in sacrifice for the sins of God’s people, washing us clean in His blood, so that our sins are forgiven, never to be brought against us. One last Passover with His closest friends would mark the beginning of a new Lord’s Supper that galvanizes Christian worship to this day.
Themes of remembrance and thanksgiving have united Christians worldwide for nearly two-thousand years in a practice that honors our crucified Lord. All Christians are given opportunity to remember God’s miraculous salvation—with a new ceremonial meal shared by a new family. We participate together, knowing that we are part of a body in a new covenant with God, forgiven of sins through the body and blood of Jesus. What the prophets dreamed of is the life that we today have been given in Christ.
At the same time, we long for the ultimate coming of the Father’s kingdom when we will sit at the table with Jesus himself. We live in anticipation of this joy. Every bite of bread or sip of the fruit of the vine connects us to the past, present, and future of God’s story.
So think carefully about what this meeting with the disciples meant. It meant that God was working in the history of the world and everything has been prepared this Passover night so that Jesus would celebrate the Passover and face His humiliation and death.
God was working to bring His plan to completion.
You should anticipate what God will do for you for God is at work in your life as well as He was working in the life of the disciples.
The Paschal Lamb had to be slain because there was a spy in the midst of the people of God working against the others.. So Jesus had to change what Passover meant to the disciples and He had to have had new meaning to the celebration and add a new kind of freedom to the story with the symbols not only pointed to forgiveness from sin, freedom from slavery that made the disciples ask, Is it I, Lord, and to shift us from questioning ourselves to trusting in God. Jesus’s words were something troubling to the disciples who were worried that they would fall short. But Jesus at this meal invited the disciples to trust in Him, and to sense that God had called them. He would be their guide. Even when disciples were faithless, He is faithful and He, the Paschal Lamb will redeem and restore