14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:14-20 KJV)
Institution of the Lord’s Supper
When the hour came, Jesus sat down with the twelve apostles (Luke 22:14), Judas included. It is possible for people with evil in their hearts to maintain a credible outward profession of religion and be found participating in its practices. Though Judas had already committed an act of treason, since it was not publicly known, Christ allowed him to take part. Jesus welcomed this Passover with deep longing (Luke 22:15): “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
He desired it because it marked the beginning of His suffering, which would glorify the Father and redeem mankind. He found joy in fulfilling the will of God, even in this painful part. He loved His disciples and wanted this final moment with them. Sharing this Passover with them before His suffering would strengthen Him for what lay ahead. In the same way, our gospel Passover—when eaten by faith with Christ—is a powerful preparation for suffering, trials, and death.
He then took leave of all Passovers, signaling the end of ceremonial law, of which the Passover was among the most prominent (Luke 22:16): “I will not eat of it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
It was fulfilled when Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7), and the shadow was replaced by the substance. It was fulfilled in the Lord’s Supper, the gospel ordinance that succeeded it, in which the disciples continued to commemorate Christ’s redemption (Acts 2:42, 46). In a spiritual sense, Christ was present and communed with them (Revelation 3:20). But the full realization of that redemption will come in the kingdom of glory, when all of God’s people are set free from sin and death and enter their eternal inheritance.
He repeated this, referring to the Passover wine—the final cup in the meal, which the company shared. He gave thanks, then said (Luke 22:17): “Take this and divide it among yourselves.”
This is not said of the sacramental cup, which Christ likely handed to each disciple individually to show the personal application of it. But the old cup, being abolished, is simply shared among them. He added (Luke 22:18): “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
When the Holy Spirit would be poured out, they would commemorate an even greater redemption. The kingdom of God was so near that they would not need to drink or eat again before it came. Christ’s death the next day would open the way. Just as Christ gladly exchanged the old feasts for new gospel ordinances, Christians may, at death, cheerfully exchange sacraments for the eternal feast.
The institution of the Lord’s Supper followed (Luke 22:19-20). The Passover and Israel’s deliverance from Egypt pointed forward to Christ, who by His death would free us from sin, death, and Satan. But now, the Lord’s Supper commemorates Christ already come and crucified. His death is central in this ordinance.
The breaking of Christ’s body as our sacrifice is remembered through the breaking of bread. The sacrifices under the law were called “the bread of our God” (Leviticus 21:6, 8, 17). Jesus said, “This is my body, which is given for you.”
A feast is instituted upon that sacrifice, in which we apply it to ourselves and find spiritual nourishment. This bread given for us is now given to us. Nothing feeds the soul like the truth that Christ made atonement for sin, and the assurance that we share in it. We do this in remembrance of Him—both of what He did for us and of our part in Him, much like the stone Joshua set up as a witness (Joshua 24:27).
The cup symbolizes Christ’s blood, which made atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). The wine in the cup is the token of the New Testament, made with us through His blood. It reminds us that Christ’s death purchased the covenant, and confirms the promises that are all “Yes” in Him. This truth refreshes and revives us, like wine gladdens the heart. As we remember the shedding of His blood, we must see it as shed for us—we needed it, we trust in it, and we expect to benefit from it. Christ “loved me and gave Himself for me.” And as we consider the New Testament, we must remember it was the blood of Christ that brought it into effect and guarantees all its promises. Without His blood, there would be no New Testament; and without the New Testament, we would never grasp the meaning of His blood shed for us.