Last Supper

Summary

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. | 26-28

It was time for the celebration of Passover, and as a Jewish man with Jewish disciples, Jesus did the same. This Passover meal had a twist. Instead of simply looking back to the suffering of Israel, Jesus pointed forward to His own suffering at the cross. Instead of celebrating victory over the Egyptians, He said it was one in the room who would betray Him. And then, he took the cup of redemption, meant to celebrate the blood of the lamb that painted the doorway, and He told them it was His blood. Jesus used this highly symbolic night to connect the History of Israel to Himself. To show that God’s redemption was not just something that He had done, but it was a process that was being worked out right in front of them. He then points them forward to life after the cross, showing them what it means to live out redemption.

---