THEN CAME THE day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
9“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
10He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.”
13They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Original Meaning
NOW JESUS TAKES control of events.1 He sends his disciples to prepare to celebrate the festal meal of the Passover at a house that is ready to host them. Note how Jesus continues to celebrate the festivals of the Jewish faith right until the end. Nothing about his piety in worshiping God can be challenged.
Peter and John go to find the place Jesus designates—one group of thousands looking for a place in Jerusalem to hold the meal. Peter and John must not only obtain a locale, but also secure the lamb for the sacrifice and pick up the bitter herbs and unleavened bread that are part of the meal.2
What is unusual about this instruction is the detail that comes with it. Jesus tells them to look for a man carrying a water jar, who will lead them to a house. They must ask the owner where the “guest room” is where the Teacher can hold the Passover meal. The owner will show them a large, upper room, already furnished,3 probably with reclining couches. The details given may reflect that some type of prearrangement is in place, since Matthew 26:18 suggests that the host knows who this “Teacher” is. The mood of this text is like events in the Old Testament, where divine direction and provision are at work (1 Sam. 10:2–8). The disciples go and find things just as Jesus has told them (v. 13). What he says can be trusted. Peter and John prepare the Passover, proving themselves faithful.
Luke 22:14–20 describes one of the most famous moments in Jesus’ ministry.4 It occurs during the fifth of seven meal scenes in Luke (5:29–32; 7:36–50; 9:12–17; 10:38–42; 11:37–54; 14:1–24; 24:28–32; 24:36–42). Such intimate events are the context for much of Jesus’ teaching, which can be characterized as “table talk.” The meal is also known as the Last Supper, and it forms the basis of the Lord’s Supper. The background of the meal is likely a Passover meal, though others express uncertainty about this conclusion.5
The disciples honor the traditional commitment to hold the feast in the city (2 Chron. 35:18). The meal serves as the occasion of Jesus’ last testament. Greeks would recognize the scene as a symposium, where a teacher of wisdom shares his thoughts with his followers; but a Jewish background in terms of a farewell scene also exist. The two forms are not contradictory to each other; they merely highlight different themes. The hour comes for Jesus to recline at the table and share this final meal with his disciples. He notes how he has “eagerly desired” (a Semitic expression indicating great emotion) to celebrate this meal before he suffers. The mention of approaching suffering adds pathos to what follows.
Jesus will not celebrate this meal until “it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Jesus has in mind here the fulfillment of the kingdom in the consummation. At that time a meal like the Passover will celebrate the completion of the promise. Jesus longs for that moment, but until then, this is the last such celebration he will engage in.
Luke alone notes two cups, the first of which appears in verse 17. The Jewish Passover meal came in four courses. This remark probably alludes to the first or second cup, since Jesus’ remarks about sacrifice in a later cup (v. 20) fit best with the third portion of the meal. Jesus again announces that he will not taste of the fruit of the vine until the banquet celebration when the consummated kingdom arrives (v. 18). The disciples become aware that the end of Jesus’ ministry with them is near. This will be the last moment of sustained shared fellowship with him for some time. The remarks with the bread and the cup indicate this.
But his death means far more than the end of his ministry.6 The “bread” Jesus takes is a part of the third course of the meal, eaten along with the lamb and bitter herbs. Jesus makes a fresh symbol out of the bread in light of his death. He takes it, gives thanks, breaks it, and passes it around the table. “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In that moment the Jewish meal becomes christianized, a memorial act in memory and proclamation of Jesus’ death (1 Cor. 11:23–26). The bread symbolizes the broken body of Jesus offered on behalf of his community.
The call to “remember” is Jewish, which the nation did annually in the Passover as they looked back at the Exodus. Such recalling solidifies a community’s identity by taking them back to their roots, to events that forged who they have now become. It gives them a chance, as one body, to reaffirm what God has done for them. The sacrifice he offers and the symbolism in which they share recalls the Hebrew concept of zikron, where something is to cling to the memory (Ex. 2:24; 12:14; 13:9; Lev. 24:7; Num. 5:15; 10:9–10; Ps. 20:3; Ezek. 21:23).7 This meal is like a new start.
Thanksgiving to God for the bread is also thanksgiving for the offering that clears the way for a relationship to God. Exactly how Jesus’ body is offered for them is not specified here. Acts 20:28 suggests how Luke saw this, while Romans 3:21–31; 5:6–8; and 1 Corinthians 10:16 show how Paul viewed it. In Acts Luke uses the imagery of purchasing, the securing of a relationship with God through the shedding of innocent blood as a payment for sin. The connection with the Passover at this meal also suggests the image of a substitutionary sacrifice, imagery Paul makes use of. The Passover was a time when judgment came to the Egyptians in the death of their firstborn, but Israel’s firstborn were “passed over” and spared the judgment because blood of a lamb was placed on the lintel of the door at their homes. Jesus now becomes the symbol of such protection.
Jesus goes on to refer to the cup as “the new covenant in my blood.” The reference to blood looks at Jesus’ coming sacrifice as that which inaugurates the covenantal provision that the disciples will benefit from as a result of Jesus’ death. The new covenant is a major theme in the New Testament (Jer. 31:31; Matt. 26:28; 2 Cor. 3–4; Heb. 8–10). In it are the promise of forgiveness of sins and the enabling power of God’s Spirit, expressed as the law written on the heart—a theme the 2 Corinthians passage develops in detail. Jesus’ blood shed for them clears the way for the distribution of the blessings of this covenant (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:14–39; Heb. 8–10) and opens up a new era of God’s blessing.
In sum, the meal and its memorialization commemorates and declares Jesus’ sacrificial death. To share in this meal in the future is to affirm the relationship established by what Jesus is about to do. The meal affirms an intimate oneness between Jesus and those who identify with his death.
Bridging Contexts
THE MOOD OF the passage is the key bridge. Everything about this event reflects the calmness of Jesus and the control of God present in the activity. Jesus directs all the activity, knowing how each detail will fall into place. Though the Passover meal is being celebrated, in another sense the Passover Lamb is preparing to offer himself after this one last meal with his disciples. Nothing catches him by surprise. The disciples faithfully follow the instructions of their teacher. He, in turn, leads by example, trusting that the Father will lead him to complete his course.
Two attitudes are central: God’s sovereignty and Jesus’ faithfulness displayed in the face of it. Jesus walks into Jerusalem, fully aware of what is about to take place and that God has brought him here to meet his departure. He meets his call with a total commitment to walk in God’s way. We often face situations where God’s sovereignty calls us to walk a path where he is clearly leading, though the outcome, unlike this situation in Jesus’ life, may be unclear. Anyone who has faced the prospect of relocation understands what it is like to ask the Lord to show his direction, so that the ministry God desires can take place. The direction is usually not as clear for us as it was for Jesus. But God calls us to seek his face and direction in the midst of the questions, so that he makes his will known through forces often outside our control. We can follow his lead as Jesus does here.
The importance of celebration and remembrance, even of table fellowship in the church, is often underestimated, especially in traditions where the word is paramount and liturgy is de-emphasized. However, something significant is in view here. The disciples as a community are about to share a meal whose roots are centuries old. They gather together to reflect on what God has done and is about to do. Sometimes the complaint goes up that meeting together for a meal is not real fellowship, but when a group meets together to share God’s goodness and activity, then something spiritual and bonding does take place. Part of the reason Jesus commanded this meal to be observed after his departure is that it connects us anew with him and reaffirms our connection to each other (1 Cor. 10:16).
This final meal sets the basis for the Lord’s table as celebrated in the church. The major difference between this meal and those that follow is that where the Last Supper is prospective, anticipating Jesus’ sacrifice, the meal the church celebrates is retrospective, looking back to that death. First Corinthians 11:26 gives a type of timeless quality to the meal: It looks back to the Lord’s death and looks forward to his return. The celebration of the meal links our present relationship with Christ with the past and future presence of Jesus. Since it is his supper, we reflect on his death for us at Calvary and his return for us in glory. In one moment, the great events of salvation are chained together in solemn celebration. Eternity touches time, and we are the beneficiaries of a rare moment of fellowship. Thus this meal establishes an important link in the church’s worship of her Lord. There is no more fundamental reminder of God’s grace than to recall how our relationship to God was procured.
Also fundamental in the teaching of this text are the short notes about how Jesus’ death was for us, that is, for our benefit. Luke does not explain in detail why Jesus died for us; that emphasis appears later in the New Testament (Rom. 3:21–31; 1 Peter 2:21–25; Rev. 4–5). Luke prefers to focus on who Jesus is and how he has the power to bring victory. But this text and Acts 20:28 show that he is aware that a divine transaction took place on the cross. What we could not do for ourselves, God did for us through his Son. Giving a life in order that many might gain life is the consummate act of God’s love. This is the message of the Lord’s Supper that calls us to remember this unique moment in history.
This supper is a major moment of fellowship that the Lord had with his disciples before departing. It also is a meal he wants repeatedly celebrated as a reminder of what he accomplished on the cross. With it comes an attitude of expectation about his return. This meal with all it signifies was never meant to be just another aspect of the worship service. As one of the few designated rites in the church, its special place has always been marked out.
This is especially the case given the dual affirmation of the meal: We proclaim both the Lord’s death and our community oneness with fellow celebrants at the table. This combination was designed to drive us to act in a way that affirms what we share so fundamentally through Jesus’ death. That reminder is a healthy one, even as we recall what this meal is all about. The church is not ours, but his. Our life is not ours, but his. Our relationship to one another is not an accident, but a product of great design and cost. That theological reality should cause us to relate to each other with great sensitivity.
Contemporary Significance
JESUS IS DEDICATED to the way and will of God. Facing betrayal and death, he calmly leads his disciples into the celebration of God’s goodness in salvation. Though he will soon go to the cross and experience rejection, he leads his disciples in worship and reminds them of their call to follow in his steps. There is something almost eerie about his calm in this event. The juxtaposition of mood may say something about the nature of trust. Jesus rests in the knowledge that God cares for him. There will be moments in which tensions and anxieties are expressed to God through prayer, but at the base there is a sense of God’s being in control and of Jesus’ awareness of what is going on.
All of this is reassuring to those who read Luke’s account. God’s control even in the midst of dire circumstances is important to recall as we face the painful circumstances of our own lives. Though our modern difficult circumstances may not involve martyrdom, there are moments where we or others face desperate circumstances. We may struggle with God’s activity in our lives or we may have a breakdown in major relationships. Perhaps we are suffering from health problems that cause us to turn more fervently to God. The way in which Jesus faced the ultimate end of his ministry is not unlike coming to grips with the hard curves that often throw trauma into our lives. Granted the example is Jesus, but his trust and calm in the face of what is ahead reveals a deep trust in the direction God leads.
As Jesus takes this journey, he will look to God and respond with an absence of defensiveness. All of that can be done because he understands God’s care for him in the midst of the turmoil about him. Though he will share the trauma of his heart in prayer at Gethsemane, in all other situations he reflects calmly God’s presence in the midst of what was going on. Through prayer and supplication, Jesus lets his requests be made known to God, and God’s peace serves to guard him. At the base of his assurance stands the God who is represented in the meal he is sharing with his disciples, a God who provides for the deliverance that really counts when all else seems awry.
In a real way, the application of this text about the Last Supper meets us in the celebration of the meal that emerges from this solemn moment. It is perhaps a great tragedy in the church that this meal often gets relegated to a minor role in the church’s worship. Many observances of the Lord’s table are relegated to a quick addition to a service, observed once a quarter or even less. This supper was never designed to be a “tacked on” element of worship. Though we are not told how often to observe it, there can be no doubt that the call to engage in this meal as an act of remembrance was designed to bring believers together regularly to share as a unified body in the reflection and proclamation it represents. One can make a strong case for observing the meal more often than once or twice a year. John Calvin made the same complaint centuries ago:
What we have so far said of the Sacrament abundantly shows that it was not ordained to be received only once a year—and that, too, perfunctorily, as now is the usual custom. Rather, it was ordained to be frequently used among all Christians in order that they might frequently return in memory to the Christ’s Passion, by such remembrance to sustain and strengthen their faith, and urge themselves to sing thanksgiving to God and to proclaim his goodness; finally, by it to nourish mutual love, and among themselves give witness to this love, and discern its bond in the unity of Christ’s body. For as often as we partake of the symbol of the Lord’s body, as a token given and received, we reciprocally bind ourselves to all the duties of love in order that none of us may permit anything that can harm our brother, or overlook anything that can help him, where necessity demands and ability suffices.8
In the Lord’s Supper, we acknowledge the presence of our Lord, his death, and his coming again. Sharing in the elements together, we affirm our oneness before him and our submission to him, and we recall how we came to receive such grace. The benefit of such reflection, done carefully, is that we are refocused on that which unites us in faith and on the central truths that make the church different from any other organization. By taking part in this meal, we make a public statement more powerful than uttering a creed. For in the partaking is the recognition that our very sustenance and life comes from him.
The table becomes an act that sustains our unity by drawing around the One who made us his body. In it are brought together sacrifice and promise, as he becomes the Lamb who brings the new covenant (cf. 1 Cor. 5:7). God’s presence and enablement are within us through the Spirit. Jesus left so that another helper could come (John 14–16). That exchange is also represented in the table. Our call is to respond to what that sacrifice made possible.
Jesus’ sacrifice reminds us that our response to him should be the sacrifice of a life honoring to him and drawing on the resources the new covenant (Rom. 8:1–17; 12:1–2). The spiritual service of worship involves more than sharing in the elements of his death, for his death means a new life for us. So the ultimate application of sharing at his table is to serve him faithfully with the new life he obtains for us. We should therefore celebrate with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth and shed malice and wickedness (1 Cor 5:7–8). The ultimate commemoration of the Lord’s table is a righteous life. If new life comes through his death, new life is what should be manifested in response.