The Lord's Supper

The Lord’s Supper…this was the New Covenant, salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. 

God gave everything so we could be saved!

Matthew 26:26-29

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 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 new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Mark 14:22-25

22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 22:17–20

17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Jesus’ body was the final sacrifice that would atone for sins, just as the Passover lamb signified the atonement for the people’s sins every year. The Passover meal includes four (sometimes five) cups of wine; this is likely the third, the cup of blessing. In the ancient Near East, covenants often were ratified using blood (through sacrifice). At Sinai, Moses sprinkled the people with the blood of the covenant. The elements of the Lord’s Supper  serve as signs of the new covenant.

In the Passover, God had constituted Israel as a liberated nation through a meal. Here, Jesus reconstitutes the people of God with those who receive Him and His ministry. By receiving the Lord’s Supper, Jesus’ followers accept Jesus as the Messiah who suffers and dies on their behalf. This is the only occasion in Mark’s Gospel when Jesus speaks of being in the kingdom. This could be a reference to heaven following Jesus’ ascension or to the arrival of the kingdom of God in a more powerful manner following Jesus’ resurrection.

Jesus reinterprets the symbolism of the bread consumed to commemorate the Passover meal, applying it to His impending death. It indicates the vicarious nature of Jesus’ sacrificial death. Jesus instructs His followers to commemorate His crucifixion and all the saving actions He accomplishes in His death. The early church continued this tradition. It perhaps meant to recall ot imagery of the cup of wrath and affliction. Jesus states that His imminent death enacts the new covenant centered on forgiveness. 

Faithlife Bible.

This is My body and this is My blood of the new covenant and refers to the covenant that had been promised in the OT. The Lord Jesus specifically said that His blood … is shed for many for the remission of sins. This anticipates the command to preach the Good News to all the world in preparation for God’s kingdom when Christ will reign on the throne of David. Today He is seated with the Father on His throne and intercedes for us.

The Lord’s Supper is for believers only and should be observed solely by those who are in right relationship with Christ. Some view the broken bread as representing Jesus’ body, which would soon be broken for their sins. Others interpret this statement more literally. Some interpret this is My blood metaphorically, meaning that the contents of this cup represented Jesus’ blood that would be shed for our sins. Others give the statement a more literal interpretation. The sprinkling of blood was required to institute the Mosaic covenant. In the same way, Jesus’ blood shed on the cross initiated the new covenant: His blood was shed for many. He died on the cross in the place of many sinners from every nation. He paid the price for all of their sins. All those who believe in Him will receive eternal life. Jesus came announcing the kingdom of God.

Jesus instituted a new meal which is not only a memorial of His death, but also a fellowship meal of unity. It is a proclamation and a symbol of the believers’ anticipation of Jesus’ return, when all God’s promises will be fulfilled. The bread of the Lord’s Supper represents the body of Jesus, offered on behalf of His disciples. The wine of the Lord’s Supper depicts the giving of life, a sacrifice of blood, which inaugurates the new covenant for those who respond to Jesus’ offer of salvation. This is the strongest substitutionary image in the Gospel of Luke: Jesus died on the Cross in our place and for our sins.

NKJ Bible.

The Lord’s supper is a sign or memorial of Christ already come, who by dying delivered us; his death is in special manner set before us in that ordinance, by which we are reminded of it. The breaking of Christ’s body as a sacrifice for us, is therein brought to our remembrance by the breaking of bread. Nothing can be more nourishing and satisfying to the soul, than the doctrine of Christ’s making atonement for sin, and the assurance of an interest in that atonement. Therefore we do this in rememberance of what He did for us, when he died for us; and for a memorial of what we do, in joining ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant. The shedding of Christ’s blood, by which the atonement was made, is represented by the wine in the cup. Matthew Henry Commentary.

Matthew 26:26  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

Mark 14:22  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

1 Corinthians 11:25  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”