Luke 22:17-20 - The Institution of the Lord's Supper

Today,we will go back to Luke 22:17-20. It was when the Passover meal was drawing toa close (Matthew 26:25; Luke 22:20) that Jesus instituted the ordinance thatthe church calls "The Communion" (1 Cor. 10:16), or "The Lord'sSupper" (1 Cor. 11:20), or "The Eucharist," from the Greek wordwhich means "to give thanks." ThePassover feast opened with a prayer of thanksgiving, followed by the drinkingof the first of four cups of wine. We believe that this wine was diluted withwater and was not intoxicating. Next they ate the bitter herbs and sang Psalms113-114. Then they drank the second cup of wine and began eating the lamb andthe unleavened bread. After drinking the third cup of wine, they sang Psalms115-118; and then the fourth cup was passed among them. It is likely thatbetween the third and fourth cups of wine, Jesus instituted the Supper. Paulgave the order of the Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. First, Jesus broke apiece from the unleavened loaf, gave thanks, and shared it with the disciples,saying that it represented His body which was given for them. He then gavethanks for the cup and shared it, saying that it represented His blood. It wasa simple observance that used the basic elements of a humble Jewish meal. Jesussanctified the simple things of life and used them to convey profound spiritualtruths. Jesusstated one of the purposes for the Supper: "in remembrance of Me" (v.19: also see 1 Cor. 11:24-25). It is a memorial feast to remind the believerthat Jesus Christ gave His body and blood for the redemption of the world.There is no suggestion in the accounts of the Supper that anything"miraculous" took place when Jesus blessed the bread and the cup. Thebread remained bread and the wine remained wine, and the physical act ofreceiving the elements did not do anything special to the eleven disciples.When we partake, we identify ourselves with His body and blood (1 Cor. 10:16),but there is no suggestion here that we receive His body and blood. Asecond purpose for the supper is the proclaiming of His death until He returns(1 Cor. 11:26). The Supper encourages us to look back with love and adorationto what He did for us on the cross and to look forward with hope andanticipation to His coming again. Since we must be careful not to come to theLord's table with known sin in our lives, the Supper should also be an occasionfor looking within, examining our hearts, and confessing our sins (1 Cor.11:27-32). Athird blessing from the Supper is the reminder of the unity of the church: weare "one loaf" (1 Cor. 10:17). It is "The Lord's Supper"and is not the exclusive property of any Christian denomination. Whenever weshare in the Supper, we are identifying with Christians everywhere and arereminded of our obligation to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond ofpeace" (Eph. 4:3). Forus to receive a spiritual blessing from the Supper, it takes more than merephysical participation. We must also be able to "discern the body" (1Cor. 11:29), that is, see the spiritual truths that are inherent in the breadand the cup. This spiritual discernment comes through the Spirit using theWord. The Holy Spirit makes all of this real to us as we wait before the Lordat the table. Followingthe instituting of the Supper in the Upper Room, Jesus taught His disciplesmany of the basic truths they desperately needed to know in order to haveeffective ministries in a hostile world (John 14-16). He prayed for Hisdisciples (John 17); then they sang a hymn and departed from the Upper Room forthe Garden of Gethsemane. Judas knew they would go there and he would have thearresting officers all prepared. Asyou review this passage, you cannot help but be impressed with the calmness andcourage of the Savior. It is He who is in control, not Satan or Judas or theSanhedrin. It is He who encourages the Apostles! And He is able even to sing ahymn before He goes out to die on a cross!