Apr. 16, 2025
LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE
WAYNE BARRETT
HILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL
APRIL 23, 2025
Luke 22:14-23
14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I
have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat ita until
it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take
this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the
vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it
and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new
covenant in my blood.b 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the
Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they
began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
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vv 14-15 – “And when the hour came…”
“I have earnestly desired” – more lit. “with desire I have desired,” conveying the deepest,
heartfelt feeling
“before I suffer” – somewhat more lit, “before I am to suffer”—to suffer is in the aorist tense,
meaning he saw it with its completion in view. Much less in importance, but something like
saying “before I take this test” or “before I go to the store.” He was speaking of an act that
would be completed.
v 16 – “For I tell you…”
more lit. “For I say to you that <no longer> never not will I eat it until it is fulfilled in the
kingdom of God.” [manuscripts vary]
This seems to be a specific reference to Passover—that this would be the last Passover Jesus
would have with them, until it—Passover—had been fulfilled in the kingdom of God, which
was accomplished by the death of Jesus.
Jesus does appear to be eating the Passover with them, as per custom (see also Matthew 26:
23,26), but when he distributes the bread and the cup, it is not indicated that he also partook
of that
vv 17-18 – “And he took a cup …”
This statement of Jesus that he would not drink [again] of the fruit of the vine “until that day
when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom” (Matthew 26:28) is in all three
accounts.
Wine represents gladness and celebration. Jesus is refraining from wine until the gathering of all
who are his into the kingdom of God, when all suffering is ended, and the great wedding
feast of the Lamb can be served.
“I will not drink wine again until I drink it with you in heaven.”
After the Resurrection, it is recorded that Jesus ate (fish), but it is not recorded that he drank
anything.
aSome manuscripts never eat it again [ESV]
bSome manuscripts omit, in whole or in part, verses 19b-20 (which is given… in my blood) [ESV]
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v 19 – “And he took the bread …”
More lit. “This is my body, which is being given for you. Do this in the remembrance of me.”
v 20 – “And likewise the cup …”
More lit. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which for you is being poured out.”
And he said to them, “This is my blood of the [new] covenant, which is being poured out for
many.—Mark 14:24
“Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the [new] covenant, which is being poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins.—Matthew 26:27-28
vv 21-22 – “But behold, the hand of him who betrays me …”
Jesus did not hesitate to identify Judas as the betrayer. He did not make excuses for him. In fact,
he lamented Judas’ decision.
Judas had fooled everyone but Jesus.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he
was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body,
which is [broken] for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”c 25 In the same way also he took the cup,
after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's
death until he comes.
“In remembrance” means a deep and worshipful remembrance of all that Jesus has done, his death for
the sins of the world, in particular. There is also a parallel Jesus is drawing with Passover—which was a
detailed remembrance of God’s delivering the Israelites from Egypt, the death angel “passing over” all
homes on which sacrificial blood had been smeared on the doorway. Jesus has instituted a new Passover,
the fulfilled Passover, in which we are saved by his blood and when we eat this Passover, it is his new
covenant that we are now to remember.
Paul adds another perspective and purpose to the Lord’s Supper, that in so doing we “proclaim the
Lord’s death until he comes.”—And this means that we proclaim the meaning of his death—that he is
the Savior of the World and desires all people to repent and be saved.
[Note: it is respectfully acknowledged that different Christian denominations have different views on the
Lord’s Supper, particularly as to sacramental beliefs, beliefs about the nature of the elements, the role of
priests or clergy in administering communion, etc. We cannot solve these centuries-old disagreements
tonight; nor do we need to. But almost no Christian church, whatever else it may believe, would disagree
with the role of remembrance and the role of proclamation in the observance of communion.]
cOr as my memorial; also verse 25 [ESV]
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