Day 623: The Lord's supper - Luke 22 vs 14 - 23

14 And when the hour came, Jesus 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 it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17-20 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.  For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 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.”  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

21-23 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes  as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this. Luke 22:14-23 (English Standard Version)

We see from vs 15 that this Passover meal which Jesus had with His disciples was a very significant one. The disciple John said of this meal that “on the day before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were His own, and He loved them to the very end.” (John 13:1) Do you think vs 17-20 tell us something of why Jesus so desired to have this last supper with them?

He explained to them how this feast was a forerunner of the sacrifice He was about to make. This was the last Passover they would share under the Old Covenant conditions. The bread and wine were symbolic of the body He would offer and the blood He would shed so that sin could be atoned for. This is why they, and all who come to Christ for salvation, can be 'passed over' on the day of judgement. The New Covenant was established by His blood.

The apostle Paul's letter some years later to the Church at Corinth suggests that Christians had begun to regularly celebrate this meal as 'the Lord's supper'. He reminded them of what Christ had taught His disciples about the bread and the cup and said: “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:20-26) So the Lord's supper is a vivid way for us to remember Christ. Not only to remember Him as a person, but to remind ourselves also of how He was the fulfilment of Passover, and of the sacrifice He made for our sins. The Lord's supper proclaims the victory of Christ through His death until He returns.

So does participating in the Lord's supper, or Holy Communion, save us from our sins? (vs 21-23)

Definitely not. At the very table where Christ was instituting this means of remembrance sat one who was going to betray Him, one who was willingly, even if unknowingly, doing the work of Satan. Through the ages there have been those who've thought that holy communion is for anyone, no matter what dark thoughts are in their heart. Many have thought, and taught, that by 'taking Holy Communion' you are instantly forgiven. This too is a lie of Satan.

This is why Paul reminded Christians of what the Passover bread, which was made without yeast, should mean to a believer. He said: “Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Purge out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, just as you are unleavened. For our Passover lamb has been sacrificed, namely, Christ! So let us keep celebrating the festival, not with old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) It's not Communion in itself, or the Lord's supper, that saves anyone. It's the perfect sacrifice of Christ to which they point, and to which sinners must flee. He alone can save us from sin.