CXX.
THE LORD'S SUPPER INSTITUTED.
(Jerusalem. Evening before the crucifixion.)
aMATT. XXVI. 26-29; bMARK
XIV. 22-25; cLUKE XXII. 19, 20;
fI. COR. XI. 23-26.
a26 And as they were eating, fthe
Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread;
24 and when he had given thanks, {bblessed,} fhe
brake it, aand he [657] gave
to the disciples, and said, bTake ye: aTake, eat;
this is my body. fwhich is cgiven ffor
you: this do in remembrance of me. [As only unleavened bread was eaten
during the paschal supper, that kind of bread must have been used by our
Lord, and it is fitting that it should still be used by us in keeping the
Lord's Supper, not only for propriety's sake, but because that bread which
is emblematic of purity is most suitable to represent the body of the sinless
Christ. The Catholics and some few others take our Lord's words literally
when he says, "This is my body." On this they found the doctrine of transubstantiation,
i. e., that the bread and the wine become literal body and blood
when blessed by the priest. There are many weighty arguments against
such a doctrine, but the main one for it is found in the words of
our Lord. But Jesus could not have meant them literally, for his body was
untouched and his blood unshed on this occasion when he spoke them. Moreover,
in the twenty-fifth verse of Mark given below, Jesus
calls the wine "the fruit of the vine," when, according to the theory of
transubstantiation, it had been turned into blood and hence was not wine
at all.]
b23 And he took a {cthe} cup in like manner falso
cafter supper [Luke distinguishes between the cup taken
during (see p. 646) and that
taken after supper. The first belonged to the passover, this to the Lord's
Supper. Wine, mingled with water, was drunk during the paschal supper.
Jesus took a cup of this for his new institution. But the word "wine" is
nowhere used in any of the accounts of the Lord's Supper, the terms "cup"
and "fruit of the vine" being employed in its stead. Those, therefore,
who choose to use unfermented grape juice are guilty of no irregularity.]
aand gave thanks, and bwhen he had given thanks,
he gave to them: 24 And he said {asaying}
bunto them, aDrink ye all of it ["All" refers
to the persons and not to the wine. It was important that all the disciples
participate in the cup, but not that all the wine should be used];
28 for this is my blood of the covenant, cThis cup is the new
covenant in my blood [Jer. xxxi. 31-34. It was the practice of Eastern
[658] peoples to use blood in making any pact
or covenant (Ex. xxiv. 6-8). Christ represents himself as the victim from
whence the blood was to be taken to ratify or seal the new covenant, and
he makes the cup the symbol of that blood. A full discussion of the old
and new covenants will be found in the Book of Hebrews. We may, however,
sum them up by saying that the old covenant promised the land of Canaan
and Christ in the flesh to the Israelites, while the new covenant promises
heaven and Christ in glory to the Christian], bwhich
is poured out for many. [It is explicitly stated elsewhere that Christ
died for all (Heb. ii. 9; II. Cor. v. 14, 15), and the word "many"
is used, not to contradict, but to emphasize the fact. When the persons
included are contemplated individually, the term many is employed
on account of the vast number of them; for no man can number the individuals
for whom Christ died. But when they are contemplated under the feebler
conception of the whole, the term all is employed.] aunto
remission of sins. ceven that which is poured out for
you. [The prime object of Christ's death is here declared. It was to
accomplish the forgiveness of sins. All other purposes which it served
are subordinate to this, and all other blessings which it secures are consequent
upon this--John i. 29; Eph. v. 2; Heb. vii. 27; I. John ii. 2; iv. 10;
Isa. liii. 10; Rom. viii. 2; I. Cor. xv. 3.] fthis do, as
often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. [The word "remembrance"
comes as a refrain after both the loaf and the cup. The central purpose
of the supper is to bring the sacrifice of Christ and all its blessed results
vividly to mind.] 26 For as often
as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till
he come. [This verse is a comment of Paul's upon the nature of the
supper. In keeping the Lord's Supper we proclaim to our own souls and to
the world our trust in the death of Christ, and our hope that he will return
and fulfill the expectations begotten in us by it.]
a29 But b25 Verily
I say unto you, I shall no more drink {ashall not drink henceforth}
bof the {athis} fruit of the vine, until that day
when I drink it new in bthe kingdom of [659] God.
amy Father's kingdom. band they all drank of it.
[In speaking of this future drinking of the fruit of the vine Jesus does
not mean literal wine, for he does not drink literal wine with his disciples
in the kingdom as it now is, nor will he do so in the eternal kingdom.
The term "drink," therefore, is used figuratively for that communion which
Jesus has with his disciples while they are drinking the wine of the Lord's
Supper. The term new is most naturally understood as modifying wine,
but as the wine of the supper is not necessarily new wine, we think
it rather indicates the new method of drinking wine just described.]
[FFG 657-660]
