On an evening towards the end of the week of His crucifixion, Jesus met with His disciples to celebrate the annual Passover meal. The three Synoptic Gospels record this event, though each varies in length and detail. John’s Gospel also records Jesus having a Passover meal with His disciples, but the details are quite different from the Synoptics and do not include details of the preparation for the meal or the words of institution. This leads some scholars to believe that John is not recording the same Passover meal.
For Jewish people past and present, the Passover meal is an opportunity to gather as a family and look back in celebration of the deliverance of the Jews from their Egyptian captivity. No doubt this was in mind when Jesus met with His disciples, though He also infuses the meal with new meaning when He says over the bread “Take, eat, this is my body,” and over the wine “Drink it all of you for this is my blood for the new covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26 – 28). Jesus is providing an even greater deliverance than that from Egypt. Throughout the centuries Christians have recalled this event, some daily, others weekly, monthly or even only annually. It has been called The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion and the Eucharist. Most churches celebrate in “two kinds” - bread and wine, while others use only bread believing that where the body is, the blood is also there. But we will leave discussion of the reasons for these differences for another occasion!
Theologians and biblical scholars tend view that the Last Supper looks in two directions. It looks to the past especially in the Passover setting but in the New Covenant setting it also looks to the future: “Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25). Matthew adds that Jesus will drink again in the future kingdom with His disciples (Matthew 26:29).
As I have mentioned, Jewish families since Old Testament times have celebrated Passover as a reminder of the greatness and goodness of God in delivering the children of Israel from captivity in Egypt which lasted 430 years (Exodus 12:40 – 41). During this period the people were treated very badly, but perhaps most importantly they were enduring slavery and subjection when God had promised in the Covenant that they would be a great nation and a blessing to other nations. The miracle of the first Passover and deliverance from Egypt is celebrated in this meal. It is important to note that in Jewish thinking, this recollection of the past deliverance is not an intellectual matter. The people put themselves right back in that deliverance, they see the past event as having meaning now.
For Christians there is also a looking back when we share communion together. This is particularly encapsulated in Jesus’ words recorded only in Luke’s account: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). The Apostle Paul includes this phrase in His words to the Corinthian believers about breaking bread (1 Corinthians 11:24 – 25). The word translated “remembrance” is from the Greek word ἀνάμνησις (anamnēsis). You will see the word amnēsis from which we get “amnesia” and this relates to forgetfulness. Anamnēsis means to remember, or better to “remember to remember.” It also carries the same force as the Passover making the past deliverance live today. So, when we share in communion, we should call to living memory what Jesus has done for us and make it a living experience. We bring that past event into the present.
Jesus speaks of drinking wine again in the Father’s kingdom. Although there is a real sense in which the kingdom of God is a present reality, it is not yet come in all its fulness. This remains a future event that Christians look forward to and live in anticipation of. In Revelation 19:7 – 10 the writer sees in a vision the wedding or marriage supper of the lamb. Christians and Old Testament saints will all be present.
Obviously, Jesus was present at the Last Supper. The presence of Jesus in the sacrament or ordinance of the Lord’s Supper has been hotly disputed for hundreds of years. Roman Catholicism teaches that because the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ as the priest (and only the priest) prays over them (transubstantiation), then Jesus is actually present. The Protestant Reformers differed amongst themselves on how Jesus was present at the Lord’s Table. There is a general acceptance of the “real presence” of Jesus but differences of teaching on the exact mode of His presence. Most denominations go beyond the view of the Supper as a bare sign or memorial.
Whether you get to share in a communion service on Maundy Thursday, Easter Sunday or some other day, in a big gathering or small group meeting, participate with faith and expectation. Remember – bring what Jesus did for you at the Cross two thousand years ago, into your present circumstance, especially if you are feeling convicted of some sin, failure, lack of faith. In the brokenness of life today in a broken world, Look forward to the final and complete fall of Satan and his kingdom, and the establishment of God’s kingdom, our being with our Saviour forever, and sharing in the marriage supper of the Lamb. And above all, as you attend and receive bread and wine, anticipate the real presence of Jesus to bless and encourage you.