Jesus Holds the Cup at the Passover MealBible World
22:18Luke 22:18
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
In the upper chamber at the Passover meal just before His suffering, after sharing the cup with His disciples He declared that He would drink of the fruit of the vine no more until the kingdom of God should come. That meal was virtually the last Passover ever kept, for type was to meet antitype in the death of the Lamb of God for the sins of the world, and in so speaking He closed the old feast. At that same supper He instituted the Lord's Supper to take the place of the Passover as He was about to offer Himself as the sacrifice to which all the old ceremonies pointed. The cup represents His blood shed to cleanse from sin and save all who receive Him, keeping His followers' dependence on that sacrifice in remembrance until He drinks it new with them in God's kingdom. The cup He gave contained pure, sweet, unfermented juice of the grape, even as the Passover bread was unleavened, for He would place no intoxicating drink before any, in harmony with His whole life of self-denial against appetite.
Setting and Words
The words were spoken to the disciples in the upper chamber at the Passover meal eaten just before His suffering and crucifixion, after sharing the cup with them. At that supper He took the cup, gave thanks, and told the disciples to divide and share it among themselves. He then declared that He would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until the kingdom of God should come.
He spoke while troubled in spirit and weighed down by what lay ahead. Something weighed heavily on His mind as He foresaw His coming baptism of suffering. He grieved over the ingratitude and cruelty of those He came to save and the terrible fate awaiting them. Christ was soon to receive His full baptism of suffering, and the few quiet hours between Him and Gethsemane were to be spent for the benefit of His disciples.
Passover Fulfilled and Replaced
This meal was virtually the last Passover ever to be celebrated, because type was to meet antitype in the slaying and death of the Lamb of God for the sins of the world and the redemption of fallen humanity. In saying he would not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God should come, he closed the old feast.
At this same last Passover he instituted the Lord's Supper to take the place of the Passover. The new service was established as the enduring memorial of his sacrifice for his followers, looking toward the coming kingdom as its future fulfillment. He connected the new service with the old as he was about to offer himself as the sacrifice to which the old ceremonies pointed.
By observing the divinely appointed Passover in obedience to Jewish law and all its ordinances and connecting the Lord's Supper with it, he identified himself with the paschal lamb as its great antitype. The Passover commemorated Israel's deliverance from Egypt and typified the great salvation he brings. As the innocent lamb slain in Egypt whose blood sprinkled on the doorposts caused the destroying angel to pass over the homes of Israel, so he as the sinless Lamb of God by his merits alone averts the judgment and condemnation of fallen man.
Cup, Kingdom and Purity
The cup stands for His blood, shed to cleanse from sin and to save all who come to Him for pardon and receive Him as Saviour. The supper keeps His followers' dependence on that cleansing blood and His sacrifice in remembrance. It replaced the Passover and became the enduring memorial of His sacrifice, looking toward the coming kingdom as its future fulfillment. The saying points forward to a future time when He will again drink the fruit of the vine new with them in God's kingdom, and will not drink again until that kingdom comes.
The cup He gave as the symbol of His own blood contained pure, sweet, unfermented juice of the grape with no fermentation. Just as the Passover bread contained no leaven, so the wine was without fermentation. It was the same pure juice He had provided at the marriage feast at the beginning of His ministry. At that last Passover He took that sweet wine, gave thanks, and told the disciples to divide and share it among themselves.
He would not place intoxicating drink before anyone, because it tempts and ministers to evil. The sacramental service was designed to be soul-refreshing and life-giving. His refusal agrees with His warning that wine mocks and strong drink rages. It agrees also with His whole life of self-denial, teaching subjection of the lower nature and breaking the power of appetite that beclouds reason and benumbs spiritual perception.
In the upper chamber at the Passover meal just before His suffering, after sharing the cup with His disciples He declared that He would drink of the fruit of the vine no more until the kingdom of God should come. That meal was virtually the last Passover ever kept, for type was to meet antitype in the death of the Lamb of God for the sins of the world, and in so speaking He closed the old feast. At that same supper He instituted the Lord's Supper to take the place of the Passover as He was about to offer Himself as the sacrifice to which all the old ceremonies pointed. The cup represents His blood shed to cleanse from sin and save all who receive Him, keeping His followers' dependence on that sacrifice in remembrance until He drinks it new with them in God's kingdom. The cup He gave contained pure, sweet, unfermented juice of the grape, even as the Passover bread was unleavened, for He would place no intoxicating drink before any, in harmony with His whole life of self-denial against appetite.
Setting and Words
The words were spoken to the disciples in the upper chamber at the Passover meal eaten just before His suffering and crucifixion, after sharing the cup with them. At that supper He took the cup, gave thanks, and told the disciples to divide and share it among themselves. He then declared that He would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until the kingdom of God should come.
He spoke while troubled in spirit and weighed down by what lay ahead. Something weighed heavily on His mind as He foresaw His coming baptism of suffering. He grieved over the ingratitude and cruelty of those He came to save and the terrible fate awaiting them. Christ was soon to receive His full baptism of suffering, and the few quiet hours between Him and Gethsemane were to be spent for the benefit of His disciples.
Passover Fulfilled and Replaced
This meal was virtually the last Passover ever to be celebrated, because type was to meet antitype in the slaying and death of the Lamb of God for the sins of the world and the redemption of fallen humanity. In saying he would not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God should come, he closed the old feast.
At this same last Passover he instituted the Lord's Supper to take the place of the Passover. The new service was established as the enduring memorial of his sacrifice for his followers, looking toward the coming kingdom as its future fulfillment. He connected the new service with the old as he was about to offer himself as the sacrifice to which the old ceremonies pointed.
By observing the divinely appointed Passover in obedience to Jewish law and all its ordinances and connecting the Lord's Supper with it, he identified himself with the paschal lamb as its great antitype. The Passover commemorated Israel's deliverance from Egypt and typified the great salvation he brings. As the innocent lamb slain in Egypt whose blood sprinkled on the doorposts caused the destroying angel to pass over the homes of Israel, so he as the sinless Lamb of God by his merits alone averts the judgment and condemnation of fallen man.
Cup, Kingdom and Purity
The cup stands for His blood, shed to cleanse from sin and to save all who come to Him for pardon and receive Him as Saviour. The supper keeps His followers' dependence on that cleansing blood and His sacrifice in remembrance. It replaced the Passover and became the enduring memorial of His sacrifice, looking toward the coming kingdom as its future fulfillment. The saying points forward to a future time when He will again drink the fruit of the vine new with them in God's kingdom, and will not drink again until that kingdom comes.
The cup He gave as the symbol of His own blood contained pure, sweet, unfermented juice of the grape with no fermentation. Just as the Passover bread contained no leaven, so the wine was without fermentation. It was the same pure juice He had provided at the marriage feast at the beginning of His ministry. At that last Passover He took that sweet wine, gave thanks, and told the disciples to divide and share it among themselves.
He would not place intoxicating drink before anyone, because it tempts and ministers to evil. The sacramental service was designed to be soul-refreshing and life-giving. His refusal agrees with His warning that wine mocks and strong drink rages. It agrees also with His whole life of self-denial, teaching subjection of the lower nature and breaking the power of appetite that beclouds reason and benumbs spiritual perception.