The First Lord's Supper

²² And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” ²³ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. ²⁴ And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. ²⁵ 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.”

“Jesus himself had prepared his followers to find in the prophetic Scriptures the key to understanding his sufferings in fulfilment of the sovereign will of God. The passage that seems to have controlled the Christian interpretation of the events was the prophecy of the Servant of the Lord, and especially Isa. 53:4–12. Here was an account of obedient suffering, expressed by the sustaining of mockery, by silence before accusers, by forgiveness, by intercession for the many, by burial with the condemned, in short, a passion narrative which described the action of God which astounded the people but manifested his triumphant sovereignty. A second group of passages which informed the church’s understanding were the psalms of the suffering and victorious righteous one, and especially Psalms 22 and 69. From such sources as these the meaning of the central events of the Christian message were set forth in biblical perspective, thus throwing into bold relief the accomplishment of the will of God. The longer account extended this approach to the preliminary events but also took account of Jesus’ prophetic word. He had not only spoken of his coming burial (Ch. 14:8) but had prophesied the betrayal of Judas (Ch. 14:18), the denial of Peter and the desertion of the disciples (Ch. 14:27–31). His word of interpretation of the bread and the cup at the meal especially served to place his death in the context of God’s redemptive provision for his people (Ch. 14:22–25).”

“The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to receive from Christ the nourishment and strength and hope and joy that come from feasting our souls on all that He purchased for us on the cross, especially His own fellowship.”