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The Last Supper (Lk. 22:14-23)

When the hour came, he took his place at table with the apostles.  15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, 16 for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”  17 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you [that] from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  19 Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.”  20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.  21 “And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; 22 for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.”  23 And they began to debate among themselves who among them would do such a deed.

Jesus’ ministry was coming to an end, and he was preparing to return to his Father.  The earliest documented account of the Eucharist in the Bible occurred in First Corinthians as recounted by Paul (1 Cor. 11:23-26).  “The Passover of the Lord falls on the fourteenth day of the first month, at the evening twilight.  The fifteenth day of this month is the Lord ’s feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread (Lev. 23:5-6).”  Jesus being a devout Jew would celebrate Passover as prescribed in the Law of Moses (Ex. 12:1-20).  

At a traditional Passover Seder, 4 cups of wine are poured.  The first cup is the cup of Sanctification which is considered the introductory rite to the Passover (v. 16), the second cup is the Cup of Proclamation or Plagues where the head of the family recounts the Passover story, and the meal is eaten after the Passover story Is told.  The third cup is the Cup of Redemption or Blessing poured after the meal.  This is where Jesus changed the traditional Passover rite at the Last Supper (vv. 19-20).  The fourth cup is the Cup of Praise, the Hallel Cup which Jesus and his disciples never drank.  

Jesus’ death inaugurated a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) where God promised the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God and to write his laws on their hearts.  In the Eucharist the bread is Jesus’ body and the wine his blood (vv. 19-20).  

Jesus said that one of the disciples at table with him would betray him and they began to discuss which one of them would do such a thing.  The betrayal of Jesus was foreseen by God.  

Almighty God, your Son knew that he would be betrayed and the price he would have to pay to complete what you sent him to do.  As followers of Christ, we too have our mission and pray that you will strengthen us through our fears and doubts so that we too can complete the task you have assigned to us.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

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References

Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.

Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

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