WHILE THEY WERE EATING
MATTHEW 26:26-30
Introduction:
The Lord had just observed the Passover with His disciple, the members of the first church. Now He takes the elements of that Passover and gives them new meaning and established the ordinance of The Lord’s Supper.
I. JESUS TOOK BREAD AND GAVE IT A NEW MEANING
A. Jesus had said, “I AM the Bread of Life, John 6:48, “I am that bread of life.”
1. This is the Bread of God, John 6:33-34, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34- Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.”
2. This was the “living bread,” John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
B. Now He says of the bread, “This is my body,” v. 26; 1 Corinthians 10:17, “For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”
1. The bread represents His body, our Passover, 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”
2. When we eat this bread we are testifying that we belong to Him and have eternal life, John 6:53-54, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
II. JESUS TAKES THE CUP OF WINE AND GAVES IT A SPECIAL MEANING
A. The wine represents His blood, the blood of the New Covenant, v. 28.
1. This is the OLD covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, Exodus 24:7-8, “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.”
2. His blood is the blood of the New Testament, Hebrews 9:14-15, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
B. Here we see a visible reminder of an event about to take place, Matthew 20:28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
1. He ransomed us by shedding His own blood, Colossians 1:14, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”
2. We have been justified by His blood, Romans 3:24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
CONCLUSION
The Lord put a new meaning to the elements of the Passover. The Bread represented His body that became the sacrifice for sin. The wine represented His blood that was shed for our redemption and justification.