Matthew 26:17-30
The Lord's Supper
17On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
18He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.' " 19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me."
22They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?"
23Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?"
Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
27Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
30When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Passover was near and it was tradition for the people to eat their Passover meal in Jerusalem...Jesus made arrangements for the meal, much like He made arrangements for the colt He used in His triumphal entry into Jerusalem...He told His disciples to go into town and tell a certain man that I am going to celebrate Passover with my disciples...
When evening came and they were reclining at the table, Jesus tells the Twelve that one of them is going to betray Him...This really never sinks in to the other eleven disciples who look around and question Him by saying surely it is not me...Jesus even points out that the betrayer will be Judas...In fact, when Judas asks Him, if he is the betrayer, Jesus says yes, it is you... Maybe the other disciples do not yet know how significant the betrayal will be in terms of the crucifixion...
Judas would betray Jesus, but He also reminds us (later) that other disciples would fall away from Him and deny Him...
Jesus knowing what is ahead of Him in the next four days, takes bread and gives thanks to God...
Sacrificing animals and grains sin were commonplace and tradition in Jewish history...The sin offerings were for worshipping God, to make up for sin, to become clean after becoming ritually unclean...
Jesus says take and eat, this is my body...In the Old Testament Scriptures we learn that blood is life... Jesus offers the new covenant of Him being sacrificed for our sins, instead of the traditional lamb during Passover...The cost of this sacrifice is the highest cost our Father can pay...He is sacrificing His Son...This sacrifice is for our sins, and not the Son's...No doubt the disciples would have had trouble understanding this while He discussed it with them...Jesus would not drink again until He was in His Father's kingdom...And we are given the eternal hope in this verse, because He tells His disciples, He will not drink again until that day when I drink with you (the disciples) in my Father's kingdom...
Jesus was sacrificed and the dying on the cross would be ironic in a way...The cost of our sin is great...Because of our sin, Jesus was sacrificed...We are pardoned because God LOVE's us and wants us to understand that He would do anything for us...In fact, He did...