Matthew 26:26 – 30

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.

28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

As they were eating Jesus took bread and thanked God for it and broke it into enough pieces that all of His disciples could have a piece and participate in this celebration. He tells them that this piece of unleavened bread represents His body of which will be nailed to the cross.

He then takes a cup of the fruit of the vine, wine or probably grape juice. He thanks God for it as well and tells each of them to drink of it.

Under the old law the blood which was shed was blood of animals, only the Jews benefited from the animal sacrifices. When Jesus blood was shed it offers benefits to the entire world.

Romans 3:22 - 25( even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,)

1 John 2:2(And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.)

This celebration was instituted during the group's Passover feast, but the words of this verse (29) indicate they were spoken regarding verses 26 – 28. When He served the fruit of the vine in during the Lord's supper He did not drink any of it. He was not celebrating His own death, which Paul indicates this celebration is in 1 Corinthians 11:26( For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.)

Jesus does celebrate and partake of the cup spiritually every time His disciples participate in the Lord's Supper every first day of the week.

Matthew 18:20(For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” ) Jesus promises us He is with us in spirit every time we meet together in His name.

While Jesus does not indicate in this passage when this celebration is to be held, and Paul in 1 Corinthians does not give the time it is to be participated in, the book of Acts records the church met on the first day of the week to observe this institution.

Acts 20:7( Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. ) Acts does not record which first day of the week this was observed because the disciples of the early church observed the Lord's supper every first day of the week.

After they partook of the Lord's supper they sang a song from the book of Psalms and then went out to the Garden of Gethsemane.