Luke
22:7-20
Culmination of Messiah's mission, 19:45-24:53
2. The meaning of Messiah's death, 22:1-23:25
ii] The upper room, 22:7-38
a) The Last Supper
SynopsisWith the religious authorities now planning the murder of Jesus, and Judas providing the means, Jesus prepares to celebrate the Passover with his disciples. Arrangements are made, and early on the Thursday evening Jesus and his disciples gather to share in the Passover meal. At the meal, Jesus reinterprets the Passover for the members of the new Israel, with the elements of bread and wine symbols of the life-giving sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Teaching
Remember, the suffering Son of Man gives his life as a sacrifice for his people.
Issues
i] Context: See 22:1-6.
ii] Background: Celebrating the Passover
Around March and April, on 14 Nisan, the Passover was celebrated, with the Passover meal eaten that evening, 15 Nisan. The date changes in the evening because the new day begins at sunset. The meal links with the commencement of the feast of unleavened bread, 15-21 Nisan.
At face value, the synoptic gospels have the Passover on the Thursday before Good Friday, with the meal on Thursday evening. John has the Passover on the Friday, with Jesus and his disciples sharing a meal together, a meal where Jesus focuses on washing the disciples' feet. John seems to be making a theological point.
It is known that the Qumran sect celebrated the Passover before the official date and that may have been the case for Jesus and his disciples. This would give a more realistic time-frame for the betrayal and trial before the crucifixion on Friday.
What seems abundantly clear is that the meal is a Passover meal. Normal meals were held in the late afternoon, but Passover was held in the early evening. The Passover must be eaten within the city walls of Jerusalem. It was eaten reclining, not sitting / squatting as for a normal meal. It ended in the singing of a Psalm. All these elements are present in the record of this meal by the synoptists.
The arrangement of an upper room for the passover meal is probably an example of the tradition at the time where residents of Jerusalem opened their homes for pilgrims to celebrate the Passover. No fee was usually charged.
iii] Structure: The Upper Room:
Preparations for the meal, v7-13:
The new Passover, v14-20:
Jesus and his disciples share the Passover meal, v14-18;
The institution of the Lord's Supper, v19-20;
Final instructions, v24-38.
iv] Interpretation:
It seems likely that the preparations for the supper have to be done discreetly due to the hostile environment in Jerusalem. This probably explains the rather mysterious arrangements related to the use of the upper room for the Passover meal. Luke may imply that the arrangements reveal supernatural foresight on the part of Jesus, but it is more likely that they are pre-arranged and represent the need for secrecy - the "man carrying a jar of water" (women's work!) and what to say.
On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, Jews traditionally share in the Passover meal of roast lamb, unleavened bread, various savoury dips and wine, and do so to celebrate Israel's escape from their slavery in Egypt. So, arrangements made, Jesus and his disciples now gather in the upper room for the Passover meal. Unlike the other synoptists, Luke describes something of the meal and of the sharing of a cup of wine together. It seems likely that it was toward the conclusion of the meal that Jesus reinterprets elements of bread and wine and distributes it to his disciples as a anamnhsiV, "memorial", symbol of his body "given" and his blood "shed for you."
The sense of this "memorial" is one of continued debate. In simple terms, Jesus takes a loaf of flat bread, and giving thanks to God for his bounty, he breaks it and shares it with his disciples saying "this is (estin, "is" = represents / means / symbolises) my body given for you", ie., his body offered up as a sacrifice for his disciples / all who believe (not all humanity, although this is a matter of debate). Then he takes a cup of wine (unlikely to be unfermented grape juice) and, sharing it with the disciples, says "this cup of wine is (represents / means / symbolises) the new covenant (the renewal of the covenant / agreement made between God and his people) in my blood (by means of my sacrifice) which is shed on your behalf." Presumably the Lukan words "do this in remembrance of me" (found also in 1Cor.11:22) apply to both the bread and the cup.
Jesus' words of distribution serve as a classic example of Biblical theology / typology. Jesus applies the historic redemption of Israel to the spiritual redemption of the new Israel, and of their inheritance of the kingdom of God. In the terms of the Exodus of old, the redemption / salvation / escape for the new Israel is fulfilled in Christ's sacrifice, his passion, the pothrion, "cup", uJper uJmwn, "for you." Like old Israel, the new Israel remembers / celebrates this event with the symbols of bread and wine.
Love Feasts / Breaking of Bread in the New Testament Church. It seems likely that the early church in Jerusalem celebrated together with a fellowship meal (Love Feast / Breaking of Bread) which was distinct from the Lord's Supper, cf., Acts 2:42, 46, 20:7ff. The Lord's Supper, as with the Passover, was probably celebrated yearly. As the church spread beyond Palestine and became increasingly Gentile, the fellowship meal and the Lord's Supper seem to have melded together. This is certainly the situation described by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11. Obviously, as time moves on, the liturgical elements of the Lord's Supper / Eucharist / Holy Communion become dominant, with the fellowship meal relegated.
Ecclesiastical understanding of the Lord's Supper: There are three main ecclesiastical schools of thought when it comes to understanding the function of the Lord's Supper: Roman, Calvinist and Zwinglian.
•i The Roman position, known as transubstantiation, promotes the view that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ through the liturgy of the church. Grace is conveyed in the eating and drinking of the consecrated elements.
•i The Calvinist position, evident in the Anglican / Episcopalian liturgy, promotes the view that the bread and wine spiritually become the body and blood of Christ for the person who consumes the elements with faith; "feed on him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving", Book of Common Prayer, 1662. Grace is conveyed in an eating and drinking where faith is present.
•i The Zwinglian position, adopted by most nonconformist Protestant denominations, promotes the view that the eating and drinking of the elements is a practical expression of remembering / believing in the atonement. Grace is conveyed through faith, ie., in the act of committed remembering (affirming that Christ died for me).
v] Synoptics:
See 3:1-20. Luke's account of the preparations for the Lord's Supper is paralleled in Matthew 26:17-20 and Mark 14:12-17, with Luke's account very close to Mark. Fitzmyer argues that Luke's account is a redaction of Mark. When it comes to the supper itself, Luke's account is almost twice as long as either Mark 14:22-25 or Matthew 26:26-29, and is rather complex in its arrangement. In fact, some argue that v19b-20 is a later inclusion.
Unlike the other synoptists, Luke records the Passover meal itself, with the sharing of the cup and Jesus' statement that he will not again share this celebration until the full realisation of the kingdom, v15-18. We then have the actual symbolic sharing of the bread and wine where Jesus interprets its meaning, v19-20. Luke draws out the redemptive significance of the bread with the added words "which is given for you", a statement very similar to the words used by his friend and colleague, the apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 - "which is for you." Luke also adds "do this in remembrance of me", words again found in Paul's letter to the Corinthians, 11:24. When it comes to the wine, Luke (as does Paul) adds "in like manner" and goes on to record the words of distribution replacing "blood" with "cup": "the cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood", rather than "this is my blood of the covenant", cf., Isa.53:12. The sacrifice of the suffering servant is that which realises the Passover redemption, so shifting the focus from the Exodus to Calvary.
Text - 22:7
The Last Supper, v7-23; i] Preparations for the meal, 7-13. Luke tells us that Jesus takes the initiative and sets Peter and John to work, organising for their celebration of the Passover. The details have always prompted speculation as to their nature, but the arrangements are probably clandestine, rather than miraculous. The religious authorities are out to arrest Jesus, if an opportune moment presents itself, and so Jesus has likely made arrangements in secret.
de "then" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step in the narrative.
twn azumwn (oV) gen. "of Unleavened Bread" - [the day] of unleavened bread [came]. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, idiomatic / identification; "the day known as the feast of unleavened bread."
en + dat. "on [which]" - in [which]. Adverbial use of the preposition, temporal, "the day on which" = "when".
quesqai (quw) pres. mid. inf. "[had] to be sacrificed" - to sacrifice [the passover lamb was necessary]. The infinitive serves as the subject of the indefinite verb "it was necessary." For a complementary classification, see grayai 1:3.
v8
The requirement to eat the Passover within the walls of Jerusalem increases the danger of Jesus' arrest. Only Luke mentions Jesus using Peter and John to undertake the arrangements. By using his closest disciples, Jesus keeps a knowledge of the site of the upper room to the inner circle.
eipwn (legw) aor. part. "saying" - [and he sent peter and john] having said. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to send", "he sent .... and said", but possibly adverbial, expressing manner, as NIV, or means, so Cully. Either way, it introduces direct speech here.
poreuqenteV (poreuomai) aor. pas. part. "go" - having gone [prepare]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the imperative verb "to prepare", so "go and prepare", as NIV.
hJmin dat. pro. "for us" - [the passover] to = for us. Dative of interest, advantage; "for us."
iJna "to [eat]" - that [we may eat]. Introducing a final clause expressing purpose; "in order that we may eat it."
v9
autw/ dat. pro. "-" - [they said] to him. Dative of indirect object.
pou adv. + subj. "where" - where. Here the interrogative introduces a direct question.
eJtoimaswmen (eJtoimazw) aor. subj. "to prepare" - [do you wish that] we should prepare the passover meal? It is likely that iJna is assumed here (so Thompson), and along with the subjunctive "may prepare", serves to introduce an object clause / dependent statement of perception, expressing what Jesus wills; "where do you will that we should prepare it?" "Where would you like us to prepare for the meal?"
v10
A man doing women's work certainly presents as a prearranged clandestine signal.
oJ de "-" - but/and he. Transitional, indicating a change in subject from the disciples to Jesus.
autoiV dat. pro. "-" - [he said] to them [behold]. Dative of indirect object.
eiselqontwn (eisercomai) gen. aor. part. "as [you] enter" - [you] entering into [into the city]. The genitive participle and its genitive subject "you" forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal, as NIV; "when you have entered the city", ESV.
bastazwn (bastazw) pres. part. "carrying" - [a man] carrying. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "man"; "who is carrying a pitcher of water"
uJdatoV (wr toV) gen. "of water" - [a jug] of water. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, idiomatic / content; "a pitcher full of / containing water."
uJmin dat. pro. "you" - [will meet with] you. Dative of direct object after the sun prefix verb "to meet with."
autw/ dat. pro. "[follow] him" - [follow after] him [into the house into which he enters]. Dative of direct object after the verb "to follow after."
v11
It was common at the time for a Rabbi and his students to celebrate the Passover feast together. Josephus makes the point that such a gathering required at least ten in attendance, but no more than twenty.
tw/ oikodespoth/ (hV ou) dat. "to the owner" - [and say] to the owner. Dative of indirect object.
thV oikiaV (a) gen. "of the house" - of the house. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, idiomatic / subordination; "the owner over the house."
soi dat. pro. "-" - [the teacher says] to you. Dative of indirect object, probably with the sense of "the teacher asks you", as NIV.
pou adv. + subj. "where" - where [is the guest room where the passover of the disciples of me may eat]? The interrogative adverb introduces a direct question. The subjunctive of the verb esqiw, "to eat", may relate to pou as a deliberative subjunctive, but also, it may serve to give a final sense to oJpou, "where" = "in order that there"; "Where is the guest room that I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"
v12
The owner of the room has prepared it with the necessary cushions and low table for the meal. It is identified as an upper room, ie., a room built on the flat roof of a typical Palestinian home, often open to the elements. The "upper room" of Acts 1:13 is not necessarily the same room.
uJmin dat. pro. "you" - [and that one will show] you. Dative of indirect object.
estrwmenon (strwnnuw) perf. mid. part. "all furnished" - [a large upstairs room] having been strewn = furnished. [there prepare for the passover]. The verb "to spread" refers here to spreading cushions to recline on for the meal. "He will show you a spacious second-story room, swept and ready. Prepare the meal there", Peterson.
v13
apeslonteV (apercomai) aor. part. "they left" - [but/and] having departed, [they found the room]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to find"; "They went off and found everything exactly as Jesus had told them", Barclay.
kaqwV "just as" - as, just as, like. Comparative, introducing a comparative clause.
autoiV dat. pro. "them" - [he had told] them. [and they prepared the passover]. Dative of indirect object.
v14
ii] The New Passover, v14-20. Firmly fixed in gospel tradition is the record of Jesus sharing a meal with his disciples in the context of the Passover festival. The synoptists have the meal as the actual passover meal, but John, in his gospel, has it as a meal in the wider context of the festival of Unleavened Bread, with Jesus crucified on the day of Passover, the day when the pascal lamb is slaughtered and prepared for the meal that evening (Friday evening). John is clearly making a theological point, but it does leave us with a continuity problem. We face two other continuity problems. First: Luke's record has the betrayal of Jesus before the meal, rather than during the meal. Second: Luke has an initial sharing of a cup of wine. Critical scholarship up to the 1950's held that it was a textual problem, with v19b-20 assimilated from 1Cor.11:24 and Mk.14:24b, so Creed etc. Modern scholars tend to argue for the longer text; See Jeremias, Words, p139-159.
a) Jesus and his disciples share the Passover meal, v14-18. Unlike the other synoptists, Luke records the meal itself. During the meal it was customary to share a number of cups of wine, usually individual cups, but a common cup was not unheard of. In later centuries it was four cups, possibly three during the first century. It seems likely that Luke is referring to the first of these cups, so Bock, Plummer, Nolland. So, Jesus takes the lead and commences the meal with thanksgiving, making the point that this is the last time he will share a meal with his friends.
kai "-" - and. Transitional, although the use of kai rather than de maintains a close link with the preceding narrative.
oJte "when" - [and] when [the hour came he reclined and the apostles]. Temporal conjunction serving to introduce a temporal clause.
sun + dat. "-" - with [him]. Expressing association.
v15
In an attempt to harmonise the synoptics with John's gospel, some have suggested that the sense of "with desire I desire" is a desire not met; "I have earnestly desired, but unfortunately I will not be able to eat this Passover meal with you ..." This is unlikely because v16, 18, suggest that Jesus did eat the meal. "How great has been my longing to eat this Passover meal in your company before having to undergo my sufferings", Cassirer.
proV + acc. "to [them]" - [he said] toward [them]. Used here to introduce an indirect object; see proV, 1:61.
epiqumia/ (a) dat. "eagerly [desired]" - with desire [i desire]. The dative is adverbial, modal, expressing manner; "I desire desiringly" = "I have longed with all my heart", Barclay.
fagein (fagw) aor. inf. "to eat" - to eat [this passover with you]. The infinitive may be classified as complementary, completing the sense of the verb "to desire", or introducing an object clause / dependent statement of perception expressing what is desired, "that I may eat ...."
pro tou + inf. "before" - before the [to suffer me]. This construction serves to introduce a temporal clause, antecedent time; "before I suffer", as NIV.
v16
Given that Jesus participates in this Passover meal with his disciples, he is making the point that it will be the last before his death. The next time he feasts with his disciples will be at the eschatological banquet at the end of the age.
gar "for" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why Jesus is so keen to share in the Passover meal with his disciples.
uJmin dat. pro. "you" - [i say] to you. Dative of indirect object.
oJti "-" - that. Introducing an object clause / dependent statement of direct speech expressing what Jesus says.
ou mh + subj. "not [eat]" - not not [may i eat it]. Subjunctive of emphatic negation; "definitely not, in no way, ...."
e{wV o{tou + subj. "until" - until [it is fulfilled]. This temporal construction, the preposition e{wV with the genitive relative pronoun o{tou + a subjunctive verb, expresses indefinite time up to a point; "until it is fulfilled," The unidentified subject is the Passover, which in the context represents (serves as a type of) the eschatological banquet at the end of the age.
en + dat. "in" - in [the kingdom of god]. Local, expressing space. For "Kingdom of God" see tou qeou, 4:43.
v17
At the commencement of the Passover meal, Jesus offers the traditional blessing (berakah) over the elements, offering the cup to the disciples to share among themselves. It is unclear whether Jesus also drinks, although the causal clause in v18 implies the importance of all sharing now.
dexamenoV (decomai) aor. mid. part. "after taking" - [and] having taken hold of [a cup]. The participle is adverbial, best treated as temporal, as NIV.
eucaristhsaV (ercaristew) aor. part. "he gave thanks" - having given thanks [he said, take this and share into = among yourselves]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to say."
v18
Jesus notes that this will be the last time he will share in a Passover meal with his disciples until the full realisation of the kingdom of God. The present meal is but a taste of the eschatological banquet yet to be realised.
gar "for" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why all need to share the elements now, "because" this will be the last occasion when the disciples can share a Passover meal with Jesus in this age.
uJmin dat. pro. "you" - [i say] to you. Dative of direct object.
oJti "-" - that. Variant; a recitative use again, serving to introduce an object clause / dependent statement of direct speech expressing what Jesus says to them.
apo tou "-" - from [the now]. Temporal construction. Temporal use of the preposition apo, "from", with its genitive object formed by a nominalising genitive article tou and the adverb nun, "now".
ou mh + subj. "[I will] not [drink]" - no no [may i drink]. Subjunctive of emphatic negation; "I will never ever drink ......"
apo + gen. "from" - from [the fruit]. Expressing source / origin.
thV ampelou (oV) gen. "of the vine" - of the vine. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, idiomatic / producer; "the fruit produced by the vine." Probably specifically the wine of the Passover celebration.
e{wV ou| + subj. "until" - until [comes the kingdom of god]. Temporal construction as for e{wV o{tou v16; "until the time when .......", Thompson. For "kingdom of God" see v16 above.
v19
b) The institution of the Lord's supper, v19-20. It is unclear how v19-20 relate to the opening description of Jesus' celebration of the Passover, but it seems likely that Jesus institutes the Lord's supper with the sharing of the cup associated with the haggadic recital of the meaning of the Passover meal (the third cup??). At this point in the meal, the youngest member present asks "Why is this night different from other nights?" The host then recounts the story of the Exodus, of God's honouring of the covenant in the deliverance of his people from their bondage in Egypt, which salvation is represented in the unleavened bread and the blood of the Passover lamb. Now, through Jesus the messiah, God renews (hJ kainh, "new") his covenant with his people, achieving a deliverance ("forgiveness of sin", Matt:20:28) through Jesus' body "given for you" and his "blood poured out for you" in his Passover sacrifice on the cross. Jesus instructs his disciples to touto poieite, "do this" (presumably in the sense of repeat this element of the Passover meal, ie., the sharing of bread and wine) eiV, "into = for the purpose of (a final sense)", thn emhn anamnhsin, "my memorial" = "in remembrance of me."
labwn (lambanw) aor. part. "he took bread" - [and] having taken bread [and having given thanks he broke it and gave]. This participle obviously links with the following participle "having given thanks", both best treated as adverbial, temporal, either "Then he took bread and after giving thanks ....", REB, or "When he had taken some bread and given thanks ....", NASB.
autoiV dat. pro. "to them" - it to them. Dative of indirect object, with the direct object "it" assumed.
legwn (legw) "saying" - saying. Typical idiom to introduce direct speech, best classified as attendant, although not so redundant here, but see legwn, 4:35, for adverbial, manner.
touto estin "this is" - this is. Theologically loaded words! The verb to-be estin, "is", is likely to mean "represents", ie., the bread signifies Jesus' body rather than is identical with Jesus body - representation, not identification; the matter is disputed. The neuter demonstrative pronoun is similarly problematic, most likely backward referencing to "bread" rather than forward referencing to "body". Its agreement with the neuter "body", rather than the masculine "bread", is a product of assimilation of gender with a related noun in the sentence.
to swma (a atoV) "body" - the body [of me]. Predicate nominative. It is unclear what Jesus gives, either his flesh or his person as a whole. See Marshall for this issue, but either way, "Jesus is the sacrifice", Bock.
to ... didomenon (didwmi) pres. mid. part. "given" - being given. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "body"; "which was given for you." The sense is usually taken to have a theological edge to it, namely, given as a substitutionary sacrifice - we are saved "through his blood", Acts 20:28.
uJper + gen. "for" - for [you]. Commonly expressing representation / advantage, "on behalf of, for the sake of, for the benefit of." This may be the sense here, but it is usually understood, in this context, to take the sense of anti, a vicarious sense, and thus the more theologically weighted sense of "in place of, instead of", ie., "Jesus died for me" = "Jesus died in my place", see Wallace (G) p383ff. "By sharing in the one loaf (Christ's given body = the atonement) the disciples are united in communion with the one body of Christ", Creed.
eiV + acc. "in" - [do this] into [my memory]. Adverbial use of the preposition, final, expressing purpose; "in order to remember me", ie., we are to continue to celebrate this meal of bread and wine together in order to have the opportunity to remember / to reaffirm our faith in Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf / in our place, the consequence of which is our salvation and incorporation in the covenanted people of God. These words are unique to Luke. Their authenticity is questioned by some, but given the context of a Passover celebration, they are appropriate, although it is unclear how often we are to "do this."
v20
wJsautwV adv. "in the same way" - [and] likewise, similarly [the cup]. Modal adverb, expressing manner; "and in the same way the cup", ie., Jesus takes the cup, blesses it and passes it to the disciples in like manner to the bread. Luke, unlike Mark, makes a point of noting a single cup, Jesus' cup, a cup which is shared, rather than the usual practice of single individual cups.
meta to + inf. "after" - after the [to dine, eat]. A temporal construction expressing subsequent time. This temporal marker is unique to Luke. It possibly reflects church practice known to Luke, where the Lord's Supper (a liturgical sharing of bread and wine) follows a fellowship meal. On the other hand, Luke's wording may reflect the original setting of the Passover meal where the flat bread of the meal is eaten along with various dips and the first cup (second cup??). Jesus gives this bread a new theological significance, and then "after the meal", he offers the final cup, also giving it a new theological significance. What actually took place remains unclear.
legwn pres. part. "saying" - saying. See legwn v19.
to pothrion (on) "cup" - [this] cup is = represents. Nominative subject of an assumed verb to-be. Both Mark and Matthew have "my blood", while Luke has "cup", obviously along with its contents representing the sacrificial offering of Jesus. "Blood" may well be original, with "cup" a Gentile accommodation to dispel the idea that the early Christians were actually drinking blood. For the assumed verb to-be estin, see touto estin v19.
diaqhkh (h) "the [new] covenant" - the [new] covenant. Predicate nominative of an assumed verb to-be. The covenant is God's agreement with those committed to him, an agreement of assured blessing into the future - forgiveness, salvation, ..... The covenant Jesus institutes through his "blood" (his vicarious sacrifice) is, according to Luke (not Mark nor Matthew) kainh, "new", in the sense of renewed. God's covenant agreement with his creation goes back to Adam and Eve and was renewed on numerous occasions, all of which look forward to the final and complete renewal of the covenant in and through Jesus. This is a matter of dispute with many scholars of the view that the covenant instituted by Jesus is totally new, rather than renewed, so giving us the Old and the New Testament.
en + dat. "in [my blood]" - in [the blood of me]. Instrumental, expressing means, "by my blood" - established by means of the vicarious sacrifice of Christ. Christ's sacrifice seals the agreement / covenant, enabling the agreement by atoning for the sins of the people. See Exodus 24:8 and Leviticus 17:11-14 for "blood of the covenant." Mark and Matthew has "This is my blood of the covenant", while Luke and Paul in first Corinthians has "This is the new covenant in my blood."
to ... ekcunnomenon (ekcunnw) pres. mid. part. "which is poured out" - being shed, poured out. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "blood". Poured out for the salvation of God's covenanted people. Note the liturgical balance between "given for you" and "poured out for you."
uJper "for" - for [you]. See uJper, v19.
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