| Christian Life and Doctrine | March 1962 |
The Memorial Supper
THIS do in remembrance of me.” (I Cor. 11:24,25) This simple statement became an important command to Jesus’ true followers, and no doubt from the eventful night when it was uttered, until now, it has been faithfully observed by them each year. As indicated in the Matthew account, the Lord’s Supper took place at the conclusion of the passover supper, hence we do it in remembrance of him at the appropriate time of year. (Matt. 26:17-30) However, the Lord’s Supper is not a higher type of the passover. Instead it is a memorial of that which fulfilled the passover; that is, the death of the antitypical passover Lamb, our Lord Jesus.
When the Memorial was instituted by Jesus it must have raised many questions in the minds of his disciples, questions which grew even more perplexing when he died. These questions were not fully answered until the Holy Spirit of enlightenment came upon them at Pentecost. Only Jesus knew of the dark hours which lay ahead for them all. And in spite of the special trial he knew he was to endure, his thoughts were filled with concern for the disciples, and the difficulties their faith would experience.
Since their deliverance from Egypt the Israelites had annually observed the passover supper. The keeping of this feast had been enjoined upon them by the Lord as a memorial, to remind them of his hand in releasing them from bondage. They were to repeat each year the service instituted in Egypt.—Exod. 12
Each family was to select an unblemised lamb, “a male of the first year,” on the tenth day of the first month, Abib or Nisan. On the fourteenth day of the month at evening (margin reads, “between the evenings”), the animal was to be slain. Its blood was to be sprinkled on the two side posts and on the upper post of the house wherein they were to eat it.
The flesh was to be roasted with fire that night, and, if possible, was to be entirely eaten by each household, together with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. In the event all of the lamb could not be eaten before morning, the remainder was to be consumed by fire.
When the Memorial was instituted, only Jesus knew that the unblemished lamb pictured himself. As the literal lamb was secured five days before its slaughter, so Jesus presented himself to the people of Israel that many days before his death. This was on the occasion when he triumphantly entered Jerusalem.—John 12:1,12-16
The typical lamb was slain “between the evenings.” (Exod. 12:6, margin) The people of Israel had two evenings, the first from noon till three o’clock in the afternoon, and the second from that time until six o’clock in the evening. The antitypical Lamb died at a similar time “between the evenings,” or at three o’clock in the afternoon.
The blood which had been sprinkled on the door posts assured the Israelites in Egypt that the angel of death would pass over their houses and spare their firstborn children. We now realize this pictures that the Gospel Age church of the firstborn, under the blood of Jesus, will be spared from death so long as they remain in the hallowed condition thus foreshadowed. The fact that the typical event took place at night illustrates that it is during the “nighttime” of sin and death that the Lord is dealing with the “church of the firstborn.”—Ps. 30:5; Heb. 12:22,23
The morning following that fateful night in Egypt the Israelites began their exodus, or deliverance from bondage and oppression. So, too, in antitype, when this nighttime passes during which God has been selecting the church of the firstborn, there will begin the deliverance of the suffering world from the bondage of sin and death into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.—Rom. 8:19-22
A Custom
IT WAS the practice thereafter in Israel, when the passover was kept, for the head of the household to recount the facts of that faraway night in Egypt which they were then commemorating. Without doubt Jesus was recognized as the head in the upper room. We are certain that his reading of the experience, or his precise reciting of it, was most impressive. Yet he alone knew just what it portended.
As the story unfolded, Jesus must have been specially moved by the fact that on the following day the antitype of this ceremony would be fulfilled, which had, for so long a time, been observed. He, the Passover Lamb, was to die. How well, also, he knew of the severe testing this would mean to those with whom he ate that evening! The atmosphere which pervaded the room was heavy with foreboding, but only Jesus knew just why.
From the account given, it appears that after the passover supper was eaten, the Lord instituted what we call the Lord’s Supper, or Memorial. We read in Matthew 26:26 that “as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.”
This was a strange new thing to them, and in all probability their faces mirrored their confusion of mind. They were accustomed to his unique and forceful methods of teaching, and perhaps they concluded this was another such instance. No doubt the room was strangely still as one by one the apostles reached for and ate of the unleavened bread he had broken.
What could Jesus mean, they probably wondered, by calling the bread his body, then breaking and asking them to eat of it? However, if this thought were perplexing, the one which followed was even more so. After all had eaten of the unleavened bread, they would naturally look to him for an explanation. However, instead of explaining, Jesus did another strange thing.
In Matthew 26:27-29, we read, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
As the cup was slowly passed to each of the disciples, all were vainly trying to comprehend the meaning of Jesus’ words. None of them at this time seemed to fully realize he was to die. Indeed, just a short time after they left the upper room, Peter attempted to defend Jesus with the sword, hoping that the hour of our Lord’s triumph, not his death, was at hand. With what mixed feelings they received the instructions to drink the wine which represented his blood! From the Law of Moses they had been taught not to drink the blood of any animal, because it represented the life thereof.—Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:10,11,14; Deut. 12:23; Acts 15:20
Not Explained
AT THE conclusion of drinking the “cup,” as Jesus had instructed, he abruptly concluded the service. The waiting, perplexed disciples were given no explanation of that which Jesus had instituted. Whatever questions they had were soon to be temporarily forgotten in the deeply tragic events which were quickly to follow. No doubt after the first numbness left his disciples following his death, some of them recalled snatches of those statements during the Last Supper. “This is my blood …, which is shed for many,” or, “take, eat; this is my body.” However, the strange utterances which somehow had given promise of death answered none of their questions.
We can clearly understand the confusion of the disciples and sympathize with them in their sorrow. They had come to recognize Jesus as the long-promised Messiah. According to their understanding of the Scriptures, the Messiah was not to suffer and die. Instead, it was their thought that the prophets consistently spoke of the Messiah’s glory, and his power which was to overwhelm all opposition.
To the disciples it seemed that Jesus had amply confirmed their viewpoint. How vividly they could recall his specific words when Peter asked, as recorded in Matthew 19:27,28, “Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” His answer was full of hope concerning the glory of the Messiah and his kingdom. He said, “Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
To them it had seemed certain that the long-promised Messiah was shortly to establish among men his kingdom without end. No doubt all were keenly aware of the prophecies which so clearly depicted his power and reign. Perhaps, as they had seen the many evidences of Caesar’s legions, it had served to remind them of Micah’s glad promise, “He shall … rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nations shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Micah 4:3) But Rome, the strong nation, instead of being rebuked by the One claiming to be the Messiah, had put him to death.
Heartbroken and discouraged, the disciples sought in vain for an answer. They had felt the warmth of Jesus’ gentle disposition. They had listened to his wisdom as he expounded to the multitudes, and to them. They had observed the power of God working through him as blind eyes opened to his touch. Yea, they had seen eyes which were closed in the sleep of death, open at his command, and, with life, gaze once more on those whom they loved.
We, who have known since our childhood of his resurrection, cannot fully comprehend the depth of despair that gripped the souls of Jesus’ disciples. It was a harsh and cruel experience for them to see him so brutally treated. But the sorrow lay even heavier because it seemed to end the brightest hope they had ever had for themselves and for the world.
The Emmaus Journey
WE ARE not surprised that the Gospel account of those days tells of the disciples’ talking “together of all these things which had happened.” One of the most moving stories the New Testament concerns the disciples at that very time. It is found in the 24th chapter of Luke, beginning with verse 13. It recounts how two disciples, perhaps for the first time, learned of Scripture texts which foretold the Messiah was to die and how, in addition, they had the matchless experience of seeing the risen Lord. In verse 13 we read that “two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, … and they talked together of all these things which had happened. … While they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.”
This was our risen Lord, but we are told of the disciples that “their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” We now realize that the various appearances of the risen Lord to his disciples were in bodies specially assumed for each occasion. The fleshly bodies were not at all like his present glorious spiritual one. This we know because, among other proofs, the Apostle John indicates such in his first epistle, chapter 3 verse 2.
In this verse John writes of our sonship, and adds, referring to our heavenly bodies, “It doth not yet appear what we shall be.” Of course, if we were to have bodies like our present ones this statement would not have been made. Furthermore, John wrote, “But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” From this it is certain that John did not expect Jesus, in the spirit realm, to have a body similar to those assumed during the forty-day period following his resurrection.
As recorded in the narrative, when Jesus approached the two disciples he appeared as a man, and they regarded him as such. The account indicates he walked alongside as they continued in conversation. They were talking about him and his miracles and of his crucifixion. He inquired about the subject matter of their conversation, and commented on their appearance of sadness.
This caused them to enlarge upon the matter and no doubt they recited many evidences of Jesus’ miracle-working power which they had observed. But then their story trailed off with these sorrowful words, “The chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be … crucified.” Note, too, how their words reflected their perplexed minds and dashed hopes as they said, “But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.”—vss. 20,21
Doubt, too, was in the disciples’ voices when they told Jesus of some of the women of their group reporting that they found the empty sepulchre, and saw angels which claimed the Lord was alive. One can almost feel their despair when reading the conclusion of their investigation of the women’s claims: “Certain of them [the disciples] which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even as the women had said: but him they saw not.”—vss. 22-24
Suffering First
THE sadness of the disciples was soon to be replaced with exultant joy. The supposed stranger began to expound to them the scriptural teaching concerning the Messiah. He indicated they were slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had written. That which prepared their minds to receive this truth was his key question, “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and [then] to enter into his glory?” (vs. 26) The answer implied by his question was an entirely new concept to them. If, as this stranger indicated, the prophets foretold such need of suffering and death, it would mean they had not believed in vain.
The briefly worded 27th verse in Luke 24 is filled with drama for the imaginative. It reads, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Just what did this supposed stranger say to them? The skill of his presentation is revealed as they later described their reaction to it by the words, “And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?”—vs. 32
The fact that Jesus began with Moses in his presentation to show that the Messiah must first suffer, suggests that he might have explained what the passover lamb pictured. Also, there may have been some discussion of the typical atonement-day sacrifice of the bullock, picturing the death of Jesus. And then, too, our Lord could have called their attention to the prophecy in Isaiah, chapter 53, which explicitly details so many facts surrounding his death.
Their eager minds were so gratefully accepting the logic of the “stranger” that it appears they did not give much thought as to why he possessed such accurate knowledge, yet had not been a disciple. Their warm appreciation of him was soon manifested. When they reached the village of their destination, Jesus indicated he would continue on. He must have been pleased as the two now joyful disciples constrained him saying, “Abide with us.”—vs. 29
The time came for them to partake of the evening meal. The account reads, “As he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and. they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” (vss. 30,31) This suggests to us that the Lord probably repeated the very words, tone, and gestures used at the Last Supper. The language is the same as in the records of that event. We know that when he appeared as a gardener to Mary, it was the familiar sound of his voice speaking her name that revealed him to her. As he disappeared before their eyes they quickly began to place the events in proper order—Jesus was indeed risen. There had been a further unfolding of the plan of God.—John 20:11-18
The Report
HOW commendable that the two returned immediately to share their joy with the other disciples! The eleven together with others were in a room in Jerusalem. They were still in a state of shock and in much fear of the mobs. No doubt their place of haven was known only to the disciples, and at this time was kept locked for protection. When the two arrived, probably identification was made in hushed tones before they were admitted. But when they burst into the dimly lit room it was apparent to all that they were joyfully excited as they spoke out, “The Lord is risen indeed.”—vs. 34
The disciples gathered round them as they recalled the details of that memorable walk while Jesus had talked to them. And while they were gathered in that tense atmosphere with only the voice of the narrator being heard, suddenly Jesus himself stood in their midst. A strange hush fell over the room, and all eyes were fixed on him who had suddenly and miraculously appeared. Then calmly and in the old familiar voice he said, “Peace be unto you.”—vss. 35,36
He read the terror in their eyes, and sought to assure them that all was well. Some of them imagined they were seeing a vision. Jesus sought to impress upon them that the body he had assumed was flesh and bone and to indicate this he ate of fish. They were thus assured, and, fear being displaced with joy, they were prepared for his explanation of the Scriptures.—vs. 37-43
Beginning with verse 44 we read Jesus’ statement, “These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. And he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.”
No doubt Jesus explained why the Messiah had to first suffer and die before beginning his glorious reign. In all probability he enlarged upon a fact they all knew; that is, that death came upon the human family because of one man’s disobedience. They learned that before that sentence of death could be lifted, God required a corresponding price for the forfeited life of Adam.
It could have been in this very explanation that the disciples learned more of Jesus’ pre-human existence. For them fully to understand the ransom it would have been necessary for Jesus to explain how he could have corresponded to Adam. Of the human family only Adam had been a perfect man. None of his condemned children could be a ransom price for him. Adam’s substitute must be a perfect, uncondemned man.
Because of this requirement of perfection our Lord was willing to exchange his pre-human spiritual life for that of flesh, so that he could ransom Adam and his family from the power of death. With such knowledge, Jesus’ words at the last supper for the first time began to have meaning to them.
They recalled that Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it. This must have represented his body being broken in death. When he told them to eat, it had meant for them to appropriate unto themselves the benefits which came from his death. The same is true of the wine which represented his blood, or life, poured out.
Jesus had told this very thing to his disciples prior to his death, but at that time they could not receive it. In John 6:51 we read his words, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Meaning of Memorial
WHEN our Lord’s disciples observe the Memorial Supper each year, the primary meaning of eating and drinking the symbols of bread and wine is that we have life given to us because of his sacrifice. In other words, Jesus’ disciples of the Gospel Age have imputed to them the benefits of the ransom, and are passed from death unto life. Perhaps this explanation of the bread and wine symbols was personally told to the disciples by the resurrected Lord. However, at that time they were not aware of the deeper truth that the Christ, or Messiah, was to be composed of many members, and that until all the members of The Christ have suffered, the glory phase of the kingdom could not be established.
In his various appearances during the forty days after his resurrection, Jesus never indicated other than that the kingdom would soon be set up. The disciples’ concern for its establishment finally manifested itself. In Acts, chapter one, is recorded Jesus’ final contact with the disciples prior to his ascension. Verse 6 records their last question, which was, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” The reason for their question is apparent. If the Scriptures taught that the Messiah must first die as a ransom price before establishing the kingdom, then why a further delay? Had not Jesus fulfilled this provision?
Jesus answered that it was not for them to know the times or the seasons which the Father had put in his own power. However, immediately after this statement, Jesus continued with a promise by saying, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” And, indeed, there was a further revealing of the Father’s plan after the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost.
After the special enlightenment through the Holy Spirit, the disciples knew that the kingdom would not be established until the full number of body members of the Messiah, or Christ, was complete. Prior to this time they had supposed the Messiah was our Lord only. Note how clearly the Apostle Paul presents the deeper truth concerning the Messiah in I Corinthians 12:12: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ [or, the Messiah].”
The disciples, or body members of the Messiah, must also suffer before the kingdom is established. This, of course, agrees with Jesus’ statement made to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He said, “Ought not Christ, to have suffered these things, and [then] to enter into his glory?” The Apostle Peter also expressed this thought. In his statement Peter encouraged the disciples to rejoice in sufferings, because of the lofty purpose it fulfilled. His words in I Peter 4:12,13 are, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
The appreciation of the truth of the oneness of the Messiah prepares us to understand the secondary or deeper meaning of the Memorial Supper. The Apostle Paul alludes to this deeper feature in I Corinthians 10:16,17, where we read, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”
The word “communion” here used could be more understandingly stated “common union.” Or to make the meaning even more distinct we could use the more direct translation of the Greek word, which would be “partnership.” In other words, Paul was saying that the cup represented the “partnership” of the blood of the Messiah, and the broken bread the “partnership” of the body of the Messiah. Thus understood, it would mean that the symbol also illustrated the death in sacrifice of the entire Messiah class.
The thought of sharing in Christ’s death is stated elsewhere in a very direct manner. For instance, in Romans 6:3,5 we read, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? … For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”
The disciples who partook of that first Lord’s Supper had occasion, in later years to recall it fondly. And how grateful they must have been for the enlightenment which came through the Holy Spirit! Those words and acts of Jesus which had been so perplexing at the Last Supper had become luminous and clear. So, too, are they meaningful to us.
When we observe this solemn feast, certain thoughts should be uppermost in our minds. When the broken bread and “cup” is given to us, we should first of all remind ourselves that because of Jesus’ broken body we may live. Because of his willingness to die, the sentence of death can be lifted from the world of mankind, who were all condemned in Adam. However, as we partake of the symbols, it should remind us that the church, or his body members, now partake of the merit of his ransom sacrifice. The benefits of his death will not be available to the world until the earthly kingdom is fully established.
The church now receives of the benefit of Jesus’ sacrifice for only one purpose, which is that it may be released from condemnation, and, as justified humans, be sacrificed as part and parcel of the Messiah. This deeper meaning and its appreciation should indeed be soul-searching. Recall again the words of Paul, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion [partnership] of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion [partnership] of the body of Christ? For we being many are one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”
We, as members of Christ’s body, are being sacrificed with him. By the trials and testings, the suffering and sacrificing experienced now, we are being prepared to reign with him in glory. To the faithful body members who suffer and die with him shall be accorded the matchless privilege of sharing in the blessing of all the families of the earth. By his grace we may become hands of mercy and love which lift the sin-sick world from the depths of degradation to the heights of sons of God on the perfect human plane. “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”—I Cor. 5:8