Luke 22:14-20 (Daily Verse and Comment)

  Luke 22:14-20

(14) When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. (15) Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; (16) for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." (17) Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide itamong yourselves; (18) for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." (19) And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave itto them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (20) Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 
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Let's clear away the web of error that covers the truth about keeping the Passover, the memorial of Christ's death.

Let's examine the way Jesus observed this ordinance, because we can't be wrong if we follow His example. In Luke 22:14-20, we read:

And when the hour was come, he [Jesus] sat down. . . . And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Notice, it was "when the hour was come," that Jesus introduced the unleavened bread and the wine. There was a definite time - a definite hour - when He held this ordinance as an example for us.

Notice, too, He commanded them to observe it - "This do"! And why? "In remembrance of me," said Jesus. He instituted this New Testament way of keeping the Passover, on that tragic night, the very eve of His death.

In Matthew's account, the Bible shows that this ordinance was at the very time of the Passover, "as they were eating" (Matthew 26:2, 26). Jesus knew that His time had come. He was our Passover, sacrificed for us (I Corinthians 5:7).

The Passover had always been held on the eve of the 14th of God's first month, according to the Sacred or Jewish Calendar. It was the night of the final and last Passover supper that Jesus introduced these New Testament emblems - the unleavened bread and the wine - in place of the lamb that was always slain annually.

Remember Jesus commanded: "This do in remembrance of me." Why? Because the Passover was commanded "forever."

The Passover was to be observed annually, along with the Days of Unleavened Bread. "Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season year to year" (Exodus 13:10). Jesus set us an example (I Peter 2:21), observing this ordinance at the same time once a year (Luke 2:42). Suppose the Israelites in Egypt had observed this ordinance at some other time than that set by God? They would not have been saved when the death angel passed by that night! God does things on time. He has given us an exact time for this ordinance. Jesus instituted the New Testament symbols "when the hour was come."

— Herbert W. Armstrong