No. 763
“And 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. 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 testament, 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.” (Matt. 26:26-29)
The time again draws near for us to commemorate the anniversary of our Lord’s Supper, instituted in commemoration of His death as the antitypical paschal lamb – “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) The correct time for 2021 is after 6 p.m. on March 25. The date is determined by this method: The moon nearest the Vernal Equinox becomes new in Jerusalem on March 13 at 12:21 p.m., thus establishing 6 p.m. March 12 as the beginning of Nisan 1, Bible reckoning. Counting forward to Nisan 14, we arrive at 6 p.m. March 25. Any time that evening after 6 p.m. would be proper for the celebration.
Let all the faithful in Christ Jesus, in every place, do this in remembrance of God’s Lamb who redeemed us by the sacrifice of Himself. All such should assemble together, even if there are only two or three of like precious faith. Even those who are solitary may break the bread and partake of the cup in heart communion with the Lord and with fellow believers.
We agree with the majority view that the Memorial Supper was instituted by our Lord on Thursday night in connection with His last celebration of the Passover, and that He was crucified on the next day, Friday. We have no issue, however, with those who suppose that these events took place on other days of the week. Our emphasis is on what was accomplished there and its significance as the antitype of the Passover instituted by Moses, and as the finishing of our Lord’s great sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. We are willing to contend earnestly for these vital principles; they are part of the faith “once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) We will not argue about the particular days of the week, as we consider this to be a trivial matter of no real consequence. Such disputes should in no way disturb the minds or heart-fellowship of the Lord’s people.
Our Lord instructed His disciples as to where they should prepare for their special and peculiar Jewish family to celebrate the requirements of the Law: “Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.” (Matt. 26:18) The man was probably a believer or there may have been some previous arrangement with him. During the Passover week, hospitality was recognized as a duty in Jerusalem; hence the readiness with which the Lord’s request for a room was granted and the “upper room” provided for this supper. Things were made ready, and at evening, the beginning of the fourteenth day of Nisan, our Lord and the twelve assembled.
Our Lord said to them, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:15) He was not referring to the principal weeklong feast that was to begin on the 15th day of Nisan, but rather to the supper preceding the general feast, which was a memorial reminding the Jews of their deliverance from Egypt and the basis of their subsequent rejoicing as a liberated people.
Through the different accounts contained in the Gospels, we learn that there was a dispute among the disciples respecting the more honorable positions at the supper. Jesus rebuked this ambitious spirit in them by washing their feet, thus illustrating His own humility of heart, His readiness to serve each and all of them. (Luke 22:24-27; John 13:5, 12-16) Thus He set an example for them that He, whom they esteemed to be the greatest among them, would be their principal servant, willing and ready to serve any and all.
“ONE OF YOU SHALL BETRAY ME”
While they were eating, Jesus remarked that one of them would betray Him, and at once a spirit of sadness spread over the group and each one felt compelled to prove his innocence of such a charge. Each one asked, “Lord, is it I?” (Matt. 26:22) Judas asked this question along with the rest, realizing that if he did not also ask, it would imply that he was the one. In response to his inquiry Jesus replied, “Thou hast said,” meaning, “Yes, I am referring to you.” (Matt. 26:25) Another account tells us that Jesus answered by saying that the betrayer would the one for whom He would dip a “sop” (pieces of the lamb and unleavened bread they were eating). Having dipped it, Jesus gave it to Judas, thus indicating him without directly naming him. (John 13:26) It would appear that the other disciples up to this point had not learned of Judas’ true nature.
Although deceit and betrayal were not uncommon, there was a code of honor recognized among both Jews and Arabs according to which no one would eat the food of a person he would in any way injure. As food was seasoned and preserved with salt, it was probably this custom that was known as the “covenant of salt” – the covenant of faithfulness. (Num. 18:19) Having an enemy eat at your table or partake of your food seasoned with salt was considered the equivalent of a pledge of his lasting friendship – his pledge that he would never do you injury. Judas was apparently so lacking in the proper spirit that he did not even acknowledge and obey this custom of the time – to be loyal and faithful to the one whose bread he ate, of whose salt he partook. Hence our Lord’s words, “He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.” (Matt. 26:23)
Nevertheless, Jesus testified that His death was not a victory for His enemies and His betrayer. It was instead in harmony with what the Prophets had written of Him. We are not to consider that Judas was lacking in responsibility, however, or that he did not act willfully in this matter because he was merely fulfilling a prophecy. Such a thought is negated by our Lord’s statement, “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Matt. 26:24) These words leave no question, we think, that Judas had already enjoyed his full share in the great atonement work through the intimate opportunities he had of coming to a clear knowledge of the Truth and the corresponding responsibilities. Evidently his was the sin unto death – the Second Death. Along with the loss of any future existence, we see that his life was a useless, wasted one, and its joys did not outweigh its sorrows and anguish, especially when considering his subsequent despair and suicide.
“TAKE, EAT; THIS IS MY BODY”
The Jewish Passover Supper consisted of lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Leaven was a symbol of sin under the Law and was especially commanded to be put away at the Passover season. After the Passover Supper, Jesus instituted the Memorial Supper, instructing His followers that this Memorial Supper would take the place of the Jews’ Passover Supper. This was something new, and the Apostles listened with interest to His words as He blessed the thin cakes of unleavened bread, broke them, and handed portions to each of His disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” (Matt. 26:26) They wondered what He could mean.
During their three years in His company they had learned that He spoke in parables and dark sayings. Now He was handing them some unleavened bread, saying that it was His body. They certainly understood Him to mean that this bread was to represent or symbolize His body, for He told them that thenceforth they were to do this in remembrance of Him. Instead of eating of a literal lamb as they had done previously, they were to thenceforth remember Him as the slain lamb and partake of the unleavened bread representing His sinless flesh.
He could not have meant, as Roman Catholics and some Protestants believe, that the blessing of the bread turned it into His actual flesh, for He still had His flesh – He was not killed until about fifteen hours later. Hence all the arguments to this effect are foolish and deceptive. When He said that the bread was His body, it was as much a figure of speech as when He said on other occasions, “I am the vine” (John 15:5); “I am the door” (John 10:9); “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11); “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), etc. The correct and sane view of the Master’s words is apparent: He was represented in all these different ways. In the case of the bread, the meaning is clear that it would represent His flesh to His Apostles and to all His followers throughout the Gospel Age.
Bread symbolizes all food and food is necessary to sustain life. This symbol, therefore, teaches that whoever will have the life which Christ has to give must accept it as the result of His sacrifice of it. He died that we might live. The rights and privileges which He surrendered voluntarily may be “eaten” – applied, appropriated by all who have faith in Him and who accept Him and His instructions. Those who do so are reckoned as having imputed to them the perfect human nature lost by Adam and redeemed by Christ, with all its rights and privileges.
On another occasion, Jesus gave a lesson which clearly interprets this symbol. He said, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. . . . I am the bread of life . . . I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:33, 35, 51) None can have eternal life except by this “eating.” This applies not only to believers of this present time, but also to those of the future age. Their life-rights and privileges must all be recognized as coming to them through His sacrifice. The bread representing our Lord’s body teaches that we are justified through the acceptance of His sacrifice.
“DRINK YE ALL OF IT”
Next our Lord took the cup, blessed it and gave it to the Apostles. This drink is never called wine, but merely the “cup” and the “fruit of the vine.” We are not told whether it was fermented or unfermented, but in view of the requirement that the Passover bread be made without yeast, fermentation being considered a symbol of sin, it seems almost certain that it was unfermented.
In passing the cup the Lord said, “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:28, ASV) Although the King James Version and many other translations render this text as “new testament” or “new covenant,” the two oldest Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the Sinaitic and the Vatican, omit the word “new.” It is true that the New Covenant must be sealed with the blood of Christ before it can go into effect and it is not to go into effect until the opening of the Millennial Age. There was another “old” Covenant, however, which was sealed by our Lord’s death. It is the foundation Covenant of all covenants, namely, the Abrahamic Covenant, also called the Oath-bound Covenant. That sealing was typically represented by the figurative death of Isaac at the hand of Abraham and his figurative resurrection from the dead. The Apostle assures us that Isaac represented our Lord Jesus, and also declares, “Now we [the Church], brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” (Gal. 4:28)
If we thus apply our Lord’s words to the Abrahamic Covenant, which He was sealing or making sure, we see that it was by His death that He became the heir of that Covenant and all of its glorious provisions for the blessing of all the families of the earth. (Gen. 28:14) From this standpoint we see a special meaning and force in Jesus’ instructions to His followers to “Drink ye all of it.” (Matt. 26:27) The invitation to drink of the Lord’s cup signifies an invitation to all of His elect Church of the Gospel Age to partake with Him of His cup of suffering and death – to lay down their lives with Him that they also might have a share with Him in the coming glories of the Kingdom, which will be the divine channel for the fulfilment of the Abrahamic promise, the blessing of all the families of the earth.
In order to receive the restitution blessings purchased by our Lord’s sacrifice, it will be necessary for the whole world to “eat” of the bread, to be justified through the acceptance of His sacrifice. The “cup” is not for the world, however, but only for the consecrated believers of this Gospel Age. The Lord’s admonition to “Drink ye all of it” means not only for all of you to drink of it; it also means for all of you to drink all of it – that is, leave none of the sufferings of Christ for the coming age. In the Millennial Age there will be no more suffering for righteousness’ sake – then only evildoers will suffer.
The Gospel Age has been the time when the godly have suffered persecution, and when all of the Lord’s loyal followers counted worthy to share in His Kingdom glories have had to drink of His cup. The Little Flock have not only shared in justification through faith by eating the bread, but they have also shared the cup of sacrifice in order to gain the life eternal promised to the elect who now forsake everything to be His disciples. The Lord unites the two thoughts, saying, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” (John 6:53)
“THE REMISSION OF SINS”
Men teach in vain that God forgives sins without exacting a penalty from anybody, in order that God might be just and yet justify the sinner. They claim in vain that Christ was not the ransom price for the sinner, that it was not necessary for Him to die, “the just for the unjust.” (1 Pet. 3:18) It is also in vain that they claim it was sufficient that Jesus was a great teacher and His words alone can save the world.
The Master’s statements and the testimony of all the Apostles teach that it was necessary that Christ die for our sins. Our sins could never be forgiven by divine justice except through the divine arrangement by which He paid our penalty. It is a most precious thought, therefore, that our Lord’s blood was indeed shed for the remission of sins of the many. It is also a precious thought that the Church has been privileged to be intimately associated with Him as joint-sufferers, their sacrifices esteemed as part of the great sin sacrifice for the world. As joint-sufferers with Christ, they have been permitted to drink of His cup and be immersed in His baptism into death.
It is equally vain for Evolutionists and Higher Critics to tell us that not only did man not fall from God’s likeness into sin and death, he has been on the contrary evolving upward step by step, from beastly conditions to where he now is. We do not believe them, holding fast the divinely inspired testimony that there was a fall that made necessary the redemptive work. We believe that Christ was the honorable servant of God, privileged and authorized to make atonement for the sins of the whole world; that He began this atonement work in the sacrifice of Himself; that He has been carrying it on during this Gospel Age by the sacrificing of the members of His body, and that He will soon complete it.
During the Millennial Age, He, along with His glorified members, will distribute the blessings of that redemptive work to the world, causing all to come to the knowledge of the Truth, the knowledge of the love of God. “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14) They will come to know the immeasurable height and depth and length and breadth of God’s love and all that it has accomplished through Christ, who loved us and bought us with His precious blood.
DRINKING ANEW IN THE KINGDOM
The Lord declared: “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.” (Matt. 26:29) Our Lord here implied that at some distant date there would be a new “cup” under different conditions. He thus confirmed what He had been teaching the Apostles for some weeks – namely, that He would not at that time set up His Kingdom. Instead He would suffer and be crucified, and they were to expect also to suffer with Him. Later, He would return in glory and the Kingdom would be established, and His disciples would be with Him in His throne
The present cup of suffering was symbolized for the Apostles by the crushing of the grapes, the blood of the grapes representing their Master’s blood, His life sacrificed, poured out. It also represented their lives sacrificed along with Him in His service and for His cause. The sufferings of the present were linked with the glory to follow – all who would drink of the Lord’s present cup of suffering, ignominy, and death would also share in His cup of joy, blessing, glory and honor in the Kingdom.
We should keep this thought before our minds. As it did for the Apostles of old, it will help us more and more to look forward to the Kingdom as the time when the suffering for the name of Christ will cease, and the glories that will result in the blessing of all the families of the earth will follow. Our Lord identified His Kingdom with His Second Advent, and in no way suggested that His followers would drink of this new cup at any time before then – not at Pentecost, not at the destruction of Jerusalem, not at any other time other than the one mentioned in the prayer which He taught them: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10)
In waiting for the Kingdom, we are waiting for the second presence of our Lord and His subsequent setting up of the Kingdom – that is, the resurrection change and the glorification of His Church who will be with Him and share His glory. As the Apostle declared, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3) The new cup in the Kingdom will be the participation with the Master in the glories, honors, and blessed opportunities for uplifting the world of mankind. Any with this hope will take lightly the sufferings, trials, and sacrifices of this present time.
“IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME”
In referring to this Memorial Supper, the Apostle Paul quotes our Lord as saying, “This do in remembrance of me.” He then adds, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Cor. 11:24-26) The thought is that we are to celebrate this great transaction until the time comes for the Kingdom celebration of it with the new cup of joy, glory, and honors, which His followers will share with Him. It is evident that the Apostle does not mean this should be done merely until the Lord’s Parousia, when He will be present to gather His servants and reward them. Rather it should continue until all of the Kingdom class has been gathered, set up, and glorified.
The same Apostle in the same epistle emphasizes the thought of the unity, the oneness of the Church, unity with each other and with the Lord: “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 bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:16-17)
From God’s standpoint there is the one great Messiah, the elect head and the elect members of His body. These, as one loaf, constitute the bread of everlasting life for the world. In order for this picture to be complete, each and all must be broken, each and all must partake of the cup of Christ’s suffering and death before entering into His glory. Not until all these sufferings have been completed will the Lord’s time come for the new dispensation. Then will be the new day for the world, the day of blessing instead of cursing, the day of restitution instead of dying, the day of uplifting instead of falling.
“I LAY IT DOWN OF MYSELF”
The determination of Jesus offers an example of the perfect grace of patience in its true biblical meaning: “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51) His resolute course amid such trying circumstances was beyond anything understandable by the natural man, and it prompted Peter to say to Him, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” Jesus appropriately corrected him: “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matt. 16:22-23)
Jesus knew in the final hours of that awful night that He had finished the work God gave Him to do and He resigned Himself to what was to be. (John 17:4) He knew that the fullness of time had come – that it was not the time to wait for His enemies to come to Him (which, had He done so, would have displayed only the passive grace of longsuffering). He knew that the active grace of patience should now be perfectly revealed in Him and by Him. While it might seem that men took His life by crucifying Him, that is a mistake. As Jesus proclaimed, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:18)
Note that those who condemned Jesus to the cross were not the lower class elements of that time, not the unbelieving or heathen. It was the “good” people who were guilty of that – the pious who refused to cross the door of a Gentile lest they be defiled for the feast. The heathen Pilate attempted to avoid the tragic miscarriage of justice while it was the high priest of Israel who had “the greater sin.” (John 19:11) Those schooled in the Law were the guilty ones who sat down and “watched him there” – watched the tragedy of the cross as the idly curious might watch a street-corner side show. They watched the final hours of agony of the Lord of Glory with a callous indifference that would be unbelievable were it not written in the sacred record. (Matt. 27:36)
As it was in Jesus’ day, so it has been all through the Gospel Age: “I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” (Rev. 2:9) Referring to the time in which we now live, Jesus stated: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matt: 24:12) As Jesus warned His disciples, “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” God’s faithful people will accept and do – particularly at this season – what St. Paul admonished: “Purge out therefore the old leaven.” (1 Cor. 5:7)
WHO MAY PARTAKE
We must all decide for ourselves whether we have or have not the right to partake of this bread and this cup. If anyone professes to be a disciple, his fellow disciples may not attempt to judge his heart – God alone can positively read the heart. And though the Master knew beforehand who would betray Him, nevertheless one who had “a devil” was with the twelve. (John 6:70-71)
Because the Memorial Supper symbolizes the death of Christ, let all beware of partaking of it ignorantly, unworthily, improperly – “not discerning the Lord’s body” as our ransom. To do so would be as though we were one of those who murdered the Lord: “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Cor. 11:27-29) Let all who partake of the emblems realize that they represent the ransom price for our life and privileges.
The primary participants in the Lord’s Supper were to be the Saints, the Little Flock. But we believe the command would apply also to those faithful ones here in the end of the age that we refer to as the “Youthful Worthies.” We believe this class who consecrate after the closing of the high calling is similar to the Ancient Worthies, those faithful ones who preceded the Gospel Age (see Reprint 5761).While they are not a part of the spirit-begotten Church of the Firstborn, the merit of our Lamb has been tentatively imputed to them such that the New Covenant cannot begin to operate toward the world until that embargo against Christ’s merit has been removed. We believe they will be rewarded in the earthly phase of the Kingdom in honor and in service with the Ancient Worthies of Hebrews Chapter 11.
Youthful Worthies are thankful and appreciative of what the Savior has done for them. They do not “suffer with Christ,” nor will they “reign with Christ,” therefore they partake of the bread and cup as symbolizing their tentative justification and our Lord’s death as the Lamb of God. Their trial is for faith and obedience and not for life as was the Saints’ trial, although they make the same kind of consecration as did the spirit-begotten: “Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger [the unbegotten], as for one of your own country [the spirit-begotten]: for I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 24:22)
It is our prayer that this year’s remembrance may be profitable to all who partake in sincerity and Truth. We suggest reading the Passover chapter in Volume Six; and we pray a rich blessing upon all who partake. We are living in wonderful times, and we know not what a day may bring; but we have the strong assurance that we can firmly trust Him who left us an example that we should follow in His steps. (1 Pet. 2:21)
(This paper is primarily drawn from writings of Pastor Russell, including Reprint 3879.)
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