Luke 22:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

NIV: And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

NASB: And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'

CSB: And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

NLT: He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'

KJV: And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

NKJV: And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

It is halfway through the Passover meal: a ceremonial dinner celebrating God's protection of the Israelites in Egypt. Jesus and the Twelve have thanked God for wine and had the first cup, representing sanctification. They have dipped "bitter herbs"—possibly parsley—into salt water or vinegar. They have drunk the second cup, representing judgment. Now, they break unleavened bread and dip it in bitter herbs and a mixture of fruits, nuts, honey, and wine.

This is the bread of affliction (Deuteronomy 16:3). Pharaoh had witnessed God send nine plagues to judge the Egyptians. The tenth and last was the deaths of the firstborn males of each family. The Israelites took lamb's blood and spread it on their doorposts as God instructed. That night, death "passed over" their homes.

As the Israelites ate, they were dressed for travel. They did not have time for the bread to rise because when the last plague descended, the Egyptians begged the Israelites to leave. The dough the Israelites carried in their bowls was unleavened (Exodus 12).

At this point, Jesus introduces the Lord's Supper. He veers into territory He introduced in John 6. After He fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fish, the people followed. Food was hard to come by, and Jesus knew they wanted to make Him king because they thought He would provide them with all they could eat.

Instead, He said something odd: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). Then He said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (John 6:51).

Jesus doesn't mean His followers need to eat His literal flesh. Nor does bread turn into His body when it is presented for the observance of the Lord's Supper. He means that as God sent manna to nourish the Israelites, so He sent the Son to bring His children the spiritual nourishment they need (John 6:31–33). Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can be enlivened—directed and empowered—by the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:7–11).

Luke 22:14–20 records the Last Supper. Bible scholars debate at what point, exactly, Judas left this gathering, raising the unanswered question of whether he, too, participated in what we now call "communion." Jesus has warned the disciples of the hardships they will face. Yet He promises they will not perish and encourages them to remain faithful (Luke 21). The Last Supper gives them the symbols to remind them their faith is not in vain: Jesus gave His life for them, ushered in the new covenant, and rose from the dead, and He will return. The disciples' fear and doubt described in the following verses are a demonstration of our need for Jesus' work on the cross (Luke 22:21–34). Parallel accounts of the Last Supper include Matthew 26:20, 26–29; Mark 14:17, 22–25; and 1 Corinthians 11:23–26.

Luke 22 is a long chapter which records events leading to Jesus' political trials and crucifixion. He has successfully taught crowds at the temple and proved His authority over the religious leaders (Luke 19:47—20). Meanwhile the leaders have spent the week planning to arrest Jesus and have Him killed (Luke 19:47–48). This chapter records the Last Supper, the arrest on the Mount of Olives, and the trials before the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 18 cover much of the same information.

Luke 23 continues Jesus' trials before Pilate and Herod Antipas. He is then led to the cross where He forgives His murderers and saves a thief before He dies. In Luke 24, Jesus rises from the dead, meets two disciples while they travel, and explains to them how the Old Testament prophesied the death of the Messiah. In the final scene of the gospel, Jesus is reunited with His disciples, blesses them, and ascends into heaven.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.