What is happening in this passage about Jesus and the Passover meal?

In this passage, Jesus is sharing the Passover meal with His twelve apostles on the night before He is arrested and killed. He knows His suffering is close, and He tells them how much He has longed to eat this Passover with them. During the meal He takes a cup and bread from the Passover table and gives them new meaning. He shows that He Himself is the true sacrifice, and He turns this last Passover into the first Lord’s Supper, while also revealing that one of them will betray Him.

What does Jesus mean by I have desired to eat this passover with you?

When Jesus says He has deeply desired to eat this Passover with His disciples, He is showing His love for them and the importance of this moment. This is the last meal He will share with them before He suffers and dies. At this meal He will explain the meaning of His death and start the new meal of remembrance. His strong desire points to how carefully planned this is in God’s purpose and how much Jesus values fellowship with His followers, even as He goes toward the cross.

What does this is my body which is given for you mean?

When Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and says, “This is my body which is given for you,” He is pointing to His own body about to be offered up in death. The bread is a sign of His body, broken and given over to bring salvation. He is not speaking of another sacrifice in the future, but of the one death He is about to die. When believers eat the bread in faith, they remember and receive by faith the benefit of that once‑for‑all sacrifice on the cross.

What is the new covenant in my blood that Jesus speaks about?

Jesus calls the cup “the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.” The wine in the cup is a sign of His blood that will soon be poured out in death. By this, God makes a new covenant with His people, not based on animal sacrifices, but on Jesus’ own life given for the forgiveness of sins. The word “new” shows that something better has come, promised long before. When believers drink the cup, they remember that their relationship with God rests on Jesus’ shed blood, not on their own works.

Why does Jesus say He will not eat or drink again until the kingdom of God comes?

Jesus says He will not eat this Passover or drink the fruit of the vine again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. He is marking the end of the old Passover meal as it had been kept under the old covenant. He is about to die as the true Passover sacrifice, so the old form reaches its goal in Him. His words also look forward to the full coming of God’s kingdom, when the meaning of this meal will be fully seen. It shows both an ending and a sure hope of what is yet to come.

Why does Jesus command do this in remembrance of me?

When Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me,” He is giving His followers a lasting command. The bread and cup are to be shared again and again to keep His death before their hearts and minds. This is not another sacrifice, but a way to remember the one sacrifice He made. As believers gather, give thanks, break bread, and share the cup, they remember that He gave His body and shed His blood for them. This regular remembrance keeps their faith centered on His finished work, not on themselves.

Why is it important that the betrayer’s hand is with Jesus on the table?

Jesus says, “Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.” This shows how close the betrayer is, sharing the same table and meal. It underlines how deep betrayal can be, even among those who seem to be in close fellowship. At the same time, Jesus is not surprised. He knows this will happen and says the Son of man goes as it was determined. God’s plan will be carried out, yet the one who betrays Him is still responsible and faces great sorrow for what he has chosen to do.

What does as it was determined but woe unto that man teach about God’s plan and human choice?

When Jesus says the Son of man goes as it was determined, He shows that His death is part of God’s settled plan, not an accident. Yet He adds, “but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed,” which shows that the betrayer is still guilty for his actions. Both truths stand together. God’s purpose in saving through Jesus’ death will surely happen, and at the same time, those who choose evil are not excused. This warns us that we cannot blame God for our sin, even while He works out His purpose.

How did the disciples react when Jesus said one of them would betray Him?

When Jesus reveals that one of those at the table will betray Him, the disciples do not first point fingers at each other. Instead, they begin to question among themselves which of them it might be. This shows their shock that such a thing could happen from within their own group. It also hints that each one knows his own weakness. Their reaction invites readers to look at their own hearts as well, not to assume that sin and betrayal are only problems for others far away from Jesus.

Luke.22.14

Luke 22:14

KJV

And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.