The Last Supper
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for your, do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
Luke 22:14-20
Then to what degree should we be like Jesus? We have to reach the point where we are one with Jesus in flesh and blood. That's why he set up the condition of the sacrament: We should feel that we are actually eating Jesus' flesh and blood. We should actually feel Jesus' life and love for us more than anything else when we are eating the bread; and when drinking the wine, we should really feel that we are drinking his blood. Without such actual sense experience, salvation cannot be affected. This was Jesus' method to bring mankind out of Satan's world into God's world. Through this communion Satan is cut off and mankind is engrafted into Jesus -- a communion with him resulting in one flesh, one blood, in other words: one mankind.
How Can We Become One with God?
January 15, 1972
What is the meaning of Jesus' words to his disciples, "You must drink my blood and eat my flesh"? Implied in those words is Jesus' earnest heart that pleads to you, "Even though I leave you, you have to become the owners of all the tasks that fall within the sphere of the dispensation and accomplish my unfulfilled wishes."
The blood that the disciples received from Jesus symbolized the spiritual aspect. The flesh symbolizes the physical aspect and also signifies the Holy Spirit... Therefore, through partaking of the flesh and blood, the communion of Jesus and the Holy Spirit established them as central figures who would head single-mindedly for God's purpose. What is more, the blood of Jesus symbolizes heaven while his flesh symbolizes the earth. Accordingly, the hope and aspirations of Jesus are so great as to fill the cosmos.
Now, after having been sanctified through the Holy Spirit, your minds should be linked to the holy body of Jesus. This is a type of historical restoration. When God created Adam and Eve, he first created the body and then created the spirit. He created their physical body, and then he blew life into their nostrils. Just as the two principles are combined to create one man, similarly in the course of restoration until now, the works of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, which combine heaven and earth, are being carried on in conjunction.
When you think about this, you have to realize how important is the responsibility we bear. We insignificant apostles actually determine the fate of heaven and earth. You represent the apostles! You have been born with the holy body of Jesus, and you must manifest the power of Jesus' life as you work on behalf of God. Inspirational works of the Holy Spirit, which act on behalf of heaven, must emerge from you. When you move as one to do the will of Jesus Christ, who seeks to restore the whole world of creation, heaven will move according to the direction you move.
...What did Jesus command as he was giving out his flesh and blood to the disciples? He said, "Take this and divide it among you." Since we have received the flesh and blood of Jesus, as long as we take responsibility for the problems in heaven on behalf of Jesus, then the will of God will be fulfilled. This is the wish of heaven.
The Pledge that Must Be Fulfilled
July 8, 1956
As he distributed the bread and wine, Jesus told the twelve disciples whom he loved; "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." He meant that until the sorrows of all human beings are resolved on the earth, he also cannot rest in peace. Understanding this situation, we should never cause Jesus to feel more lonely, painful, or constrained.
We should experience all these situations with our mind and body to understand the situation of Jesus, and on his behalf fight with Satan and win over him to put God's worries to rest. If we cannot become the ones who can take care of the people of this earth in Jesus' place, then we will not be able to receive Jesus who is coming to this earth in the Last Days.
The Lord Is My Good Shepherd
March 25, 1957
The Last Supper was given by Jesus, to the Church, as a symbolic reminder of His love for and obedience to God and his desire to free us from sin through His death on the cross. The Last Supper is symbolic. It is a channel through which we are reminded of the saving grace we have received.
The Last Supper is the last meal Jesus ate with His disciples before His betrayal and arrest. It is recorded in the Gospels: Matthew 26:17–30, Mark 14:12–26, Luke 22:7–30
It was also a Passover meal which symbolized the passing of the Hebrew people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt to the journey to Canaan. Exodus 11:1-13:16
Jesus brought the observance of the Passover to its fulfillment. During the Last Supper with His apostles, Jesus took two symbols associated with Passover and permeated them with fresh meaning to remember His sacrifice, “After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ 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.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” Luke 22:17–20.
One of the important moments of the Last Supper is Jesus’ command to remember what He was about to do on behalf of all mankind: shed His blood on the cross thereby paying the debt of our sins: Luke 22:19.
In addition to predicting His suffering and death for our salvation: Luke 22:15–16,
Jesus also used the Last Supper to foretell Peter’s denial of Him: Luke 22:34 and Judas Iscariot’s betrayal, Matthew 26:21–24, John 6:35,52,54-55
Jesus’ words during the Last Supper about the unleavened bread and the cup echo what He had said after He fed the 5000 after his Sermon on the Mount: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. . . . I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. . . . Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink). Salvation comes through Christ and the sacrifice of His physical body on the cross.
Also during the Last Supper, Jesus taught the principles of servanthood and forgiveness as He washed His disciples’ feet: “The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” Luke 22:26–27, John 13:1–20
Typically, the Passover meal was a family celebration. However, at the Last Supper, the apostles were alone with Jesus. Luke 22:14 which suggests that this particular meal has specific meaning for the church, of which the apostles became the foundation Ephesians 2:19-20. While the Last Supper had implications for the Jews, it was designed for the future church as well. The Last Supper today is remembered during the Lord’s Supper, or communion 1 Corinthians 11:23–33.
The Last Supper was rooted in the Old Covenant even as it brought in the New. Jeremiah 31:31 promised a New Covenant between God and Israel, in which God said, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” Jeremiah 31:33.
Jesus made a direct reference to this New Covenant during the Last Supper: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” Luke 22:20. A new dispensation was on the horizon. In God’s grace, the New Covenant applies to more than Israel; everyone who has faith in Christ can be saved. Ephesians 2:12–14.
The Last Supper was a significant event and proclaimed a turning point in God’s plan for the world. In comparing the crucifixion of Jesus to the feast of Passover, we can see the redeeming nature of Christ’s death. As symbolized by the original Passover sacrifice in the Old Testament, Christ’s death atones for the sins of His people; His blood rescues us from death and saves us from the bondage of sin. Today, the Lord’s Supper is a time when believers reflect upon Christ’s sacrifice and know that, through our faith in believing in Him, we will be with Him forever. Luke 22:18; Revelation 3:20.
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