Luke 22:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Initially, there is a teaching on the bread, followed by instruction regarding the cup. Before there can be fruitful action, it often requires effort and skill. Righteousness is born from toil, much like how bread is cultivated through labor, and it demands effort even in consumption (Genesis 3:19). After this labor, there follows a celebration in God's grace, represented by the cup. Those who strive in pure virtue will eventually receive blessings and experience a joyful influence, renouncing worldly attachments, akin to Paul and David, or even bolder, following the example of God in the prophet Habakkuk (Hab. 3:14).

Can the malice of the devil be more tenacious than the will of God? Certainly not: for this was rendered void, and the mercy of the Creator outweighed the destructive results of evil. He has provided aid to those who inhabit this earth. And how did He provide this assistance? In an incredible and admirable manner, befitting God’s nature; indeed, most worthy of the Supreme Intelligence. For God the Father, by His very essence, is Life; and it is through this essence that He gave life to the Son, who is Life itself. It could only be so with Him who is the Word, eternally emanating from Life; thus, He must also be Life itself, as He is derived from Life, from Him who begot Him. God the Father, therefore, imparts life to all creation through the Son in the Holy Spirit: everything that exists and breathes in heaven and on earth draws its existence and vitality from God the Father, through the Son in the Holy Spirit. Consequently, neither the nature of angels, nor any other creature, nor anything that has been brought from nothingness into existence, possesses life inherently; rather, life flows from that Substance which transcends all, which alone possesses the ability to grant life because it is, by its essence, Life itself. How, then, can a mortal man, clothed in decay, achieve incorruption? I contend that this perishable flesh must partake of the life-giving power that originates from God. This divine, life-giving power of God the Father is the Only Begotten Word, who He sent to us as our Savior and Redeemer. The way in which He sent Him is made clear by the Blessed John the Theologian, who states that “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” He took on flesh, not by any transformation into something different, nor because He ceased to be the Word, for He is not subject to the shadow of change; but rather, He was born of a woman, taking to Himself the body derived from her, to unite with us through an indissoluble bond, enabling us to rise above death and decay. Paul supports this, stating, “For as the children are partakers of blood and flesh, even so He is partaker of the same, that by death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and liberate those who throughout their lives were held in bondage by the fear of death.” “For He does not take hold of angels, but He takes hold of the seed of Abraham, and for this purpose, He must, in all things, become like His brethren,” that is, like us. He was made in our likeness, assuming our flesh, so that by resurrecting it, He might prepare a path for the flesh, which had been subjected to death, to regain its incorruptibility. For we are united with Him just as we were with Adam when he brought death upon himself. Paul illustrates this clearly, stating, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead,” and again, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Thus, the Word, having united Himself with the flesh that was subject to death, being God and Life, expelled corruption from it, transforming it into a Source of life, as must be the body of Life itself. Do not doubt what has been said, but trust in faith, substantiated by a few examples. When you immerse a piece of bread in wine or oil or any other liquid, it absorbs the properties of that substance. When iron encounters fire, it is filled with its power, and even while remaining iron, it adopts the energy of fire. Similarly, the life-giving Word of God, when united with His flesh in a manner known only to God, imbued it with the capacity to grant life. He attests to this when He declares, “Truly I say to you, he who believes in Me has eternal life. I am the bread of life.” Again, He says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world. Truly I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the Father sent Me alive, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me will live because of Me.” Therefore, by consuming the holy flesh of Christ, our Savior, and drinking His precious blood, we possess life within ourselves, as it were becoming one with Him, remaining in Him and having Him within us. Let none of the unbelievers assert, “Since the Word of God, being Life by nature, also lives in us, does the body of each one of us carry the power of life?” They should understand that it is entirely different when the Son resides in us through relative participation, and when He became flesh, that is, when He took on His own body from the blessed Virgin. For it is not said that He became incarnate and became flesh by existing among us; rather, this was a singular event, when He became man without ceasing to be God. The body of the Word was that which He received from the holy Virgin, becoming one with Him; but how and in what way this occurred, we cannot explain, as it is impossible to articulate and utterly beyond reason; He alone understands the nature of this union. Therefore, it was fitting for Him to be in us by the divine Holy Spirit, and also, in a sense, to merge with our bodies through His holy flesh and precious blood, which we receive in the form of life-giving Eucharist, as bread and wine. For to prevent our horror at witnessing (real) flesh and blood upon the holy altars of our churches, God, accommodating our weaknesses, imparts into the presented elements the power of life, making them effective for our communion so that the body of Life may be within us as the seed that propagates life. Do not doubt this, for He plainly states, “This is My Body,” “This is My Blood.” Accept with faith the word of our Savior, for being the Truth, He cannot deceive. In this way, you will honor Him, for as the wise John asserts, “Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God.” Indeed, the words of God are true and cannot be false: although we may not comprehend how God accomplishes such works, He knows the ways of His doings. When Nicodemus struggled to understand His statements regarding holy baptism and foolishly inquired, “How can this be?” he heard Christ respond, “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” For how can humanity comprehend that which exceeds our reasoning and intellect? Therefore, let this Divine mystery be celebrated in faith.

This meal is known as the Eucharist, which means thanksgiving. Participation is reserved for those who uphold the truths of our faith, have undergone the cleansing of baptism for the forgiveness of sins and new birth, and live according to the teachings of Christ. We partake of it not as mere bread or common drink, but as the body and blood of Christ our Savior, who became incarnate through the Word of God for our salvation. Similarly, this bread that has been blessed through the prayer of His Word, and from which our physical bodies are nourished, is, as we have been taught, the very flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus.

The apostles, in their written accounts known as the Gospels, indicate that they were commanded to perform these actions: Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and said, "Do this in remembrance of me; this is my body." In the same manner, He took a cup, gave thanks, and declared, "This is my blood," giving it solely to them. In a misguided imitation, evil spirits have prompted similar practices in the rites of Mithras, where, as you may know, bread and a cup of water are offered upon the initiation of those entering into their ceremonies.

This perspective diminishes the eternal nature of the sacrifice and the solemn sacrament through which we embrace the promise of eternal life. As our venerable Father John Chrysostom elucidates in his numerous interpretations of the letters of the Apostle Paul, such misunderstandings incur serious consequences.

This indicates that I offer this Sacrament to you for regular administration—not just once, twice, or thrice, but daily, as the divine Chrysostom elucidates, in remembrance of My sufferings, My death, and the entirety of My plan for salvation. The words of the Lord distinctly highlight two essential aspects of Communion: one is the authoritative command they convey, and the other is the ongoing nature indicated by the term ‘do,’ which signifies that we are not merely mandated to receive Communion, but to do so continually. Thus, it is clear that an Orthodox Christian is not permitted to disregard this command, regardless of their status, but instead bears the responsibility and obligation to uphold it faithfully, embracing it as the Lord's commandments and statutes.

Matthew and Mark refer to it as blessing and praise. From the earliest days of Christianity, this Meal has been recognized as the Eucharist, symbolizing thanksgiving. The early Church leaders referred to this new Meal of Christ as the Eucharistic Supper, emphasizing that expressing gratitude to the heavenly Father for His marvelous deeds is an essential aspect of it.

Luke, the Evangelist, recounts that the Eucharist was observed after the Passover meal. He also describes the final moment of the Passover meal, which included the distribution of the cup. Consequently, the words of St. Matthew and St. Mark, “But to those who are going,” indicate that during the Passover evening meal, the Saviour performed a sacred act. As the Old Testament Passover was set to be fulfilled and abolished, the Gospel writers focused on what is vital for the Christian Church. Hence, the Eucharist is not merely an extension of the old Passover tradition; it was established as a distinct act at the conclusion of the Passover meal with a deeper significance—it signifies the ordinance of Christ, perpetually essential to the Christian community. “Take, eat; this is My body, given for you. This cup is the new covenant in My blood, poured out for you,” asserts the Saviour. The cup of the Eucharist is denoted as the blood of the new covenant in the accounts from the Apostle and all three Evangelists. The phrase “blood of the new covenant” evokes the historical and prophetic actions associated with the Sinai covenant, where Moses sprinkled blood on the people, proclaiming, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has commanded concerning you” (Ex. 24:8). Therefore, if the blood given at the Saviour’s meal is that of the new covenant, then the blood of the old covenant, now obsolete (2 Cor. 3:11), serves only as a reminder of the past; its formative aspects now find their fulfillment in the new faith, emphasizing the cleansing power of Christ's sacrifice for all humanity.

In the place of the Paschal lamb, which the old law required to be broken, the body of Christ, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, is presented. Here, we see the foundation laid for the new Church across all ages. “Do this in remembrance of Me,” is the clear directive from the Lord as also emphasized by St. Luke! In the narrative of the Apostle Paul, the Lord instructs regarding the bread of the Eucharist, saying, “Do this in remembrance of Me,” and concerning the cup, “Whenever you drink, do it in remembrance of Me.” Thus, as willed by the Son of God, believers are called to perform the same act that He did on the eve of His crucifixion, the new Meal to be observed in remembrance of Him, the world’s Redeemer. The repetition of His directive in the Apostle’s teachings stresses the importance of this observance and the necessity of approaching it in faith, fostering revitalization in the faith of believers in the Redeemer. This command shows the precise intention of the Son of God that His Meal is not a mere ritual but a sacred institution that is to be upheld in His Church until the end of time.

The apostle Paul, while recounting how the Lord established the new Meal, added: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). This understanding reveals that the Eucharist must be celebrated in commemoration of Christ's crucifixion until His glorious return. Just as the gates of hell will not overcome the Church of Christ, no evil can prevent the celebration of the Saviour's Meal until He appears again on earth. What a marvelous meal is that of Christ! “Take, eat; drink from it, all of you,” says the Lord. And all the Apostles concurred, as noted by St. Mark. Even Judas, the betrayer, was not excluded from this Meal. It is misguided to declare that Judas was unworthy of participation. The Saviour did not reveal Judas' soul as irrevocably lost throughout the meal; instead, He continued to extend His message of love, even after the meal, striving to steer him away from sin. What incredible compassion from the Lord! “Drink from it, all of you.” The Lord invites everyone to partake of the cup, with His vision encompassing all future generations, inviting all, regardless of status, gender, or age—including children. However, He did not express the same invitation concerning the bread, recognizing that children, due to their age, are not able to partake of it.

When it is stated, “Drink from it, all of you,” those who separate themselves from the cup intended for the laity act in contradiction to the Lord’s desire. Likewise, those who refrain from the bread and cup owing to obstinacy impose their own will as the standard, thus clearly neglecting the will of the Son of God. The core issue regarding the Meal of Christ lies in its profound mystery. “Take, eat; this is My body; drink from it, all of you; this is My blood,” articulates the Lord. He captivates our attention towards what is offered as something extraordinary, emphasizing that this invitation deserves deep reverence. When He states, “This is My body; this is My blood,” He does not mean that the bread represents the body or the wine symbolizes the blood; instead, He clarifies that what is offered maintains the appearance of bread and wine for our senses but is, in truth, the actual body and blood of Christ.

In St. Luke, the Lord states, “This is the cup of the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” The cup cannot pour out itself, thus these words signify what it contains—the blood of Christ, shed for humanity, by which the new covenant is ratified. The other Evangelists express, “This is My blood of the new covenant.” Through this, the Saviour illustrates that as in the old covenant, the covenant meal was genuinely consumed, and the blood was sprinkled (Ex. 24:6-8), so within the new covenant, authentic food and true blood are provided that cleanse the sins of mankind, with the critical difference that the offerings of the old covenant were merely foreshadowings of what is presented in the new covenant, which are actual realities of immense significance.

What the Saviour promised to give His disciples at the new Meal, He had anticipated earlier, stating, “The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). It is clear that this promised food is to be offered as Christ’s flesh is yielded up for the salvation of the world, and this very food is none other than the flesh of Christ. The Jews grasped this reality posed the question, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52). The Saviour, in responding to them, not only affirms the truth of His words regarding His flesh but elaborates on it with even stronger and more explicit expressions. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him at the last day” (John 6:53, 54). Thus, it is evident that this extraordinary food constitutes the body and blood of the Lord; it possesses remarkable properties: it nourishes and sustains spiritual life and unites the believer with their Lord.

According to the apostle Paul, after recounting the Lord's institution of the new Meal, he gave guidance for those partaking in it, warning that anyone who eats or drinks in an unworthy manner is guilty of disrespecting the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27). This implies that an unworthy participant neglects the significance of the body and blood of Christ and stands condemned as if they were still under the old covenant. Therefore, at Christ's Meal, the body and blood of Christ are indeed present. The Apostle cautions, “He who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body” (1 Cor. 11:29). The Apostle presents the body of the Lord as an object present at the Lord's Meal, worthy of reverent attention and evaluation, rather than as a mere symbol. He teaches, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:16, 17).

In this teaching, the communion of body and blood is framed within the concept of communion. Thus, when we partake of the sacramental bread and wine, we are not consuming mere representations of the body and blood but are participating in the actual body and blood of our Lord. Furthermore, considering the inseparable significance of the body of Christ, the communion of the body and blood could not carry the same meaning for those who are weak-minded, infants, and those with severe mental disturbances. Beloved, we must hold firm in our belief regarding the real presence of the body and blood of Christ at the Lord's Table! Is it not possible for the omnipotent Son of God to transform the bread and wine into His body and blood whenever He wishes? In Him dwells the fullness of divinity. He calmed storms, turned water into wine with just a command, raised the dead, and healed the incurably ill. His power is as limitless as that of the Creator Himself (John 1:3). The Son of God, who loved His own until the end, left behind a miraculous testament of His power and will—a Meal at which the faithful, until the end of time, will partake of the life-giving grace of heaven’s love, finding solace for their sin-weary consciences, strength in their weaknesses, comfort amid tribulations, and deliverance from their foes. Oh, how harmonious it is with the boundless love of the Son of God! Praise and glory be to You, O unfathomable Love. Amen.

He took the bread, gave thanks to the Father, broke it, and distributed the pieces to His disciples, proclaiming, “Receive, eat: this is My body.” He also blessed and shared the cup of wine, instructing, “Drink from it, all of you; this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.” He commanded, “This you shall do in My remembrance.” The apostles then partook of the true bread and true drink that grant eternal life in fellowship with the Son of God, a promise the Lord had made during His discourse in the synagogue of Capernaum. Even at that moment, the profound nature of this sacrament remained beyond their understanding, still clouded by their Jewish traditions. Yet the Lord chose to reveal its significance in due time. In the meantime, having bestowed upon them in Communion a confirmation of His everlasting bond with them, He continued to converse with them, speaking as the one who established the New Testament, bidding them farewell like a caring Father with His children.

Paul’s description in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 diverges from the first two Gospels, stating in his account of the sacrament of Christ’s body: “This is given for you,” and includes the command of the Lord to “Do this in remembrance of Me.” When discussing the sacrament of His blood, Paul provides a slightly different rendering of the Lord’s words: “This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (while Matthew and Mark say, “This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many”). At the conclusion of the Eucharistic institution, Matthew and Mark share the saying that, according to Luke, Christ pronounced with the first cup of the Passover meal: “I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of this vine until the day when I drink it anew with you in the kingdom of My Father.” This saying carries the same meaning as in Luke. If the Lord repeated it, it was likely during the fourth cup that followed the establishment of the Eucharist.

Regarding the phrases such as "This is My body" and "This is My blood," there is a question of the interpretation of "is"—whether it should be taken literally or in a figurative sense, such as signifies or represents. A clear response is provided by Christ Himself and St. Paul. In His teaching on the bread from heaven, Christ emphatically asserts that He will give His flesh for people to eat, declaring, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:51-58). In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul demonstrates that participation in idolatry is insignificant by referring to the Christian Supper, querying, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a participation in the blood of Christ?” and “Is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16). The notion that the body and blood of Christ are present during the Christian Supper is so evident that Paul treats it as a widely recognized truth (cf. v. 15), which he utilizes to derive pertinent conclusions—that just as Christians partake of Christ’s body and blood at the Supper, the Gentiles who sacrifice to idols share in communion with demons (cf. 16-20).

In another part of the same letter, Paul addresses the inappropriate conduct of Christians during the love feast; to illustrate his point, he recounts the Lord’s establishment of the Eucharist and applies it as follows: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27, cf. 23-29).

As He shared the meal, He "took bread, and having blessed it, broke it, and handing it to His disciples, said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' And taking the cup, and blessing it, He gave it to them, and said, 'Drink of it all of you: for this is My blood of the New Testament, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.'” After sharing His pure body and precious blood with them, He instructed them to perpetually observe this sacrament in His memory. The holy Church continues to fulfill this command, possessing in this sacrament a means of even deeper communion with Christ than what the disciples experienced prior to its establishment, which eternally succeeded the Passover of the Old Testament.

In terms of remembrance, only the Evangelist Luke records the Lord's directive, though the Apostle Paul also refers to these words when discussing the establishment of the sacred meal, having received this knowledge directly from the Lord (1 Cor. 11:23 ff.). The apostle elucidates the meaning behind these words. He says, "Just as you commemorate the Passover, recalling the wonders performed in Egypt, so partake in this sacrament to remember Me." Furthermore, just as Moses proclaimed, "This shall be a memorial to you forever" (Deuteronomy 16:10), Christ similarly instructs, "Do this in My remembrance until I return" (as referenced by Chrysostom).