Luke 22:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But it is one thing for us by the habit of participation to have in ourselves the Son of God, another for Himself to have been made flesh, that is, to have made the body which He took from the pure Virgin His own Body. He must needs then be in a certain manner united to our bodies by His holy Body and precious Blood, which we have received for a life-giving blessing in the bread and wine. For lest we should be shocked, seeing the Flesh and Blood placed on the holy altars, God, in compassion to our infirmities, pours into the offerings the power of life, changing them into the reality of His own flesh, that the body of life may be found in us, as it were a certain life-giving seed. He adds. Do this in commemoration of me.

This nourishment is referred to as the Eucharist, which means thanksgiving. Participation in this sacred meal is reserved for those who hold to the truth of our faith, have undergone the rite of baptism for the forgiveness of sins and new life, and strive to live according to the teachings of Christ. We approach this communion not as though it were mere bread or ordinary drink but as the very body and blood of our Savior, who became incarnate through the Word of God for our redemption. In the same way that this sacred food, consecrated through the prayer of His Word, nourishes our bodies, it is taught to us that it represents the flesh and blood of Jesus in His incarnate form. The apostles, in their accounts known as the Gospels, recorded their receiving of instruction: Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and said, ‘Do this in remembrance of me; this is my body.’ Likewise, He took a cup, gave thanks, and declared, ‘This is my blood,’ distributing it to them alone.

In a manner of imitation, the deceptive spirits have introduced similar practices within the rites of Mithras. Those familiar with these rituals will know that during the initiation, bread and a cup of water are likewise presented.

Matthew and Mark refer to it as blessing and praise. From the earliest days of Christianity, this Supper has been known as the Eucharist, or thanksgiving. Church leaders refer to it as the Eucharist and emphasize that expressing gratitude to the heavenly Father for His magnificent deeds is an essential aspect of this new service.

According to Luke, the Supper was celebrated after the Passover meal, at its conclusion. He also recounts the final act of the traditional Passover—serving the cup. In this, St. Matthew and St. Mark illustrate that while they enjoyed this meal, the Saviour performed a specific sacred act. Since the Old Testament Passover was to be superseded, the Gospel writers focus less on its observance and more on what is essential for the Christian faith. Thus, the Supper of Christ was not merely an ancient rite; rather, it took place at the end of the Passover meal as a unique act signifying the establishment of the new covenant, underscoring Christ’s ordinance, which holds eternal significance for the Church.

“Receive, this is My body, which is given for you—this is the cup of the new covenant in My blood, shed for you,” declares the Saviour. In the Apostle's writings and the Gospels, the Eucharistic cup is referred to as the blood of the new covenant. This reference alludes to the historical and prophetic moments of the Sinai covenant when Moses pronounced, “This is the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath commanded you” (Ex. 24:8). If the blood served at the Saviour's Supper represents the new covenant, it indicates that the old covenant, which is fading away (2 Cor. 3:11), exists only as a remembrance of the past, offering only its formative significance for the new faith; in its place now is the blood that cleanses the sins of the whole world. Similarly, the body of Christ, which is shared for all, replaces the Paschal lamb of the old law, serving as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Thus, a new foundation is laid for the Church throughout all ages.

“Do this in remembrance of Me,” is the clear command of the Lord, as echoed in St. Luke's message. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this when he states regarding the bread, "This do in My remembrance," and concerning the cup, "This do, whenever you drink, in My remembrance." Therefore, according to the will of the Son of God, believers are urged to repeat the actions He instituted at His impending death, and to observe this new Supper as a memorial to Him, the Redeemer of the world. The Apostle’s reiteration of this command underscores its imperative for faithfulness, and serves as a reminder that this Supper is not a mere ritual but a sacred institution meant to be upheld in Christ's Church until the end of time.

The Apostle Paul, in recounting how the Lord established the new Supper, states, “If you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). This encapsulates the understanding that the Supper ought to be celebrated as a remembrance of Christ's death until His return. Just as the gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church of Christ, neither can the wickedness of hell hinder the continuing celebration of the Saviour's Supper until His second coming.

It is a marvelous Supper! “Receive, eat, drink from it all of you,” says the Lord. St. Mark notes that all the Apostles partook, indicating that even Judas, the betrayer, was not excluded from this meal. It is misguided to claim that Judas was prohibited from receiving the Supper due to his unworthiness. The Saviour did not reveal Judas' soul as hopeless during the Supper; rather, He extended His loving invitation to him, even after the meal, aiming to prevent his grievous sin. Such is the wonderful grace of the Lord!

The Lord invites all to partake in the cup, mindful of future generations, embracing all regardless of rank, gender, or age, even including children. However, concerning the bread, the Lord does not extend the same invitation, as children cannot partake in the Eucharist due to their age's limitations. If the cup is referred to with the directive, “Drink from it, all of you,” then those who separate themselves from the communal cup act contrary to the Lord's will. Likewise, those who reject both the bread and the cup due to obstinacy make their own will a law, directly opposing the will of the Son of God.

At the heart of the Supper of Christ is a profound mystery. “Take, eat; this is My body; drink of it, all of you; this is My blood,” says the Lord. His words draw attention to what is offered as something extraordinary, advocating for a posture of reverence. “Receive—the bread is My body; the wine is My blood.” He does not claim, “This bread represents My body,” but emphasizes, “This is My body; this is My blood,” indicating that while what is offered appears as bread and wine to the senses, it is truly the genuine body and blood of Christ.

In St. Luke's account, the Lord asserts, “This is the cup of the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” This signifies the contents of the cup—the blood of Christ poured out for humanity, thus affirming the new covenant's validity. The other Gospel writers declare, “This is My blood of the new covenant.” Therefore, the Saviour makes clear that just as the covenant meal of the old covenant involved actually consuming food and sprinkling blood (Ex. 24:6, 8), so too does the new covenant present real food and real blood that purify humanity's sins. The critical difference is that the old covenant's food and blood were mere representations of what is truly offered in the new covenant, which is reality without temporal meaning.

The Saviour had previously promised what He would offer at this Supper, declaring, “The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will offer for the life of the world” (John 6:51). This food is unmistakably the flesh of Christ. It is clear that the very sustenance He provided at the Supper was intended as His sacrificial flesh. The Jews grasped this and questioned, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” (John 6:52). Responding to their inquiry, the Saviour does not retract His statements regarding His flesh; rather, He reinforces them with even stronger affirmations. “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 abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53, 56). Thus, this remarkable food is indeed the body and blood of the Lord, possessing divine qualities that nourish and sustain spiritual life, uniting the believer with their Lord.

The Apostle Paul, after narrating the Lord's establishment of the new Supper, also provides guidance for its participants. He warns that anyone who partakes unworthily is culpable regarding the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27), implying that such an individual, disregarding Christ, shares the same culpability as those who rejected Him. Therefore, in Christ's Supper, His body and blood are indeed presented. The Apostle asserts that those who partake hastily do so to their own judgment, failing to discern the body of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:29). He presents the body of the Lord as something tangible during the Supper, deserving of reverent focus and evaluation, rather than as mere symbolism.

He teaches, “Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread that we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ? Though we are many, we are one body, for we all partake of one bread” (1 Cor. 10:16, 17). In this teaching, the term “communion” replaces the notion of mere representation. Therefore, when we partake of the sacramental bread and wine, we do not partake of mere symbols, but rather of the true body and blood of our Lord.

Furthermore, in light of the inherently unified meaning of Christ's body, the communion of body and blood cannot be reduced to the interpretations suggested for those who are mentally challenged, infants, or seriously disturbed individuals. Let us not doubt the genuine presence of the body and blood of Christ at the Lord's Supper. Is it conceivable that the all-powerful Son of God could not transform the bread and wine into His body and blood at His discretion? In Him resides the entirety of the Godhead. He calmed the tumultuous sea and turned water into wine at a mere command, raised the dead, and restored health to the hopelessly afflicted. His power mirrors the infinite capability of the Creator of the universe (John 1:3).

The Son of God, having loved His own until the very end, left a miraculous testament of His power and authority, affirming the divinity of His teachings and deeds. He bequeathed this Supper so that the faithful might continually commune with the life-giving power of heavenly love, thereby finding solace for their conscious pain caused by sin, strength amid their frailties, comfort during trials, and shelter from adversaries. Oh, how wonderfully consistent this is with the endless love of the Son of God! Praise and glory be to You, O infinite Love. Amen.

He took the round loaf, offered thanks to the Father, and upon breaking it into pieces, distributed them to His disciples, saying, “Receive, eat: this is My body.” He then blessed the cup of wine, instructing them, “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,” and He commanded, “This you shall do in My remembrance.” The apostles then partook of this true sustenance that grants eternal life in communion with the Son of God, a promise the Lord had shared earlier in the synagogue of Capernaum. Even then, the full significance of this sacrament was beyond their understanding, still clouded by their Jewish heritage, but the Lord entrusted its revelation to a later time. Meanwhile, having offered them the assurance of His everlasting unity through Communion, He continued His dialogue, speaking as the initiator of the New Testament and bidding farewell as a Father would to His children.

Paul differs from the first two Gospels regarding the words of the sacrament of the body of Christ, stating, "this is given for you," followed by the Lord's instruction, "do this in remembrance of Me," and offers a variation in the description of the blood of Christ as "this cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you." In contrast, Matthew and Mark refer to it as "this is My blood of the New Testament, which is poured out for many." Furthermore, at the conclusion of the institution of the Eucharist, Matthew and Mark relay the statements attributed to Christ during the initial cup of the Passover meal, wherein He proclaims, "I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of my Father." The intent of this statement echoes Luke’s account. If Christ reiterated it, it likely occurred after the fourth cup following the establishment of the Eucharist.

Regarding the phrases "this is My body," and "this is My blood," questions arise concerning the interpretation of "is" – whether to be understood literally or in a symbolic sense. Christ and St. Paul provide clarity on this matter. In His teaching about the bread of life, Christ firmly states that He will give His flesh for the sustenance of humanity, declaring that unless one eats the flesh of the Son of Man and drinks His blood, one cannot have eternal life (John 6:51-58). The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, addresses the matter of idolatry by referring to the Christian Supper, asking if the cup of blessing is not a participation in the blood of Christ and if the broken bread is not a sharing in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16). The concept that the body and blood of Christ are present at the Christian Supper is so clear to Paul and his audience that he mentions it as a known truth (10:15), drawing necessary implications from it—that just as Christians partake of Christ's body and blood, so too do Gentiles partake in communion with demons through idol sacrifices (10:19-20). Additionally, Paul uses the narrative of the Eucharist's institution to rebuke inappropriate conduct at the love feast, concluding with the admonition that anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27, cf. 23-29).

Jesus declared, "This is My Body and this is My Blood," and that assurance was sufficient for them to embrace the reality of a mystery that transcended human comprehension. This sacrament, known as the Eucharist, which translates to thanksgiving in Greek, has always been a memorial of the sacrificial atonement that Jesus Christ provided for humanity’s sins. The Book of Acts and the Letters of Paul reveal that each gathering of early Christians included the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine. In the early years of Christianity, all who attended church on Sundays and feast days participated in the Holy Mysteries.

During the meal, He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take, eat; this is My body." He then took the cup, blessed it, and shared it with them, proclaiming, "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 communing them with His holy body and precious blood, He instructed them to continue administering this sacrament in remembrance of Him. The holy Church carries on this practice, finding in it a blessed means of a deeper union with Christ than what the disciples experienced prior to the establishment of this sacrament, which permanently replaced the Old Testament Passover.