Communion; This cup is the new testament in my blood, which shall for you be shed / Communion

What did Jesus mean

Remember me.

Where did Jesus say this

Luke 22:14–20 — “And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve Apostles with him. And he said unto them: I have inwardly desired to eat this Easter lamb with you before that I suffer. For I say unto you: henceforth I will not eat of it any more until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said: Take this, and divide it among you. For I say unto you: I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God be come. And he took bread, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: This is my body which is given for you. This do in the remembrance of me. Likewise also, when they had supped, he took the cup, saying: This cup is the new testament in my blood, which shall for you be shed.”

A quick sidenote

Easter lamb refers to Passover. Depending on which version of the Bible you’re reading, you might see one or the other. Here’s the shortened version of Passover: God freed enslaved Israelites from Egypt. God said you have to sacrifice a lamb, wipe the blood of the lamb on your door, eat the lamb (with some unleavened bread), and then be freed. This allows them to “skip” the final plague, which is the death of the firstborn. This sacrifice became a ritual, similar to how communion became a ritual. And similarly, perhaps both events were mischaracterized and misinterpreted.

Words Behind the Words

Testament in Greek is diathēkē, which means “arrangement.” Testament in Hebrew is b’rit, which means “sacred bond or alliance.” Jesus spoke Aramaic; Luke wrote the Bible in Greek (diathēkē), and the Greek word reaches all the way back to Hebrew (the old covenant). It’s important to know the words behind the words to fully understand what Jesus said.

So when Jesus says “this cup is the new testament in my blood, which shall for you be shed,” he’s telling his apostles/disciples (which expands to each and every one of his followers): I am going to die tomorrow. My blood will literally be shed for you. With my death, we are forming a new bond with humanity.

His blood was not in the cup. It was a speech, and he used a metaphor.

What Jesus did not mean

Jesus did not mean…

To drink his blood.

To eat his body.

To start a ritual off of a metaphor.

For thousands of years, people have taken this speech and used it as an “easy button”.

If you simply drink the wine, eat the cracker, and say amen, that’s enough to affirm Jesus. But it’s not, and that was never the intention.

Instead, Jesus was talking to his disciples, giving a speech, and saying the following: “I’m doing this for you. Remember me and what I have taught you about the kingdom of God.”

Two things to keep in mind here.

1. People talked weird back in the day.
2. Jesus was a man of many layers. He spoke in metaphors and pulled from historical events - like many orators do.

If he knew people would take his words and use it as an excuse to pretend like they’re drinking his blood every week, then he likely would have picked a different metaphor.

Where to start

Don’t make something this simple so abstract.

Jesus doesn’t expect you to perform a ritual to remember him. He just wants you to remember him. No ritual required.

And that’s it. That’s how you start.

Remember what Jesus did for humanity. Remember what he taught us before he left. And remember what he can still teach us moving forward.

Benefits

This wasn’t a lesson from Jesus. You can’t use this conversation to be smarter at work, to control your anxieties, or to choose better.

It was, however, a request. “Remember me. Join me, and I will share with you.”

The benefits of understanding this are vast.

You’ll understand that religion is a performance tied to a confusing set of rituals and structures.

Jesus, however, is a way of life. No performance required.