LUKE 22:14–20, THE LAST SUPPER
THE NEW COVENANT SEALED IN THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
Introduction
After the preparations are complete and the hour has finally arrived, Jesus gathers with his apostles for the Passover meal. This is not an ordinary feast. It is the final Passover of the Old Covenant and the first act of the New Covenant. Jesus knows that suffering, betrayal, and death are imminent, yet his focus is not on himself but on giving his disciples a lasting gift. At this table, love overcomes fear, self-gift replaces sacrifice of animals, and memory becomes living presence. What unfolds here stands at the heart of Christian faith and worship.
Bible Passage (Luke 22:14–20)
When the hour came, he took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I tell you that from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”
Background
The Passover commemorated Israel’s liberation from slavery in Egypt through the blood of the lamb. Each year, Jewish families remembered God’s saving action and renewed their identity as a redeemed people. Jesus deliberately chooses this sacred moment to redefine salvation. He himself becomes the true Passover Lamb. What was once remembered through ritual is now fulfilled in his own person. The Last Supper stands as the bridge between the Old Covenant and the New, between symbol and reality, between promise and fulfillment.
Opening Life Connection
Human beings instinctively want to be remembered. We preserve photos, write wills, and leave instructions before parting from loved ones. In moments before separation or death, words and actions carry extraordinary weight. Jesus, knowing this is his last meal with the apostles before suffering, chooses not to speak about himself but to give himself. The Eucharist flows from this deep human and divine desire to remain present to those we love.
Verse-by-Verse / Phrase-by-Phrase Reflection
Luke begins solemnly: “When the hour came”. This is not a random moment. It is the divinely appointed hour, long awaited in salvation history. Jesus “took his place at table with the apostles”, affirming communion. He gathers those he has called, taught, and loved, even knowing that one will betray and others will flee.
Jesus reveals his heart when he says, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”. This longing is not for food, but for communion. Even with suffering ahead, Jesus desires closeness with his disciples. Love draws him to the table.
When he says, “I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God”, he lifts their eyes beyond the present moment. The meal points forward to the heavenly banquet, where suffering will be transformed into glory.
Jesus then “took a cup, gave thanks”. Thanksgiving stands at the center of this moment. Even facing death, Jesus gives thanks to the Father. Gratitude becomes the doorway to sacrifice.
The heart of the passage follows. Jesus “took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them”. These familiar actions now receive a new meaning. When he says “This is my body, which will be given for you”, Jesus identifies himself with the bread. He does not say “this represents” but “this is”. He gives himself completely, freely, and personally.
The command “do this in memory of me” is not a call to mere recollection. In biblical understanding, memory makes past saving events present and effective. Jesus entrusts this sacred action to the apostles so that his self-gift may continue through time.
Finally, he takes the cup again and declares, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you”. Covenants in Scripture are sealed with blood. Jesus replaces the blood of animals with his own. The covenant is no longer written on stone, but sealed in his life poured out for humanity.
Jewish Historical and Religious Context
At the Passover meal, multiple cups of wine were shared, recalling God’s promises of deliverance. Jesus transforms these ritual cups into signs of the kingdom and the new covenant. Blood, which Jewish law strictly protected as sacred, is now freely given by Jesus as the source of life. He fulfills the Law not by abolishing it, but by bringing it to its deepest meaning.
Catholic Tradition and Teaching
The Church teaches that in the Eucharist, the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ. This is not symbolic language but sacramental reality. The Last Supper is the institution of the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood. Through this gift, Christ remains truly present to his Church until the end of time, nourishing believers with his own life.
Historical or Saintly Illustration
Saint John Vianney once said that if we truly understood the Eucharist, we would die of joy. His life revolved around the altar, where he recognized the same Jesus who spoke at the Last Supper. Saints across the centuries have drawn strength, courage, and holiness from this mystery of Christ’s self-gift.
Application to Christian Life Today
This Gospel invites us to examine how we approach the Eucharist. Do we see it as routine, or as the living presence of Christ who gives himself “for you”? The Eucharist calls us not only to receive, but to imitate—to become bread broken and shared for others through love, forgiveness, and service.
Eucharistic Connection
Every Mass makes present the sacrifice of the Last Supper and the cross. When the priest repeats Jesus’ words, Christ himself speaks and acts. We are not spectators of a past event, but participants in an eternal mystery that unites earth and heaven.
Messages / Call to Conversion
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Receive the Eucharist with reverence, faith, and gratitude.
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Repent of taking Christ’s presence for granted.
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Renew your commitment to live a life of self-giving love.
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Trust that Christ remains with his Church through the Eucharist.
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Make a concrete effort to prepare spiritually before receiving Holy Communion.
Outline for Preachers
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Background within the Gospel: transition from preparation to fulfillment
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Life connection: final meals and lasting gifts
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Key verses and phrases explained: the hour came, I have eagerly desired, this is my body, new covenant in my blood
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Jewish historical and religious context: Passover, covenant, sacrifice
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Catholic teaching and tradition: Real Presence, Eucharist, priesthood
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Saintly or historical illustration: saints’ devotion to the Eucharist
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Application to life today: reverence, imitation, self-gift
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Eucharistic connection: Mass as living continuation of the Last Supper
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Key messages and call to conversion
