THE LAST PASSOVER and the Kingdom of God

In our passage from Dr. Luke’s Gospel this Lord’s Day, the Lord Jesus participates in his last Passover meal with his disciples. In the larger context of Luke’s Gospel we have learned that the temple in Jerusalem (type) is giving way to fulfillment in Jesus (anti-type, 21:5-6; John 2:19ff), so also the ceremonial feasts (types) of the Old Covenant Epoch are also giving way to fulfillment and reality in Jesus (anti-type) now that he has come to establish the New Covenant.

This is why Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper to memorialize his death that is imminent and also to feed his Kingdom disciples during the period between His first and second comings. Although this passage has been popularly referred to as “the Last Supper” it would be better to understand refer to is as “the Last Passover”. Jesus will be betrayed, handed over to the Jewish leaders and Romans to be arrogantly mocked, brutally beaten, and then killed all as part of God’s sovereign decree for His Beloved Son (Luke 9:21-22, 44; Acts 2:23; 4:28). In the death of the Son we see the revelation and realization of the final Passover Lamb sacrificed, in the Lord’s Supper we see the revelation and realization of the hope for all sinners who believe!