Then He took the cup
In the context of the Last Supper, the cup represents the new covenant in Jesus' blood. This act is deeply rooted in Jewish Passover traditions, where wine is consumed as part of the Seder meal. The cup symbolizes the blood of Christ, which will be shed for the forgiveness of sins. This moment foreshadows Jesus' sacrificial death and the establishment of a new covenant between God and humanity, as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34.

gave thanks
The act of giving thanks, or "Eucharisteo" in Greek, is significant as it reflects Jesus' gratitude and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, even in the face of impending suffering. This thanksgiving is a model for believers, emphasizing gratitude in all circumstances. It also connects to the Jewish tradition of blessing God before partaking in food and drink, highlighting the continuity between the Old and New Covenants.

and gave it to them
By distributing the cup to His disciples, Jesus includes them in the new covenant. This act signifies the communal aspect of the faith, where believers are united in Christ's sacrifice. It also prefigures the practice of Communion or the Lord's Supper, a central rite in Christian worship that commemorates Jesus' death and resurrection.

saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
Jesus' instruction to "drink from it, all of you" emphasizes the inclusivity of His sacrifice. It is a call to all believers to partake in the benefits of His atoning death. This phrase underscores the universal offer of salvation through Christ, breaking down barriers of ethnicity, status, and gender, as echoed in Galatians 3:28. The communal drinking from the cup also symbolizes the unity of the body of Christ, the Church, in sharing in His sufferings and glory.

1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is the one who initiates the sharing of the cup, symbolizing the New Covenant in His blood.

2. The Disciples
The immediate audience to whom Jesus offers the cup. They represent the early followers of Christ and, by extension, all believers.

3. The Last Supper
The event during which this passage takes place. It is the final meal Jesus shares with His disciples before His crucifixion.

4. Jerusalem
The city where the Last Supper occurs, significant as the center of Jewish religious life and the location of Jesus' impending crucifixion.

5. The Cup
Symbolizes the New Covenant in Jesus' blood, which is shed for the forgiveness of sins.The Significance of Thanksgiving
Jesus "gave thanks" before sharing the cup. This act of gratitude, even in the face of impending suffering, teaches us the importance of thankfulness in all circumstances.

The Inclusivity of the New Covenant
Jesus instructs all His disciples to drink from the cup, symbolizing that the new covenant is available to all believers, not just a select few.

The Symbolism of the Cup
The cup represents Jesus' blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins. This act of drinking is a profound reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made and the grace extended to us.

The Call to Communion
Participating in the Lord's Supper is a call to remember and proclaim Jesus' death until He comes again, fostering unity and reflection within the body of Christ.

Living in Covenant Relationship
As recipients of the new covenant, believers are called to live in a way that reflects the transformative power of Jesus' sacrifice, pursuing holiness and love.(27) He took the cup, and gave thanks.--The better MSS. omit the article; thus making it, "a cup." In the later ritual of the Passover, the cup of wine (or rather, of wine mingled with water) was passed round three times in the course of the supper. One such cup had been passed round early in the evening (Luke 22:17); now another becomes, under a solemn consecration, the symbol of a diviner truth than had yet been revealed to the listening and wondering disciples.

Verse 27. - He took the cup. Many good manuscripts have "a cup," and some modern editors omit the article; but this cup was the only one on the table at the time; so the reading matters not. This was probably the third cup at the close of the Paschal meal (see on ver. 21). The wine of the country is what we call a red wine (compare "the blood of grapes," Genesis 49:11); it was mixed with a little water when used at the table. This third cup was termed "the cup of blessing" (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:16), because over it was spoken a special benediction, and it was regarded as the principal cup, following, as it did, the eating of the lamb. Gave thanks (εὐχαριστήσας). The thanksgiving was a blessing (see on ver. 26). The celebration of Christ's death and the remembrance of the incalculable blessings obtained thereby may well be termed the Holy Eucharist, the great sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Gave (ἔδωκεν) it to them. The aorist here used would imply strictly that he gave the cup once for all, herein differentiating the action from that employed in distributing the bread. St. Luke's expression, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves," refers to an earlier stage of the supper. In the present connection he nearly agrees with the other synoptists. It is possible that the cup was passed from hand to hand after it had been blessed by Christ. Drink ye all of it. St Mark adds, "And they all drank of it." Strange it is that, with these words written in the Scripture, any Church should have the hardihood to deny the cup to any qualified Christian. The Romanist's assertion that the cup is for priests alone, as it was given to the apostles only, and was destined for them and their sacerdotal successors, would apply equally to the consecrated bread, and then what becomes of the general use of the ordinance? If we would have life in us, we must not only eat Christ's flesh, but drink his blood. We need to be refreshed as well as strengthened in the battle of life, and it may well be that the mutilation of the sacrament carries with it spiritual effects that impede the soul's health.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Then
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

He took
λαβὼν (labōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

[the] cup,
ποτήριον (potērion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4221: A drinking cup, the contents of the cup; fig: the portion which God allots.

gave thanks
εὐχαριστήσας (eucharistēsas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2168: From eucharistos; to be grateful, i.e. to express gratitude; specially, to say grace at a meal.

[and] gave [it]
ἔδωκεν (edōken)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

to them,
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

saying,
λέγων (legōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“Drink
Πίετε (Piete)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4095: To drink, imbibe. A prolonged form of pio, which poo occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses; to imbibe.

from
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

it,
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

all of you.
πάντες (pantes)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 26:27 He took the cup gave thanks (Matt. Mat Mt)