What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 11:25? In the same way Paul links the cup to the bread just mentioned (1 Corinthians 11:23-24). The phrase tells us Jesus handled both elements with equal purpose: • Luke 22:19-20 presents the same sequence, underscoring one unified ordinance. • Mark 14:22-24 shows bread first, cup second, proving the pattern is intentional, not random. • Just as the bread literally represented His body given, the cup literally represents His blood shed. after supper He took the cup This took place immediately following the Passover meal, pointing back to God’s redemption of Israel (Exodus 12). • Luke 22:20: “In the same way, after supper He took the cup.” • Timing after the meal distinguishes the cup from every other part of the feast—Jesus is inaugurating something new, not merely repeating tradition. • The cup was likely the third Passover cup, traditionally called “the cup of redemption,” reinforcing the substitutionary theme (compare Exodus 6:6). saying When Jesus speaks, revelation becomes command. • Hebrews 1:2 reminds us God “has spoken to us by His Son.” • Matthew 7:29 notes He taught with authority; the Lord’s table carries that same authority. • The church does not devise the ordinance; it receives it directly from Christ’s own words. This cup is the new covenant in My blood • Jeremiah 31:31-34 foretold a “new covenant”; Jesus now establishes it. • Matthew 26:28: “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” • Hebrews 9:15 explains He became “the mediator of a new covenant.” Key truths: – The covenant is new—superseding but fulfilling the old Mosaic covenant. – It is ratified “in My blood”—a literal, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10). – The cup symbolizes that poured-out blood; the symbol is tangible, the sacrifice historical. do this, as often as you drink it • This is an ongoing directive, not a single-time memorial (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 10:16). • “Do” shows participation is an act of obedience. • “As often” leaves frequency to each congregation’s discernment, yet implies regularity. Practical implications: – Gather intentionally; the supper is central, not peripheral. – Examine oneself (1 Corinthians 11:28) before partaking. – Celebrate with gratitude, not ritualistic indifference. in remembrance of Me • Luke 22:19 repeats the phrase, stressing remembrance as the supper’s heartbeat. • Like the Passover served as a memorial of deliverance (Exodus 12:14), the Lord’s table recalls the greater deliverance accomplished at Calvary. Remembrance entails: – Looking back to the cross (Galatians 6:14). – Looking inward in self-examination (Psalm 139:23-24). – Looking forward to His return, for “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). summary 1 Corinthians 11:25 records Jesus intentionally taking the post-Passover cup, declaring it the emblem of the new covenant sealed by His own blood. He commands believers to drink it regularly, turning every observance into a vivid, obedient remembrance of His substitutionary death and the complete, eternal redemption it secures. |
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