Luke 22:17, “And he took the cup,
and gave thanks.”
Luke 22:19, “And he took bread,
and gave thanks.”
It is good and proper for us to give thanks for all that God
provides. Jesus Himself did the
same. But the meal referenced in these
verses was no ordinary meal. And Jesus
was no ordinary man.
As a Jewish ordinance, the Passover was observed in remembrance of God’s
intervention in redeeming His people from bondage in Egypt. It was given to God’s
people to serve as a memorial for them for all generations (Exodus 12:14). It both looked back, to that great
deliverance, and looked forward, to the promise of a future Deliverer.
The various aspects of the Passover meal all pointed to this promised
Messiah (Cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7). What
was typified in the meal was perfectly and ultimately fulfilled in Him. It is significant that Jesus’ said, “With
desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Verse
15). “This” particular Passover looked
forward to the “cup of suffering” Jesus was soon to drink unto Himself. The bread symbolized His body which was to be
given. The cup spoke to His blood which
was to soon be shed for forgiveness of sins.
Despite Jesus’ instructions and repeated warnings, the disciples didn’t-at-all
understand what was soon to take place—they had never understood (Mark 9:32). They didn’t-at-all appreciate the
significance of that particular meal. In
loving devotion to the Father, the God-man Jesus Christ had come into the world
to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He was
born to die. He spoke in that Passover
in terms of servanthood and suffering and death, but after the meal His
disciples would argue as to which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:44). One disciple would soon betray Him. The others would all abandon Him. Jesus knew all of this. He knew full well of the gravity of the
moment and the significance of the meal.
He, the “lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19), would
bear “the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
In agony He would cry out “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me”
(Matthew 27:46)? We can scarcely imagine
the soul anguish Jesus experienced when He bore the sins of man!
Jesus knew all of this. And He
was alone in that understanding. “When
the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to
go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Though He
was well aware of all that lay ahead, He purposefully and deliberately embraced
the Father’s will. He had been tempted,
accused, questioned, and conspired against.
He would soon be betrayed, arrested, false accused, unfairly tried,
brutally beaten, crucified between two ordinary thieves, and mocked by His own
creation. And there was no one on earth
who understood. No one on earth to turn
to. He would be utterly forsaken. Infinitely lonely on that cross, bearing your
sins and mine. But He did all for the “joy
set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). He knew
that spiritual triumph, through His death and resurrection, lay beyond that
cross.
It is in this context that the gravity of our texts is to be
understood. Jesus’ gave thanks for a
meal and a meal that spoke of His pending suffering and death. Jesus had previously
said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work”
(John 4:34). He was thankful not simply
for the Father’s provision of food and drink, He was thankful for the Father’s perfect
will, though it meant pending suffering and death for Him. He embraced it. He thanked the Father for it. He would soon pray, “Father, if thou be
willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done”
(Luke 22:42).
It is one thing to be thankful for those things which we “deem” to be good,
things that meet our temporal wishes and are according to our limited
understanding of what we suppose to be in our best interests. It is another thing to thank God amidst our
troubles…to measure our circumstances against God’s sovereignty, immeasurable love,
divine power, and infinite wisdom. To be
thankful always to the God who always holds us—in any and every circumstance—as
an object of His affection in Christ. God
has saved us, in Christ Jesus, to such, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In
everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus gave thanks for a meal, though it spoke of His pending suffering
and death. Under the loving hand of God,
who delivered up His Own Son for us (Romans 8:32), and who causes all things to
work together for His good in our lives (Romans 8:28), we’ve abiding reasons to
be ever-thankful (Colossians 2:7). Unlike
Jesus, we typically don’t know the reasons why when it comes to the trials we
face. Nor, do we know exactly what the
future holds when it comes to our temporal concerns. But we know the One who does know. We know that He knows and that He cares. And we know that we can trust Him! And in this we can be ever-thankful!
Jesus gave thanks in His pending poverty so that we could be
ever-thankful in the riches He has bestowed (2 Corinthians 8:9). He has worked to save us from sins and from
the sin of ingratitude (Romans 1:21). We’ve
been forgiven, redeemed, and blessed-beyond measure (Ephesians 1:3-18). We’ve got a hope that “will surely endure
after the passing of time.” We are all
doing “better than we deserve” (Lamentations 3:39). The Spirit would have you to be ever-thankful
as He is ever working to unveil to you the glory of Christ and His finished
work on the cross! God grant us all the
grace to be more like Jesus, and in His capacity to give thanks!
