1 Cor 11:23-25

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The tradition Paul cites traces back to the apostles themselves, and that is the meaning of the words “I received from the Lord….delivered to you.” The key elements of the tradition include:

 

1. The original setting for the Eucharist: the night Jesus was betrayed, after “the supper.” The Greek form is an infinitive construct (to deipnēsai), behaving like a noun. We suppose that he refers to the Passover meal itself.

2. The symbolic actions taken by Jesus: took bread, took the cup. These would have been in accordance with the pattern of the Jewish Pesach meal, selecting from the usages of bread and wine particular ones which corresponded to the sufferings of Jesus, most likely coinciding with the afikomen3 and the third cup — the cup of redemption, also called the cup of blessing.

3. The breaking of the bread teaches the broken body of Christ, pierced in hands, feet and side.

4. The wine is connected to the new covenant which God is making through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Against the background of ancient treaty ratification, this has the form of a covenant renewal ceremony, but with the prerogative of the treaty-maker (suzerain) to alter the terms of the original covenant in light of new realities. In one sense, each time we share in the Eucharist we renewal the covenant as well.

5. The language “in remembrance of me” is also covenant language. It likely has two meanings. First, like the Passover feast, the Eucharist is an event which “makes present” an event which has already taken place. We do no re-offer Christ on the altar, as some traditions claim, but we do re-present the events surrounding his sufferings and death so that the benefits of God’s grace might become present for “your soul’s comfort and joy.” Secondly, the language reminds us of the covenant faithfulness of God. The word “remember” takes the form of a prayer which seeks God’s covenant action in remembering Jesus, raising him from the dead and bringing in the kingdom.

6. This latter point brings us to the proclamation aspect of celebrating the Eucharist: we look forward to the time which Jesus will bring in the kingdom, climaxing with the fulfillment of the feast in the marriage supper of the Lamb. Jesus alluded to this in Matthew 26:29, “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

7. The Eucharist is an occasion for Christ followers to “examine themselves” in preparation for an honest and sincere partaking of the elements. Sins are confessed, hearts are made clear, surrender to Christ is made complete, and broken fellowship with others is restored during this time of examination.   [BN, 7]

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