At this point in Jesus’ public ministry, he instituted or ratified the New Covenant. This was done during his final meal with his disciples. It may be interesting, as we seek to understand what Jesus did, to compare each of the Gospel narratives to see how this was done before drawing any conclusions. First of all, a quick comparison of the Synoptic narratives would show that Jesus passed the bread and the cup around to his disciples at least twice, and we are able to understand this is so by reading Luke’s record (Luke 22:14-20). Both Matthew and Mark seem to record the first passing (Luke 22:14-18), and this was done for the many. However, Luke’s mention of the Lord’s second passing of the bread and the wine was different in that he said it was “for you” (Luke 22:19-20). That is, the institution of the memorial has a special significance for Jesus’ own disciples. Whether this meant only those present in the upper room or included all who embrace him as Savior due to their spreading the Gospel isn’t clear, but it seems to be inclusive of all believers.
In any event, it was as they were eating that Jesus instituted the memorial of the New Covenant (Mark 14:22-24), and in doing so, he said he would not drink wine again until he did so with them in the Kingdom of God (Mark 14:25), which doesn’t refer to natural wine, but spiritual (Mark 2:19-22; Ephesians 5:18). The memorial of the Old Covenant was the Passover lamb and the unleavened bread (Exodus 12:11-14), which signified the manner in which the Lord would bring the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and save them from their oppressors. Similarly, the New Covenant was also to bring folks out of bondage and save them from oppression. However, the difference was, while Moses led Israel, and only Israel, out of physical bondage (Egypt), Jesus led men, all men, out of spiritual bondage to sin (Romans 6:6).
At this point we need to remember that this New Covenant was promised in the Old, and changes were to occur showing the New Covenant was the better of the two:
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Jehovah; but this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days, says Jehovah, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Jehovah. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34 – emphasis mine).
Notice what the prophet claimed about the then future covenant. The covenant wouldn’t be outward, but inward. It would govern men’s hearts. It would not be enforced through Law. In other words, it would be taught by men. Under the Old Covenant, each new Israelite must be taught who he was and how he was different from all other men. Under the New Covenant, men come to Christ, because they already know they’ve been changed. They already know they are different from others and different even from what they were. Their new birth has already occurred, but it is a different kind of birth. It is a matter of the Spirit (John 3:5-6), and they embrace Christ already knowing they are his.
The bread and the wine signify what has occurred within the believer. The bread is food, spiritual food, that causes men to grow in understanding of who they are in Christ. The wine signifies the Spirit. Wine changes one’s behavior, and, likewise, so does the Spirit of God, which is given the new believer. He becomes a partaker of divine nature (2Peter 1:4), and it becomes truly possible to image God (Genesis 1:27; cp. 2Corinthians 3:18). In other words, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, no man who embraces him as Savior has to habitually live in sin, (Romans 6:16-22; cp. Romans 7:8-15, 24-25). It’s not a matter of Law or discipline but the gift of God (Romans 6:23), and this is understood through the institution of the memorial of the New Covenant.
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