Matthew 26:26–28
Bible verses · Also called: Matthew 26:26-28, This is my body, Blood of the covenant, Words of Institution, The Last Supper
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26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
At the Last Supper, Jesus broke bread and said, "Take, eat; this is my body," and then gave the cup, saying, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." These are the words of institution of the Lord's Supper, and this is the passage over which the church has been most deeply divided in its understanding of Communion.
Context
On the night of his arrest, Jesus shares the Passover meal with his disciples. During the meal, after foretelling the betrayal by Judas Iscariot, he takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, gives it to the disciples, and speaks these words. The phrase "blood of the covenant" (KJV: "blood of the new testament") recalls the scene at Mount Sinai in which Moses ratified the covenant by sprinkling blood on the people (Exodus 24:8), and it is also connected with the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:31. Among the three Synoptic Gospels, the phrase "for the remission of sins" appears only in Matthew. Paul also records the same tradition in 1 Corinthians 11:23–26.
Interpretation
The churches' doctrines of the Lord's Supper differ according to how they understand the word "is" (Greek estin).
- Roman Catholic Church: Teaches transubstantiation, the view that the consecrated bread and wine retain their outward appearance while their substance is changed into the body and blood of Christ. The Mass is understood as making present the sacrifice of the cross.
- Lutheran churches: Hold that the bread and wine remain while the body and blood of Christ are truly present "in, with, and under" them. Lutherans emphasized that "is" must be taken literally.
- Zwingli and the memorial view: Huldrych Zwingli understood "is" to mean "signifies," regarding the Supper as a rite that commemorates Christ's death and confesses faith. Baptists and many evangelical churches stand close to this position.
- Calvin and the Reformed churches: Teach the doctrine of spiritual presence: although Christ's body is in heaven, believers through the Holy Spirit have real communion with Christ and spiritually partake of his body and blood. This is the general position of Presbyterian churches.
Controversies and Issues
Martin Luther and Zwingli met at Marburg in 1529 and reached agreement on a number of doctrines but could not agree on the Lord's Supper, and this failure became an occasion for division within Protestantism. For further details, see the article Eucharistic controversy.
In the Korean Church
Many Korean churches, including Presbyterian churches, celebrate the Lord's Supper several times a year and read this passage on World Communion Sunday and during Holy Week. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was debate over whether Communion could validly be administered online.
Related Passages
- 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
- Exodus 24:8
- Jeremiah 31:31–34
- John 6:53–56
See also 6
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