逾越節的筵席在安靜和敬虔的氣氛中進行，直至耶穌突然說話，徹底改變了席上兩種食物的象徵意義。原來的意義已維持了過千年。當耶穌拿起餅來，戲劇性地賦予它新的意義時，門徒一定異常驚訝。一直以來，那餅是象徵「我們的先祖在埃及吃的苦餅」；但如今，基督卻說：「這是我的身體，為你們捨的。」祂的意思並不是叫他們吃祂的肉；但這個拿起餅來吃的簡單動作，乃是表明與祂的認同和對祂的紀念。

經常有人會拿出兒女的照片來給我們看，說「這是我兒子」，我們也理解。他的兒子並不在場，在場的只是他的照片，但我們卻明白他的意思。同樣地，當基督說：「這餅是代表我的身體，為你們捨的；你們拿起來，把它吃了，為的是紀念我。」也就是這個意思。

隨後，基督拿起一杯酒，也賦予它新的意義。過往，它代表在埃及所流的血；但如今，它代表基督為我們眾人，在各各他山上所流的血。它也成了神與人之間所立的新約，在這新約之下，藉著基督的血通往神的道路向世人打開。

基督談及過去，也說到未來。祂說祂不會再飲這杯，直等到祂進入神的國。保羅提醒我們，將來，基督會以王的身份再來：「你們每逢吃這餅，喝這杯，是表明主的死，直等到祂來。」

如今，我們有無上的特權去定期守這「主餐」。事實上這是我們的主餐，不是祂的，紀念主的死，回想救恩的代價，對我們來說是非常有意義的紀念和反省時刻。每當我們守主餐的時候，我們記得要以安靜、敬虔和感謝的心，去思想這背後主對我們的愛。

The Passover Feast was proceeding quietly and reverently until Jesus suddenly spoke up, changing the whole meaning of two of the symbols on the table. These meanings had remained the same for over thousand years. The disciples must have been greatly surprised when Jesus picked up one of the loaves of bread and dramatically gave it a new meaning. It had always stood for “the bread of affliction our fathers ate in Egypt”. Now Christ said, “This is a memorial of my body which is given (broken) for you.” He did not mean they were actually eating His flesh, but that the simple act of taking the bread and eating it was an act of identification and remembrance.

Often someone shows us a picture of their son or daughter. They say “This is my son” and we understand. The son is not present but the picture is. We understand what they mean. In the same way we understand what Christ meant when He said “take, eat, this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me”.

A little later Christ took a cup of wine in His hand and gave that a new meaning also. It had stood for the sheltering blood shed back in Egypt. Now it was to stand for Christ’s own blood shed for them on Calvary. It was and is also a seal of the new covenant made between God and man. Under the new covenant, the way to God is open through the blood of Christ.

Christ spoke of the future as well as of the past. He said He would not drink of this cup until He came into His rightful place in the kingdom. Paul reminds us of the future when Christ will have His rightful place. He said, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again.”

It is our privilege to regularly celebrate what we call the “Lord’s Supper”. Actually it is ours, not His. It can be a very meaningful time of remembrance and heart searching as we remember our Lord’s death, the cost of our salvation. Whenever we partake let us do it quietly, reverently and gratefully, thinking of His love behind it all.