Church: Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia | Text: Luke 22:1-22 | Date: March 15, 2026 | Speaker: Fred Zaspel

The Setting of the Passover

Luke chapter 22 together. This is Luke’s account of the Last Supper when Jesus instituted this meal, the Lord’s Supper. This is recorded in all four of the Gospels to one extent or another. Luke is perhaps the most detailed of it. I’ll take the time to read verses 1 to 22.

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad and agreed to give him money, so he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb is to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?”

He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters, and tell the master of the house, ‘The teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room, furnished. Prepare it there.” And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when the hour came, he reclined at the table and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

For I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took the cup. When he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, divide it among yourselves, for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me at the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.” Well, the setting here, as you see, is the observance of the Passover. This is the so-called Last Supper that Jesus ate with his disciples. The Passover meal is the occasion.

This was an annual event, a festive event, marked by the meal that they would eat together rather ceremoniously. And there were various stages of the meal. As they ate together, a succession of cups were drunk, and there were prayers and praises that were given. They would sing the Egyptian Hallel, Psalm 113 to 118. They would take a cup; they would sing a couple of the first two of those Psalms. There would be interspersed with prayers and praises of various kinds. It would conclude with a fourth cup. And then they went out and would sing Psalms 115 through 118, finishing up the ceremony.

That’s the ceremony here. This was the defining moment of Israel’s history when God made them a people, taking them out of Egypt. The night of the Passover, you remember the occasion when they were instructed to take a lamb, slaughter it—they could eat the lamb then at the meal—the blood of the lamb then was to be painted on the doorpost, on the lintel above the door, and that night God came through the land in judgment, and the firstborn of every household was killed, except for those who had the blood on the doorpost and the lintel above. That being the defining point of Israel as a people, it became the annual setting for a festive meal. That’s the setting here.

The Seating Arrangement at the Last Supper

I don’t know that there’s anything of spiritual or theological significance to this, but you may be curious to know something of the seating arrangement that we can discern from the four accounts that we have of this occasion. You’ll notice here in verse 14, and twice in this passage, it says they reclined at the table. The older versions would translate it “sat at the table,” but reclining is a better translation of it here. You have all seen, no doubt, the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, where there’s this long table, Jesus at the center, six disciples on either side sitting next to him. They’re all sitting there in a chair. Famous painting, but I have to tell you it’s wrong.

The custom was here to sit at a triclinium, which was the technical name for the table. If you can picture it, if we were to set up something of a rectangular table: two tables for each side, one connecting in the back, open at the front so the servants could come in and serve the meal to either side and to the back like that.

And when they came in, they did not sit. The custom was not to sit, but to recline, to recline on their left side. And so the translation here catches that, the reclining on their left side. Now with all of that and some of the details that we have from these accounts, we can put together something of the seating arrangement—not entirely, but the first seat or the second seat in on the left, as you look at this open table, as you look at the left side, the second seat in was the seat for the host.

That would be Jesus hosting this meal. The first seat in, on the left side, would have been the Apostle John. We know that because some of the accounts record for us that he was leaning on Jesus’ side. So he’s leaning to his left, he’s leaning against Jesus; that would be the Apostle John. The first seat on the right side, over here, would have been the Apostle Peter.

Now, there are several things that are explained by that. I’ll mention a couple of those in a moment. But one of the reasons we know that is because we are told specifically that he beckons across to John to ask him, “Who is it that’s going to betray Jesus?” when Jesus had announced that. More importantly, perhaps, the third seat on the left.

So you have John—by the way, the first seat on the left was always reserved for the youngest in the family. They would observe this meal, and the youngest in the family would sit there, and it was his responsibility during the meal at one point to ask the father, who would be the host, ask him, “What is the meaning of this ceremony?” and the father would explain, “We were slaves in Egypt, and God brought us out,” and he’d tell the story. So we have John, and we have Jesus, the host.

The next seat in would be the honored guest. And that, it seems, is Judas Iscariot. It’s interesting; we can surmise that for a couple of the details that are given to us. First of all, Judas is served first. Jesus dips the bread in the bowl, gives it to Judas. This is how the ceremonial observance of the supper began. Also, during this time, Jesus predicts his betrayal. Someone at this table will betray me. And everyone is wondering, who? Who will it be?

Judas evidently is able to ask Jesus more privately, “Lord, is it I?” And John asks Jesus, and Jesus replies to him who it is who dips his hand with me in the dish. Jesus responds to Judas, “You’ve evidently said so.” But when he gives those answers in indicating that it was Judas who would betray him, evidently others were not able to hear. John is able to hear it. He hears the answer. Peter does not. So he beckons over across to John to ask, “Who did he say he’s going to do it? Who’s going to do it?” Now we might’ve surmised anyway that nobody else heard it because Judas leaves the dinner table finally rather quietly. And with Peter there, it’s doubtful it would have been as quiet as it was when Judas left at that point.

And actually there’s another detail here that’s rather interesting if you’re curious like I am. And that is Peter takes this first seat on the right. Remember there’s something of an ordering? You have a very important guest at the first one, he’s the youngest one who’s going to ask the question, you have the host, then you have the honored guest there, and then evidently in an order of succession of some sort. The least seat is that first one on the right, and that’s Peter. Jesus had had several occasions in which he had talked to the disciples: “If you’re going to be the greatest, you got to be the least.” And it seems that Peter might have said, “Well, that’s the way things are going to be. I want to take the least of the seats.”

And so that explains the seating arrangement at the Last Supper. I know you’ve been dying to hear that. Well, this event is called the Last Supper because this was Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. More importantly, this is the last or the final observance of the Passover before the meaning of the Passover gives way and is exhausted in its fulfillment. The symbolism of the Passover now gives way to that to which it pointed. And cementing that point, Jesus transforms this ancient meal into another meal. And so this is the Last Supper, this is the last Passover, and it is the first observance of the Lord’s Supper, which the Lord institutes for us, which we still observe today. From here onwards, this Supper is to be observed with symbolic significance still, but symbolic significance that is now fulfilled.

The great act of deliverance that God gave in delivering Israel from Egypt through the slaying of the Passover lamb—all of that pointed forward to a greater deliverance that God would give his people in the death of Christ. That is how Jesus interprets it. Verse 19: he took the bread, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.” Verse 20: likewise, he took the cup, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

The symbolism of all of that, I imagine, was rather puzzling for the disciples at the time. He says here at the outset that he will suffer. He’s not going to eat again with them until he suffers. I imagine that was puzzling to them as well. But all of it became gloriously clear in the following days. His body had been given for them, and his blood had been poured out for them. These are symbols of his death. Verse 19 again, the body is given for you. That is in some way, which they hadn’t understood yet, in some way his death would benefit them.

And then verse 20 specifies, “This cup is poured out for you,” that is, “poured out for you, is the new covenant in my blood.” Here, God comes good on his promise to make a new covenant with his people. All right, then at that point the question is, what’s the new covenant? What’s that all about?

The Promise of the New Covenant

So turn with me back to Jeremiah chapter 31. Several of the prophets tell us about the new covenant that God will make with his people, but it is Jeremiah alone who uses the expression, “new covenant.” And so we’ll read a bit here in Jeremiah chapter 31, beginning with verse 31.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

My covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law within them. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they shall be my people.

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Like the other prophets, Jeremiah was given the twin messages of judgment and hope. Prior to the exile, Jeremiah warns his people and denounced their sin for their backsliding, not keeping the covenant, keeping their responsibilities before the Lord, warned them against their turning away, and it was largely a message of judgment.

When we come to chapter 30 of Jeremiah’s prophecies, we have what is called a book of comfort or the book of consolation, Jeremiah chapters 30 to 33. And here the message is marked by hope and grace. The climax of that prophecy is here in chapter 31, verses 31 and following that we’ve read. Now what we should notice here is in verses 31 and 32 here, Jeremiah sets the announcement of the new covenant, or God sets the announcement of the new covenant, in sharp contrast. This is important to recognize.

He sets it in sharp contrast with a previous covenant that God had made with his people. Verse 31 again: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke.” Verse 32, this covenant will be not like the previous covenant.

The previous covenant is the covenant God made when he took them out of Egypt. That’s the covenant God made with them at Sinai, often called the Sinaitic Covenant or the Mosaic Covenant that God gave to Israel through Moses. We come to the New Testament, that covenant made at Sinai is referred to as the Old Covenant. And now here’s the announcement of the New Covenant. Now that covenant, let’s see what that covenant was like. Turn back again to Exodus chapter 19. What was this Old Covenant like? Exodus chapter 19, we have Israel newly freed from Egypt.

They come now to Mount Sinai, where God is going to enter into covenant relationship with them. Exodus 19, begin with verse 1. On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai and then camped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain while Moses went up to God.

The Lord called to him out of the mountain saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the people of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.”

And then in the following verses through chapter 20, we have the giving of the Ten Commandments, which is the summary statement of the covenant. And then we have on the following chapters, the details of the covenant with case laws and so on. So God gives his covenant. This is something of the constitution of ancient Israel. This is the law they are to follow as a nation. But notice how it’s characterized again in verse 5.

If you will—if you’re one who marks your Bible and underlines that expression—”if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples.” This covenant is expressly conditioned on obedience. If you will obey. If you will keep this covenant, then I… and he outlines the blessings he will give them. Chapter 19, verses 5 and following, “then I”—that’s the significance of this covenant.

It’s similar to the ancient covenant form that was known in the ancient world, a suzerain-vassal covenant where a king would promise to help another smaller kingdom, give them their protection, but it would be on condition: you’re going to pay your taxes and you’re going to obey the laws and so on. That’s that kind of a covenant here. It’s the character of the Old Covenant.

If you will, if you will obey, if you will keep the covenant, you’ll be my treasured people. And we have other passages in the Pentateuch that elaborate on this in particular ways; most famously probably is Leviticus chapter 26, where we have a long list.

If you will obey, I’ll give you this, I’ll give you that, I’ll give you—you’ll triumph over your enemies, they’ll run before you, you’ll be the greatest of them all, your fields will give plenty of harvest, your grapes will yield, you’ll have all that you need. If you, if you, if you, if you. If you do not, and then come the covenant curses. I will judge you, I’ll chase you with the armies of men, et cetera, et cetera. It’s very much the character of the covenant: if you, then I. And we have that here in Exodus chapter 19. And the people in verse 8 respond, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.” They accept the terms: we want God as our king, we’ll keep his law, and we’ll enjoy his blessing. “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.” But of course they didn’t.

Already in Exodus chapter 32, when Moses is receiving the Ten Commandments from the Lord, already they’re forming a golden calf and they have this lewd party surrounding it. And that was Israel’s history. And time and again, God would send a prophet, and send another prophet, and warn them, and warn them, and warn them: you must keep the covenant or you’ll bear the covenant curses. And prophet after prophet is sent, and God warns them, and he warns them, and he warns them, century after century, until finally, they’re carried off into exile.

The covenant curses fall. Well, that’s what Jeremiah, if we go back to Jeremiah 31 here, in Jeremiah 31 verse 32, that’s what Jeremiah now refers to when he says here, “the covenant that I made with their fathers, my covenant that they broke.” God promised them the richest of blessings, his own care over them, if only they would obey. If only they would keep the covenant.

Israel, of course, proved unable to keep those terms, and Israel became judged by the very law that they pledged themselves to keep. And in the end, what that Old Covenant established was that if God’s blessing is conditioned on human merit, if God’s blessing is conditioned on human obedience, it’ll never work. They’ll never have it.

And so Paul writes in Romans chapter 3, “Through the law is the knowledge of sin.” What did the law do? What was its purpose? Its purpose in history, under God’s direction, was to demonstrate human sinfulness. Through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

It certainly didn’t demonstrate human righteousness. It demonstrated human sinfulness. And so Paul writes in Galatians 3, if ever there were a law that would give life, it would have been that law. But in the end, all that it did was imprison—that’s his word, to shut up or to imprison—all under sin. God could have given his law to the whole world and it would have proven the same thing all over again. And through Israel, God demonstrated a universal problem of disobedience and sinfulness. And so, 800 years after Sinai, Israel having demonstrated over and again that God’s blessing would never be secured by human merit, God sends a prophet with an announcement.

Jeremiah chapter 31, God says, “I’ll make a new covenant. It won’t be like the old one. I’ll make a new covenant. It won’t be like that one that I made with their fathers that they broke.” And what will this covenant be like? Jeremiah 31 again, verse 33. “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law within them. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God. They shall be my people.

No longer shall each one teach his neighbor and exhort his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.” Now the first thing to notice about this when God announces this new covenant, the first thing to notice about it is those important words repeated: “I will.” I will. Notice verse 33: “I will put my law within them. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God. I will forgive their iniquities. I will remember their sins no more.”

This covenant is a different character of covenant entirely. There’s none of this “if you, then I.” It’s just, “I will.” This covenant does not hinge on them. This covenant hinges on God, and God says under this covenant, “What I require of my people, I’ll give them.”

That Old Covenant demanded obedience, but it made no provision for compliance. It gave them the law, told them what they must do and what they must not do. But that law gave no ability, enablement, to comply with the commands. And so all it did in the end was point out their sinfulness. It made demand after demand after demand and threat after threat after threat, but it made no provision for compliance.

And in fact, there was in that Old Covenant no provision for real atonement either—pictures of it, shadows of it, pointing to what was needed for them to find forgiveness. And so Paul writes, as I’ve said, all that it did was establish human sinfulness. And that Old Covenant, Paul can say, has now been rendered obsolete. We have a new one. And under the terms of this new covenant, still in Jeremiah 31 here, look at verse 33.

Under the terms of this new covenant, “I will put my law within them. I’ll write it on their hearts.” That is, I’ll reprogram their entire being. I’ll transform their hearts. I’ll give them an entirely new “want to.” I’ll put it in their hearts to obey me. In this statement, “I’ll put my law within them. I’ll write it on their hearts,” we have the doctrine of regeneration, the doctrine of renewal, the doctrine of conversion, the doctrine of sanctification, the doctrine of perseverance. All of that is promised here under the terms of the new covenant. “I will be their God.” That is, I will make them my covenant people so that they’ll never again stray and break the covenant so as to be cast off again.

Verse 34, “They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest. They shall all know me.” Not just their leaders, not just special people like Moses, the prophets, priests. They’ll all know me from the least of them to the greatest, every last one of them. And no one will need to go to anyone in that community and say, “You need to know the Lord. You need to be saved.” Every one of them will know me. And then the last part of verse 34, notice the explanatory conjunction, “for.” Here’s the ground of it all.

I’ll do all of these things for them, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I’ll remember their sins no more.” Not only will I make my people obedient, I’ll wipe the slate clean. And in this wonderful expression of divine forgetfulness, “I’ll remember their sins no more.” Their sins will never be brought up against them in judgment. They will not be held accountable for them. Complete forgiveness, transformation of heart and life, and fellowship with God.

And God says, “I myself, I’ll make it happen.” Ezekiel speaks of this; he doesn’t use the expression “new covenant,” but in Ezekiel 36 he prophesies of the same covenant and he uses more the categories of the Old Covenant to explain it. He says, “I will sprinkle clean water on you. And you shall be clean from all your uncleanness. From all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I’ll put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and I’ll give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” And this then is the doctrine of the provision of the Holy Spirit, the leading of the Spirit, as Paul calls it in Romans chapter 8.

We come to the New Testament then, and this promise to Israel is realized in full scope—this Abrahamic promise to extend to all the nations. Gentiles are included, and the gospel goes to the nations, and men and women the world over experience the forgiveness of sins, transformation of heart and life, and fellowship with God. Now all of that is background. The big question that is left—the Old Testament prophets did answer the question, but it was so unbelievable, it just was never understood. Like in Isaiah 53, it was explained. Big question: how?

How can God do this for a sinful people? How is it God can make a sinful people his own? He’s promised to make these sinful people his own. He’s promised to forgive them. How will he do that? This is a God of righteousness, a God who is perfectly just. Demands of his justice must be met at every point. He cannot let down the standard. He can’t lower the bar and say, “Well, let’s just let bygones be bygones. I’ll overlook it.” His righteousness demands the punishment of their sin. How is it that God will do that? The Old Covenant established ceremonial structures of various kinds that could never really themselves accomplish what they spoke of. Shadows, pictures, types, we call them. How would it actually happen?

Do This in Remembrance of Me

Finally, one day, returning now to Luke chapter 22, that day came when the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, defined the meaning and the significance of his death. Verses 19 and 20 of Luke 22 again: he took the bread and he broke it and said, “This bread, this is my body, which is given for you.” Likewise, he takes the cup and says, “This is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.”

So long ago, God made a promise. He said he would forgive your sins outright, wipe the slate clean. He said he would transform your heart from the inside out. He said he would establish fellowship with himself. “Tomorrow,” Jesus says, in effect, “I’ll go to the cross and I’ll secure it all for you. In my blood, in the giving of my body, this new covenant will be secured. I’ll offer myself to God in your place. I’ll offer myself to God as your stand-in, and standing in your place, I’ll bear the curse of your sin myself. God will forgive you, because in your place, he has condemned me.”

And so verse 19, Jesus says, “From here on, I want you to observe this meal.” Verse 19, “in remembrance of me.” That’s the significance. “Do this in remembrance of me.” When you observe this meal, you can look back to the Passover lamb, but when you do, remember that lamb pointed forward to me.

And that day of judgment in Egypt, God passed over the house that had the blood. God will pass over you in judgment because he did not pass over me. And so on the basis of my death, Jesus says, God will forgive your sins. He’ll transform your being, make you something new entirely, and he’ll give you fellowship with him.

And so Jesus says, “I give this to you as a reminder. Do it in remembrance of me.” The purpose of this Lord’s table that we’re observing this morning is to remember Jesus. Whatever else you forget, Jesus says, “Remember me. Remember that I have stood in your place. Remember that I’ve answered to God for all of your sins. Remember that I, in my death, have secured every blessing for you.” When you gather together corporately like we do to sing praises to God, Jesus says, “Remember me. Remember the centerpiece of our faith.”

Remember that your prayers, your praises, and all your expressions of worship are welcome and are acceptable to God because of me. You’ll serve me in many ways, but don’t let that distract you. Remember me. God will transform your heart. He’ll change you from the inside out. And you’ll serve me with joy—such dedicated, devoted service that you’ll even make sacrifices for me. And when you do, don’t be mistaken. Don’t think of yourselves more highly than you ought. Remember me. Remember that your standing before God is safe, not because of anything about you. Remember me.

Until finally that day, when God’s promise to transform our hearts is realized in full in the resurrection, you will fail Jesus at times. And Jesus says, “When you do, remember me. I’ve answered for that.” Jesus instituted this table for us to maintain focus. Do this, do it often, and every time make it an occasion when you remember me and what I have done.

And each time we come to the table, it should be a joyous time of saying, “Jesus Christ has stood in my place. He’s answered for all of my sins. He’s made me new. And I walk every day in the wonderful, blessed fellowship with him, and he’s given me a great hope.” Remember me.