ii. Water was then brought in, and he blessed for the washing of hands, and washed, followed by the rest. iii. The table was next set out with the unleavened bread, the sauce called Charoseth, the Paschal Lamb, the bitter herbs, and the flesh of the Chagigah, or feast-offerings of the previous day. iv. The Proclaimer of the Feast then blessed God for the fruits of the earth, and, taking a portion of the bitter herbs, dipped it in the sauce, and ate it with all who reclined at the table. v. The Haggadah, or showing forth, now commenced, and the Celebrant declared the circumstances of the delivery from Egypt, as commanded in the Law. Then the second cup of wine was filled, and a child or proselyte inquired, What mean ye by this service? to which reply was made according to a prescribed formula or liturgy, and the wondrous events of the Exodus were related, after which the first part of the Hallel, (Psalms cxiii., cxiv.), was repeated, followed by a solemn blessing, and drinking of the second cup. vi. Then, after a second washing of hands, taking two of the unleavened cakes, the Celebrant broke one of them, pronouncing the consecration in these words: Blessed be Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who bringest forth fruit out of the earth, and distributed a piece to each person around him, saying, This is the Bread of Affliction which our fathers did eat in the land of Egypt. All present then dipped their portions with the bitter herbs into the Charoseth, and ate them. vii. The flesh of the Lamb was now eaten, and the Celebrant, lifting up his hands, blessed the third cup of wine, specially known as the Cup of Blessing, and ĥanded it round to each person. viii. After thanksgiving for the food of which they had partaken, for the delivery from Egypt, the covenant of circumcision, and the Law, a fourth cup was filled and drunk, known as the Cup of Joy, and the remainder of the Hallel, (Psalms cxv.-cxviii.) was now sung. ix. Occasionally a fifth cup was drunk, while the Greater Hallel, (Psalms cxx.-cxxviii.) was chanted. Christ eats His Last Paschal Supper. The proper time for celebrating the Passover meal was Friday evening; but Christ, in order that He might fulfil His type, needed to be crucified on the Friday, the day whereon the lamb was slain. Consequently He ate the Passover on the Thursday evening,-24 hours before the time when the rest of the Jews partook of it. CHRIST RECLINES WITH THE TWELVE. (AT JERUSALEM.) (c. xxvi. 20.) "Now, when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve." "When the even was come."-Christ had, doubtless, spent the day at Bethany, in solemn preparation for His coming sufferings, and entered Jerusalem towards evening. "Sat down,"-rather "reclined." The first Paschal meal, the Israelites had eaten standing, ready to depart from Egypt. After entering upon Canaan, they appear to have adopted the reclining posture, which might symbolize the rest and security God had given them. (Luke alone records the blessing of the First Cup by Christ, as President, and His giving it to the Twelve, without tasting it Himself.) (John alone records Christ's Washing the Disciples' feet. This, doubtless, occurred when, at the second stage of the supper, the water was brought in, for laving the hands.) No incident is recorded by either of the Evangelists in connection with stages II., III., IV., and V. of the Supper. THE FIRST PART OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. "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." Matthew, Mark, and Luke narrate the Institution of the Lord's Supper; the only difference in their account of the breaking of the bread being that Luke alone records the words, "This do in remembrance of me." "Took bread,"-this being the 6th rite connected with the celebration, Christ seized upon it, and for ever sanctified it for the great purpose of part of that Christian ordinance wherein we shew forth His death, and recall to remembrance the benefits thence flowing, until He come again. "Blessed it.""It" is not needed :-" blessed" thanks." = "gave "This is my body,"-i.e., "This is a symbol of my body, broken and bruised for the world's sins." The bread could not have been His actual body, for that was still present with them. CHRIST FORETELLS HIS BETRAYAL JUDAS LEAVES THE ROOM. (c. xxvi. 21-25.) "And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said." All the Evangelists record this incident, with the following differences : Matthew says that all the Twelve began to ask Christ, "Is it I?" and that, afterwards, Judas asked the same question separately. Judas asked, "Is it I?" and that Christ answered, "Thou hast said." Mark makes the disciples generally ask, "Is it I?" while Christ merely replies, it is one of the Twelve. Luke says that they inquired amongst themselves which of them it was. John records that the disciples "looked at one another, doubting of whom he spake;" that Simon beckoned to John, who was reclining on Christ's bosom, (where the rest could not hear him), to ask who it was; that John asked Christ, who replied that it was he to whom He should give a sop: that He gave the sop to Judas, and told him, "That thou doest, do quickly;" and that then Judas went out. N.B.-It is most probable that Christ's reply to John was made privately; that when He gave the sop to Judas, the latter asked, "Is it I?" and that Christ replied to him in the words recorded by Matthew and John. "Thou hast said,"-a Hebrew form of "Yes." (John alone records that, when Judas had gone out, Christ comforted His disciples, and foretold for the first time Peter's Denials.) (Luke alone relates a dispute, which now arose amongst the Eleven, as to who should be greatest, — records Christ's rebuke of them, His Second Prediction of Peter's Denials, and His direction that they should henceforth provide for, and depend upon, themselves.) THE SECOND PART OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. (c. xxvi. 27-29.) "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." "the cup Matthew and Mark agree in their account of this incident: Luke differs merely by calling the cup after supper," (i.e., after the lamb, &c., had been eaten.) "The Cup," the Third Cup, or Cup of Blessing, which formed rite vii. of the Supper. 66 My blood of the new testament," (should be Covenant),— i.e., My blood which will seal the New Covenant of Grace. Covenants amongst the Jews, &c., were always accompanied by the slaughter of one victim, or more. "I will not drink... Father's Kingdom."-Christ ate of the Paschal meal, because it was expressive of His suffer ings; but He would not drink wine, because it was the emblem of joy, and His joy would not be full until the Kingdom of God should come. Christ does not mean that He would actually drink wine in His Father's Kingdom we must regard the expression as simply meaning that then His joy would be full, like that of one who had rejoiced himself with the fruit of the vine. Paul gives an account of the Institution of the Lord's Supper, which account God had given him by special revelation : "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." (It was usual, after the Paschal Supper, for the company to remain a considerable time in the room, conversing about the Exodus, and preceding events in Egypt. Christ followed this precedent. 66 John alone supplies His words on this occasion. They are to be found in John xiv., commencing, Let not your heart be troubled,” and ending, “Arise, let us go hence.") Christ and the Eleven quit the Supper Room for the Mount of Olives. (c. xxvi. 30.) "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives." "An hymn,"-cither the rest of the Hallel, or the Great Hallel. N |