As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. (Matthew 26:26-28)
Jesus was sharing a final meal with his followers. He knew that betrayal was just ahead, and then a mock trial, interrogation, and torture. Crucifixion would be in the next 18 hours or so.
One of his deliberate actions during this time was to take a cup of wine at their Passover, or Seder meal, and give thanks to God for it. He was preparing for the worst night and day that anyone has ever lived, and we find him in a position of thankfulness.
Me? If I had known what he knew, I think I would have been too nervous to move or breathe. I would have been sweating bullets. I would have made sure I was offering up “prayers for protection.” While we do have records of his extended prayer time in the Gospel of John about this final night, and in Luke, where he is in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, here he is, offering up thanks to his Heavenly Father for a cup of wine that represented his blood which activated the new covenant.
I’m thinking about what he didn’t say or do:
“Well, I’m getting ready to die. This cup symbolizes innocent blood getting ready to be spilled. You guys know I’m innocent, right?! It’s really unfair, but it is what it is.”
Or,
“I can’t believe that the Heavenly Father, the God of Love, is going to let me go through what’s next! I don’t understand it, but I’ll do it. I guess so.”
Or,
“This cup represents my blood which I’m getting ready to spill for you guys—one of whom will betray me—and for a whole bunch of folks who will never care. Doesn’t seem right, but this is my task and job, so I’m going to suck it up and keep moving forward.”
None of that.
Instead, after breaking bread, and pronouncing the words of blessing over it, he took the cup of wine, and gave thanks to His Father. I’m struck by the simplicity of this. He knew what was ahead. And he was looking outside of himself. He was looking to His father. He knew his Father was the source of every perfect gift. And to the Father, in this painful hour, Jesus offered up thanksgiving.
Jesus provided a model of thanksgiving for us when we face trials.
“Father, help us to learn from Jesus during his period of supreme testing and trial. He honored you, and looked to you with a prayer of thanksgiving, even though that thanksgiving was directly related to the impending sacrifice of his self, for us.”
Freddy Boswell 