We can start tying this to the Passover. Jesus said, With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. He knew what lay ahead for Him, but for that occasion, He could set aside the anticipation of suffering, and enjoy the environment of peace that is possible when the relationship with God is on good terms, and because of all that flows from the Father. Jesus greatly desired that occasion, not for the sake of the physical food, but because of the fellowship, and because of what God provided.
Last week, Richard reiterated the lesson from the transfiguration that Christ's words must be heard. Well, here is an application of that. We may not know exactly what to do with Christ's words here, but we dare not turn a deaf ear to them. He says that the fulfillment of the Passover is still future. The Passover has forward-looking aspects. It is not simply a memorial of a past event, but also what that event means for us now in terms of our relationship with God, and what that relationship is moving toward. Jesus already fulfilled the sin offering. Passover isn't about that. It is about what Christ's death set into motion, which finds its culmination in the future Kingdom.
Like the Exodus Passover, this Passover focused on eating (Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12, 14; Luke 22:8, 11, 15-16; John 13:2). However, the scriptures place far more emphasis on the bread and wine than on the other food. Yet we should recognize that the bread and wine are not new symbols. They are the original elements of the fellowship meal between Melchizedek and Abraham (Genesis 14:18) on the eve of the historic covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 15). Similarly, this Passover was a fellowship meal on the eve of the sealing of another, much-anticipated covenant.
Christ's words in verses 17-18 reiterate what He declared in verse 16, that He would no longer eat of [the Passover] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. The resurrected apostles will be present when Jesus resumes His partaking of the Passover meal, including the wine. So, as mentioned, Passover has forward-looking aspects.
Verse 15 tells us what was on Christ's mind, and again, it was not the disciples' sins. Instead, the Son of God had been fervently looking forward to this special occasion - this fellowship - with those whom the Father had given Him (see also Matthew 26:18-29; Mark 14:13-25). Like the Exodus Passover, this Passover was about eating. However, the New Testament Scriptures place the emphasis on the bread and wine. The bread and wine are not new symbols, though, but the original elements of the fellowship meal between Melchizedek and Abraham (Genesis 14:18) on the eve of a historic covenant (Genesis 15). In like manner, this Passover was a fellowship meal on the eve of the sealing of a much-anticipated covenant.
There is not time to explore this completely, but notice that Jesus says that the Passover will not be fulfilled until the Kingdom of God. It is easy to read right over that, but it is a critical part of Passover. The sin offering has already been fulfilled (Hebrews 1:3; 7:27; 9:12-14, 26-28; 10:12, 18), but the Passover has not, as it says here. This is because of Passover's theme of redemption, which is actually a process. This is why Scripture speaks of redemption in both the past (Romans 3:23-25; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14) and future tenses (Luke 21:28; Romans 8:23-25; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30). We have been redeemed from the death penalty, but we still need to be redeemed from this corrupted nature that incurs the death penalty (see Titus 2:11-14). God must redeem us from this flesh - this body of death, as Paul calls it - so we can fully manifest the image of our Creator. Thus, our final redemption occurs when we have been resurrected and have fully taken on the incorruptible nature (see I Corinthians 15:50). At that point, Passover will be fulfilled.
