The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament, Part 1 · Section 83 – Section 85

The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament · Part 1 · Section 83 – Section 85

p. 63SECTION LXXXIII.

CHRIST eateth the Passeover: ordaineth the Lords Supper, &c.

PETER and Iohn who were sent to prepare the Passeover, had this work to do. They were to get a room fitting; to that their Master directs them by a sign. They were to get a Lamb, and to bring him into the Temple, and there to have him killed and his blood sprinkled, under the name of a Paschall for thirteen persons. For no Lamb could be eaten for a Paschall, whose blood was not first sprinkled at the Altar, and that foreign in the name of a Paschall, and foreign by count for such a number of persons as had agreed to be at the eating of him. Talm. in Pesachin. per. 5. [as Christ died but for a certain number.] Which shews [had not the Evangelists done it otherwise] that Christ ate his Passeover on the same day that the Jews did theirs [which some, upon misunderstanding of Ioh. 18.28. have denied] nay that it was not possible otherwise, for how impossible was it to get the Priests to kill a Paschall for any, upon a wrong day?

Having got the Lamb thus slain at the Temple, they were to bring him home to the house where he was to be eaten, to get him roasted, and to get bread and wine ready, and what other provision was usuall and requisite for that meal.

At Even Iesus cometh and sitteth down with the twelve: and as he ate, he gave intimation of the Traitour, who was now at the table and eating with him. Which might seem to make this story the same with that in Ioh. 13.21, 22. and so might argue, that this and that were but one and the same Supper. But herein is an apparent difference in the stories. 1. At the Supper in Ioh. 13. Christ giveth only a private signification of the Traitour by a token given secretly to Iohn, but here he points him out openly. 2. There p. 64he gives him a sop, here he only speaks of dipping with him in the dish. Only there is some diversity in the Evangelists, in relating this story: Matthew and Mark have laid this taxation and discovery of the Traytour before the administration of the Lords Supper, but Luke after.

And there is the like variety in their relating the time of these words of Christ, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, &c. for Luke hath brought them in as spoken before the Sacrament, but the other two after. In both which, first the main intent of the relation is to be looked after, and then may we better state the time. The intent in the former, is to shew Iudas at the Table, and at the Table all the time both of the Paschall and the Lords Supper, those symboles of love and communion, yet he such a wretch as to communicate in both, and yet a Traitour. The two, Matthew and Mark would shew that he was at the Table, and so the mention of that they bring in upon Christs first sitting down and beginning to eat: And Luke makes the story full, and shews that he was at the Table all the time, both at Passeover and Sacrament, and the words of Christ upon the delivering of the Cup, But behold the hand of him that betrays me, &c. cannot possibly be mitigated from such a construction. As to the later, the meaning of Christ in the words, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, &c. is, that the Kingdom of God was now so near, that this was the last meat and drink, or the last meal that he was to have, before that came. By the Kingdom of God, meaning his resurrection and forward, when God by him had conquered death, Satan and hell. And whereas he saith, Till I drink it n…w with you in the Kingdom of God, he did so, eating and drinking with them after his resurrection. This therefore being the aim of his speech, it was seasonable to say so, any time of the meal, This is the last meal I must eat with you till I be risen again from the dead. And hereupon the Evangelists have left the time of his uttering of it at that indifferency, that they have done. And indeed these two passages had such reference one to another, that the one might bring on the other, and both of them might very well be spoken by Christ twice: The observing of the direct order of Christs actions at this meal, which the Evangelists have related, will help to clear this matter.

When he was set down with them, he first saith, I have desired to eat this Passeover with you before I suffer, for this is the last I must eat with you before the Kingdom of God be come. And thereupon he taketh the first cup of wine that was to be drunk at that meal, and drinks of it and gives it them, and bids, Divide it among your selves, for I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine, &c. meaning, this is the last time I shall eat and drink with you, &c. And this speech properly brought in the other, One of you shall betray me: as paraphrased, speaking thus, I shall no more eat with you, for there is one now at the table with me, hath compassed my death. Hereupon they question who it should be, &c. After this passage they eat the Paschall Lamb after its rite, and after it, he ordaineth the Lords Supper: Bread to be his Body henceforward, in the same sense that the Paschall Lamb had been his Body hitherto, and the Cup to be the New Testament in his Blood now under the Gospel, as the blood of Bullocks had been the Old Testament in his Blood, Exod. 24. And after the administring of the Cup, he tels them again, that that was the last that he must drink, for the hand of him that betrayed him was at the Table.

SECTION LXXXIV. LUKE Chap. XXII. from Ver. 24. to Ver. 39. A contest among the Disciples about priority.

LUKE himself is a clear warrant for the order. And withall, the joynt consideration of the story before will help to confirm it. The question among themselves about the traitour, helpeth to draw on this other question about priority: An unseasonable and a very unreasonable quarrell: To which their Master giveth closely this twofold answer, besides proposing his own example of humility. 1. That let not them stand upon priority, for he would equally honour them in his Kingdom, &c. 2. That this was not a time to stand upon such businesse as seeking to be preferred one before another, for this was a time of sifting, and a time when all the care they could take for their safety should be little enough: therefore they had now something else to do then to look after precedency.

p. 65SECTION LXXXV. JOHN Chap. XV, XVI, XVII. CHRISTS last words to his Disciples and a Prayer for them.

JOHN in Chap. 18.1. informs us that when Iesus had spoken the words contained in these Chapters, he went over the brook Kidron: by which it appeareth that they were spoken at his last Supper instantly before he rose and went to the garden where he was apprehended. At their Passeover Suppers they used large discourses seasonable and agreeable to the occasion: and especially in commemorating what God had done for that people. Whatsoever Christ had spoken upon that subject, is not recorded, but this which was more needfull for the Disciples present condition, were agreeable to the great occasion now at hand, and most beneficiall for the Church in time to come.