Luke 22 16

Luke 22:16 kjv

For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Luke 22:16 nkjv

for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

Luke 22:16 niv

For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

Luke 22:16 esv

For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

Luke 22:16 nlt

For I tell you now that I won't eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God."

Luke 22 verses

Luke 22 16 Meaning

In Luke 22:16, Jesus declares that He will not partake of the Passover meal again until its ultimate spiritual reality is brought to complete fruition within the inaugurated and consummated "kingdom of God." This statement transforms the earthly meal, which commemorated past liberation, into a prophetic promise of a future, final celebration where God's saving purposes will be perfectly established. It points to an eschatological fulfillment of the Passover in Christ's final reign, emphasizing that the Passover, with all its covenantal implications, culminates in the divine kingdom.

Luke 22 16 Context

Luke 22:16 is spoken by Jesus during the Last Supper, specifically during His final Passover meal with His disciples, before His betrayal and crucifixion. Chapter 22 opens with the plot to kill Jesus, Judas's agreement to betray Him, and preparations for the Passover. This specific verse (and Luke 22:18, which parallels it concerning the cup) occurs before Jesus institutes the new covenant meal of the Lord's Supper with the bread and wine representing His body and blood (Luke 22:19-20). Jesus's words here punctuate the traditional Passover ritual, asserting its immediate and ultimate reinterpretation through His person and work. He frames this momentous final meal not just as a commemoration of the past Exodus, but as a bridge to a future, greater redemption. The Kingdom of God is a central theme in Luke's Gospel, indicating God's redemptive reign, which is present in Jesus's ministry and will be fully consummated at His return. Jesus is here indicating that this traditional Passover is being transformed and fulfilled in an eschatological sense within this larger Kingdom reality.

Luke 22 16 Word analysis

• For I tell you:

  • Greek: γάρ (gar) "For"; λέγω (legō) "I say/tell."
  • Significance: The conjunction "For" connects this statement to the preceding Passover activities, offering a reason or explanation. "I tell you" is an emphatic, authoritative declaration (an "amen" statement is implied or replaced by the authoritative 'legō'). Jesus is not merely expressing a personal preference but issuing a profound, divinely sanctioned statement about the ultimate meaning and future of the Passover.

• I will not eat of it:

  • Greek: οὐ μὴ φάγω (ou mē phagō) "not at all will I eat."
  • Significance: This is a strong double negative in Greek, emphasizing absolute certainty of future non-action regarding "eating." The "it" refers directly to the Passover meal. Jesus indicates that His participation in this earthly Passover ritual is now definitively paused or completed until a specific condition is met. This implies a significant, definitive shift in how the Passover is understood.

• until it is fulfilled:

  • Greek: ἕως ὅτου πληρωθῇ (heōs hotou plērōthē) "until when it is filled/completed/perfected."
  • Significance: Heōs hotou denotes "until when" or "as long as," implying a time-bound condition. Plērōthē (from plēroō) means to be filled, completed, brought to its full extent or consummation. It implies bringing to reality what was foreshadowed or foretold. The "it" here refers to the essence or ultimate purpose of the Passover itself. It suggests that the Passover ritual, a shadow of good things to come, has not yet reached its ultimate spiritual consummation. This foreshadows a grand, future realization.

• in the kingdom of God:

  • Greek: ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ (en tē basileia tou theou) "in the kingdom of God."
  • Significance: This is the realm where the fulfillment will take place. The "kingdom of God" (a foundational theme in Luke's Gospel) refers to God's sovereign reign and the new spiritual order established through Christ. It is a present reality in Jesus' ministry but also a future consummated state. Here, it refers specifically to the ultimate, perfected state of God's redemptive reign, often depicted as a joyous banquet (Isa 25:6, Matt 8:11, Luke 14:15, Rev 19:9), where full fellowship with God is experienced.

• I will not eat of it until it is fulfilled:

  • Significance: This phrase creates a clear boundary: present abstinence until future consummation. Jesus, by suspending His participation in the Passover meal, highlights that its purpose finds its full meaning not merely in commemorating a historical event (Exodus) but in an eschatological reality connected to His coming kingdom. He points beyond the literal bread and wine to a greater spiritual banquet. This suggests that the earthly Passover, though sacred, is imperfect and incomplete until Christ's full redemptive plan is realized in the Kingdom.

• it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God:

  • Significance: This links the Jewish Passover directly to the Christian eschatological hope. The ancient feast is not abolished but transmuted and brought to its perfect, divinely intended culmination within the realm of God's full and sovereign rule. It implies that Jesus himself is the substance and goal toward which the Passover continually pointed, and its final meaning is bound up with His ultimate triumph and the full establishment of God's kingdom.

Luke 22 16 Bonus section

• The parallel statements regarding the eating (v.16) and drinking (v.18) frame Jesus' institution of the new covenant meal (Luke 22:19-20). He first defers His participation in the old Passover elements until its eschatological fulfillment, then institutes a new, forward-looking meal.
• Jesus is implicitly asserting His authority over sacred Jewish tradition. He, not the Mosaic Law, defines the true meaning and future of the Passover.
• This verse links Jesus' imminent suffering and death with His ultimate glory and reign. The dark night of betrayal and crucifixion is immediately followed by a prophetic vision of future glory and feasting.
• The Lord's Supper, instituted immediately after this statement, thus becomes an "until He comes" meal (1 Cor 11:26), serving as a memorial of His redemptive death and an anticipation of His glorious return and the consummate "marriage supper of the Lamb."

Luke 22 16 Commentary

Luke 22:16 is a profoundly significant statement made by Jesus at the Last Supper, marking the definitive end of the Passover's original function and inaugurating its eschatological fulfillment. Jesus is not merely declining food but declaring the shift from the old covenant's preparatory rituals to the new covenant's ultimate realities. By stating He will not eat "until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God," He pronounces that the earthly Passover, with its commemoration of physical deliverance, finds its true and complete purpose in the spiritual and redemptive realities of His Kingdom.

This verse elevates the Passover from a historical remembrance to a forward-looking promise. The 'fulfillment' signifies that the deliverance from sin and death, the ultimate exodus, is achieved through His imminent sacrifice and consummated in His future reign. The Passover feast becomes an appetizer for the great messianic banquet where full fellowship with God will be experienced. Thus, it underscores the progressive nature of God's revelation, moving from shadow to substance.