Luke 22 19

Luke 22:19 kjv

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Luke 22:19 nkjv

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

Luke 22:19 niv

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

Luke 22:19 esv

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

Luke 22:19 nlt

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

Luke 22 verses

Luke 22 19 Meaning

This verse establishes the foundational act of Christian worship known as the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion. It recounts Jesus' actions and words at His final meal with His disciples before His crucifixion. By taking bread, giving thanks, breaking it, and distributing it with the profound statement, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me," Jesus transforms a traditional Passover meal into a New Covenant ritual. It signifies His selfless, atoning sacrifice – His physical body willingly given for the forgiveness of sins and the redemption of humanity. The command to "do this in remembrance of Me" institutes a perpetual act of memorial, communion, and anticipation of His return for believers across all generations, focusing on His saving work.

Luke 22 19 Context

Luke 22:19 takes place during the solemn setting of Jesus' final meal with His twelve disciples, often referred to as the Last Supper. This meal occurs on the eve of Passover, a significant Jewish festival commemorating God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Within the larger chapter, verses 1-6 describe the plot of the religious leaders to betray Jesus, while verses 7-13 detail the preparations for the Passover meal itself. Jesus, fully aware of His impending suffering and betrayal, uses this covenant meal to institute a new symbol for the New Covenant established through His own body and blood, signifying a paradigm shift from animal sacrifices to His perfect sacrifice. Historically, the breaking of bread and giving of thanks were common Jewish meal practices, particularly significant in a Passover Seder where each element held deep symbolic meaning regarding the exodus from Egypt. Jesus reinterprets these elements, imbues them with a radically new salvific meaning centered on Himself, and transforms the memory of old covenant deliverance into a new remembrance of His atoning death.

Luke 22 19 Word analysis

• And He took (λαβὼν - labōn): Signifies Jesus' deliberate, purposeful action. It highlights His authority and initiation in establishing this new observance.
• bread (ἄρτον - arton): A universal, staple food item. In the Passover context, it was unleavened bread (matzah), symbolizing haste and deliverance. Jesus elevates this common element to represent His very body.
• gave thanks (εὐχαριστήσας - eucharistēsas): This word is the root of "Eucharist." It's more than a polite gesture; it's a profound blessing (similar to a Jewish berakah) and an expression of profound gratitude to God the Father for His redemptive plan, even in the face of suffering.
• and broke it (ἔκλασεν - eklasen): A common action for distributing bread at a meal, but here deeply symbolic. It foreshadows His physical body being "broken" on the cross, His suffering and death for humanity.
• and gave it to them (ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς - edōken autois): Emphasizes distribution, sharing, and the communal nature of the act. The body of Christ is "given" to and shared among believers, symbolizing participation in His sacrifice.
• saying (λέγων - legōn): Introduces Jesus' authoritative declaration, giving new meaning to the physical acts.
• "This is My body" (Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου - Touto estin to sōma mou): This is a profound statement of identification. While interpreters have understood it differently (literal presence, symbolic representation, effective presence), the immediate emphasis is on the bread being inextricably linked to Jesus' self-sacrifice. It signifies that the bread, previously symbolizing the haste of the exodus, now definitively represents the real sacrifice of Jesus’ physical being.
• which is given for you (τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον - to huper humōn didomenon):
  • "given" (διδόμενον - didomenon): Present participle, indicating an ongoing or impending act of giving/sacrifice. It points to the present reality of His self-offering as He speaks.
  • "for you" (ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν - huper humōn): Conveys the substitutionary and beneficial nature of His sacrifice. His body is not given generally but specifically for the disciples and all who believe, indicating the atoning purpose of His death.
• do this (τοῦτο ποιεῖτε - touto poieite): A direct, imperative command, establishing an ongoing practice. It mandates the perpetual observance of this sacred meal among His followers.
• in remembrance of Me (εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν - eis tēn emēn anamnēsin):
  • "remembrance" (ἀνάμνησιν - anamnēsin): More than just a mental recollection. It implies an active memorial or re-presentation where the past event (Jesus' sacrifice) is brought into the present with its saving efficacy and reality for the participants. It makes the event effectively present to those who remember. It points to the active proclamation and actualization of His death.
  • "of Me" (ἐμὴν - emēn): Emphasizes that the entire focus of this meal, and indeed Christian life, is to be centered on Jesus Christ Himself, His person, and His finished redemptive work.

• He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them: This sequence of actions elevates ordinary human gestures into a sacred ritual. It mimics the hospitality and blessing practices of a Jewish meal, but with a profoundly new, Christ-centered meaning. The act of "breaking bread" symbolizes both His broken body on the cross and the sharing of Himself in communion.
• "This is My body which is given for you": This declaration definitively connects the physical bread to the Person and sacrificial act of Jesus. It highlights the self-giving, vicarious nature of His death—His body as a sacrifice, not for Himself, but specifically on behalf of and for the benefit of humanity, achieving reconciliation with God.
• "do this in remembrance of Me": This powerful command makes the Supper a continuing institution, ensuring that His sacrifice is never forgotten but actively re-enacted and celebrated. It binds the Church across time to Jesus' act of love, making His presence and the benefits of His death real for believers as they look back to Calvary and forward to His return.

Luke 22 19 Bonus section

The concept of "remembrance" (anamnesis) in a Jewish context often implied making an event from the past present and efficacious. For instance, in Passover, participants didn't just remember the Exodus; they re-entered it in spirit and experienced its salvific power anew. Similarly, when Christians "do this in remembrance of Me," they are not simply recalling a historical fact but are engaging in a spiritual act that brings the power and reality of Christ's cross and resurrection into their present experience, providing grace and strength. This verse also implicitly connects to the Suffering Servant passages in Isaiah, particularly Isaiah 53, which foretell a life given as a "guilt offering." Though not explicitly stated in Luke 22:19, the context of Jesus' redemptive death ensures that the giving of His body is fundamentally tied to the forgiveness of sins, a theme echoed in the parallel accounts and further explained in the epistles.

Luke 22 19 Commentary

Luke 22:19 is the theological heart of the institution of the Lord's Supper, revealing its Christ-centered, sacrificial, and perpetual nature. Jesus transforms a historical Jewish memorial of physical deliverance into a spiritual remembrance of His New Covenant sacrifice. By identifying the bread with "My body which is given for you," He directly links the act of eating with participation in His atoning death. This establishes the Lord's Supper as not merely a symbol but a means of proclaiming and appropriating the saving work of Christ. The command to "do this in remembrance of Me" ensures that believers consistently look back to Calvary, forward to His return, and inward for spiritual discernment, fostering both individual gratitude and corporate unity in His sacrifice.