Mark 14 22

Mark 14:22 kjv

And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Mark 14:22 nkjv

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."

Mark 14:22 niv

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."

Mark 14:22 esv

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body."

Mark 14:22 nlt

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 it, for this is my body."

Mark 14 verses

Mark 14 22 Meaning

Mark 14:22 records Jesus’ pivotal action during the Last Supper, transforming the traditional Passover meal into a foundational Christian observance. As He and His disciples ate, Jesus took ordinary bread, pronounced a blessing over it, broke it, and distributed it. With deep solemnity, He declared, "This is my body," thereby inaugurating the new covenant meal that identifies His physical person, offered in sacrificial death, with the bread broken for their redemption. This moment establishes a spiritual connection between the broken bread and His forthcoming suffering, forming the core of Christian remembrance and fellowship.

Mark 14 22 Context

Mark 14 records events leading directly to Jesus' crucifixion. The preceding verses detail a plot by the chief priests and scribes to seize and kill Jesus (14:1-2), the anointing of Jesus at Bethany as preparation for His burial (14:3-9), and Judas' betrayal for money (14:10-11). Verse 22 takes place during the Passover meal (14:12-16), a solemn feast commemorating Israel's liberation from Egyptian bondage, especially the sparing of their firstborn through the blood of the lamb. Against this rich Old Testament background, Jesus reinterprets the familiar Passover elements, particularly the bread, giving them a new, covenantal significance centered on His own impending death. This moment initiates a new spiritual reality for His followers, transcending the old ritual sacrifices with a singular, definitive sacrifice.

Mark 14 22 Word analysis

• And as they were eating (καὶ ἐσθιόντων αὐτῶν, kai esthiontōn autōn): This phrase firmly places the institution of the Last Supper within the context of a customary Passover meal. It signifies Jesus transforming an existing religious observance, not initiating an entirely new form of worship ex nihilo. This transformation of an ancient meal ritual into a prophetic and ongoing act highlights continuity and fulfillment.
• Jesus (Ἰησοῦς, Iēsoús): Emphasizes Jesus' authority and sovereign role in this defining act. He is the active agent and the central figure establishing this new covenant meal.
• took bread (λαβὼν ἄρτον, labōn arton): The "bread" (ἄρτον, arton) was likely unleavened, as was customary for the Passover. Jesus took this common, familiar element, a staple of life and symbol of God's provision (like Manna), and imbued it with extraordinary new meaning, preparing it for a sacred purpose.
• and blessed (καὶ εὐλογήσας, kai eulogēsas): From εὐλογέω (eulogeō), meaning "to speak well of, praise, or bless." This refers to a customary Jewish blessing of God for the food, transforming it into an act of consecration. In other accounts (Matt, Luke, 1 Cor), the equivalent term εὐχαριστήσας (eucharistēsas, "gave thanks") is used. Both reflect a common Jewish practice of prayer over food, linking human gratitude with divine provision, which sets the stage for the New Testament's "Eucharist" (Thanksgiving).
• and broke it (καὶ κλάσας, kai klasas): The act of breaking (κλάσας, from κλάω, klao) was a typical action during a Jewish meal for distributing food among participants. In this specific context, it profoundly symbolizes the physical breaking of Jesus' body on the cross, His suffering and sacrifice, as well as the sharing of His life with His followers. It is known as the "fraction."
• and gave to them (ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς, edōken autois): Signifies the voluntary and generous giving of Himself and His sacrifice to His disciples, an invitation to partake in His saving work. This is an act of intimate fellowship and sharing.
• and said (καὶ εἶπεν, kai eipen): Introduces Jesus' authoritative interpretation of His actions, giving specific, definitive meaning to the elements.
• Take, eat (Λάβετε, φάγετε, Labete, phagete): These are urgent commands, imperatives calling for active participation. It’s an invitation to personally appropriate what He is offering, implying spiritual nourishment and inclusion.
• This is my body (Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου, Touto estin to sōma mou):
  • "This" (Τοῦτό, Touto): Refers directly to the bread that He had just blessed and broken.
  • "is" (ἐστιν, estin): The most debated word. In Aramaic, Jesus' spoken language, the verb "to be" often implies identification without requiring a separate word for "represents" or "symbolizes." Thus, "is" suggests a profound identification and real presence, whether interpreted as a substantial change (transubstantiation), a co-existence (consubstantiation), or a dynamic sacramental presence (symbolic but truly effective presence of Christ). Regardless of the specific theological framework, it asserts that the bread carries a significant meaning intrinsically tied to His person.
  • "my body" (τὸ σῶμά μου, to sōma mou): Σῶμα (sōma) refers to Jesus' entire human person, which was about to be offered as a sacrificial ransom. It encapsulates His suffering, death, and resurrection, which fulfill the Old Testament sacrifices. It implies a personal and substitutionary sacrifice for the redemption of humanity.

Mark 14 22 Bonus section

• Polemical Significance: Jesus' reinterpretation of the Passover meal serves as a powerful theological statement. By instituting a new meal centered on His own person as the true Passover Lamb (Jn 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7), He subtly yet fundamentally challenges the established Jewish sacrificial system. His body becomes the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice (Heb 9:11-14, 10:10), superseding the repetitive animal offerings. This contrasts sharply with contemporary pagan mystery cults which sometimes involved mythological rituals seeking divine union; Jesus' act is rooted in historical reality and an ethical call to discipleship, not esoteric practice or magical transformation.
• Ecclesiological Implication: While the verse directly addresses the disciples and Christ's body given for them, the ongoing communal observance of "the breaking of bread" in the early Church (Acts 2:42, 20:7) signifies its role in fostering Christian community. The very participation in one loaf of bread implies unity among many believers who become one body in Christ (1 Cor 10:17), establishing the visible community of the Church, nourished and defined by Christ's self-giving.
• Eschatological Hope: Though not explicit in Mark 14:22, the broader context of the Last Supper narratives (Luke 22:16, 18) reveals an eschatological dimension. Jesus expresses His longing to partake of the meal with His disciples "until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God," signifying that the Communion looks forward to the ultimate consummation of God's kingdom, a grand feast where fellowship with Him will be complete.

Mark 14 22 Commentary

Mark 14:22 serves as a succinct yet powerful declaration of the institution of the Lord's Supper. Within the ancient Passover tradition, Jesus deliberately took the symbolic elements of liberation and new life, blessing and breaking the bread to represent His own body, broken and given for the salvation of many. This act transforms the very nature of covenant worship, shifting from animal sacrifice to the self-offering of the Son of God. The instruction "Take, eat" invites believers not merely to remember a past event, but to actively participate in and be nourished by the redemptive efficacy of Christ's sacrifice. It signifies a profound, albeit mysterious, presence of Christ, uniting believers to Him and to one another in His spiritual body, the Church, until His return. This communal meal became and remains a central act of Christian identity, fostering remembrance, gratitude, and a shared anticipation of the Kingdom of God. For practical usage, this verse compels believers to engage in Communion as a solemn yet joyful act of personal connection to Christ's sacrifice, a communal bond with other believers, and a prophetic declaration of His ultimate return.