In Matthew 26:29, what does “new” refer to?
Question:
Hi Jeffrey,
In "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29 NKJV), what’s the “new”? And what is "that day"? How can we drink the new cup with Jesus together?
Thanks.
Answer:
Looking at the parallel accounts:
"But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:29).
"Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God" (Mark 14:25).
"For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes" (Luke 22:18).
"That day" refers to the time after the kingdom of God (the church) comes into being. The Lord's Supper, among other things, is a covenant meal. When a covenant was formed, the parties in the covenant often sat down to a meal to show that they were now in fellowship with each other (Genesis 31:46, 54; Exodus 24:9-11). Each week, we remind ourselves of our covenant with God and share a feast in the presence of our Lord.
The "new" in this case refers to the Lord's Supper being taken in a new setting. When Christ established it, it was done under the Old Law. After Christ's death, the New Law was established (Colossians 2:14). In this new setting, our Lord is present at our worship, and we partake of the cup with him.
