I have a rather non unique take on what Jesus meant (Redbandito hit it too, and Scott Hahn also made the connection). The Jewish passover ceremony includes 4 cups of wine that were passed around and drunk while singing certain psalms and pronouncing certain themes. Something rather interesting happens though with the passover ceremony at the last supper.
First off the section in Luke 22:7 points out that it was the day for sacrificing the passover lamb (probably a prefigure of Jesus as the new passover lamb) then he takes the cup of wine in Luke 22:17…notice also that he makes a distinction between the eucharistic cup being used and the cup of wine used for the passover ceremony…he then says that he will not drink of the fruit of the vine UNTIL he drinks it new in the kingdom of heaven.
Why do I think that this cup is only the third cup and not the fourth of the jewish passover ceremony? because of the discription given by mathew in Mathew 26:30 which says that after drinking from the cup they sung a hymn (humneo) and then departed. It is normally translated as a hymn, but this is a little misleading because the term humneo was also used for the group of psalms 112-118 called the great hellel…these hymns were always sung after the third cup.
At this point any jew would recognize that the apostles forgot the most important part of the jewish passover…the drinking of the fourth cup. For this reason many have thought that Mathew’s gospel could not have been written during the first century because any one associated with Judiasm during the first century would realize that the fourth cup had to be drunk for a valid passover.
Another side not that I think is of interest is that when jesus is in the Garden praying. What does he pray for? Lord let this cup pass from me!! this in itself seems to be some allusion to the fourth cup. So what happened to the fourth cup? The answer comes in johns account.
19:23
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless , woven in one piece.
19:24
So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS.”
19:28
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.”
19:29
A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.
19:30
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished !” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
First off notice 2 things…one he is wearing a seamless linen garment which is the exact specifications used to make the vestments of the high priest which were used for the sacrifice of the passover lamb…then look at the branch that is used to put the wine up to his mouth, it is a hyssop branch, which is the brach used by the hebrews in exodus to put the blood of the lamb upon the doorposts!!
Then look at what it is Jesus asks for the wine…remember he said he would not drink it until he came into his kingdom…So they hand him the wine on the hyssop branch and Jesus says the words "IT IS FINISHED"
Why did he say this “it is finished” well most say something like…oh this is the end of Jesus’ life so he says this or basically the standard what you all have said in this thread. I think this verse like “my god my god why have you forsaken me” is misunderstood because people don’t understand jewish culture. This phrase “it is finished” are the words that are pronounced by the Jews directly after drinking the fourth cup of the Jewish passover. “tel telesti”
I think because of this it is only correct to say that the passover celebrated by the apostles is not finished until the final death on the cross…also it is incorrect to think of Jesus’ passover sacrifice of himself as starting on the cross. It also involves the last supper and the passover meal. They are both interrelated. The new passover of the eucharist is the sacrifice of the lamb of God jesus christ…it is our way of participating in the sacrifice of christ and just as in the Jewish passover it is not enough to just sacrifice the lamb, you must also eat the meal.
St. Paul picks this idea up when he says… in 1 cor 5:7-8 our passover lamb has been sacrificed therefore let us KEEP THE FEAST. What is this feast that st paul speaks of…it is the new passover…the new sacrifice…the eucharisto meal
