The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 519

t.Pnded. The Ynl)'.'.nte has, fl-ON testa.menU. nna,looholic grRpe-juice. Wine, to be wine, The old oovenant bAwPen God e,nd his most undergo fermenllltion, and if it is not people hnd been ratified 11t Sinai by the to putrefy or to become vinegar, it must de- bfood of many nctims (Exod. xxiv. 5~; velop aloohol. When I drink it new (1<a1vdv) Heh. viii. 8-13; ix. 15, eto.); tho blood of with you in my Father's kingdom. Thie Christ shC'd upon the cross ratifies" the new mysterious announcement has been variousl.Y 0r Christian covenant to the world e,nd the interpreted, and its meo.ning must remnin Chnrc.h, an,l the same blood sa,cramentally uncertain. Some refer it to Christ's inter- applied ratifies the covenant individually to course wilh his disciples nfter he rose from each Christian" (Sodler). The eve,ngelical the de-a,!, when e.g. he partook of food with covenant supersedes the Judaic, even as the them (Luke xxiv. 30, 42, 43; John xxi. 12; sacrifice of Christ fulfils and supersedes the Acts i. 4; x. 41). But this seems hardly Levitical StLCrifiCf's. Whioh is shed (i.s 1,ei11g to meet the requirements of the tex.t, thougil ~hea) for many. The Vulgatc hns~ffundetur, it has the support of Chryeostom, who writes, in reference to the crucifixion of.the morrow; "Because he had discoursed with them bnt this is tampering with the text. Ra.ther, conoeming Passion o.nd cross, he agnin by using the present tense, the Lord signifies introduces what he has to say of his resui·- that his dea.th is certain-that the sacrifice rection, having made mention of a kingdom hlU! already begun, that the " I -amb slain before them, and by this term calling his from the foundation of the world" (Rev. xiii. own resurrection. And wherefore did he 8) WIU! now offering the eterna.l sacrifice. drink after he was risen age.in ? Lest the The whole ordinance is significant of the grosser sort might suppose tbat the resurrec- -completion of the atonement. "Ma.ny" here tion was n phe.ntasy .... To show, therefore, is equivalent to" all." Redemption is uni- that they sboul,l see him manifestly risen versal, though all men do not accept the offer again, and that ha should be with them once (see on eh. xx. 28). Even Calvin says," Non wore, and that they themselves shall be partem mnndi tantum designa.t, sed totum witness to the things that are done, both by hnma.nnm genllll." For the remission of sins. sight and by act, he saith, ' until I drink it "For without shedding of blood is no re- new with yon,' you bearing witness. Bnt mission" (Heb. ix. 22); "The blood of J esns what is 'new•? In a new, that is, in a Christ, hie Son. clea.nseth ns from all sin" strange manner, not having a passible body, (1 John i 7). The se.crifices of the Law, the but now immortal and incorruptible, and no~ blood of bolls and goats, could not take needing food." Some explain it of the Pass, away sin; at most they gave a ritual and over, of which he then partook for the le.et ceremonial purifi.~a.tion. But what the time, the type being fulfilled in him. The MOS&ic Law could not effect was accom- solution does not expla.in the new participa- plished by the precions blood of Christ, who tion in the kingdom of God. It seems, on the offered himself a i;potleEB and perfect Victim whole, best to understand it as a prophecy of unto God. Ti,ie is our Lord's most com• the great marriage supper or the Lam~, and plete announcement of the propitiatory the joys that await the faithful in the new ne.tnre of bis sacrifice, which ie appropriated heavens and the new earth. The wine is the by faith in the reception of his precious token of the felicities of this dispensation, blood. St. Panl adds, " This do ye ( .,-aii-ra and it ie called "new" in oontr11st with the ,ra«i.,-,), as oft e.s ye drink it, in re!Jlem- obsolete character of that which it ~uper- ·brance of me [ ,l, -r¾iv l!J.¾iv lu,c/.,,_.,.,,,,,,,, 'for eeded. "Novitatem dioit plo.ne singule.rem" my commemoration']." These were, of (Bengel). course, Christ's words spoken at the time, Vere. 30-35.-Jesus announces the deser- and a.re of most important bearing on wbat is called the sacrificial aspect of the Holy tion of the apostles, and tlie denial of Peter. Enche.risl (Mark xiv. 26-31; Luke xxii. 34; John xiii. Ver. 29.-I will not drink henceforth (a.r 36-38.) &p.,.,) of this fruit (-yawl,/J.o.Tas) of the vine. He is llbout to die. From thie moment Ver. 30.-When they had sung an nymn. forward he tlU!tea not the cnp. It does not This was probably the second portion of the follow that he had po.rtaken of the con- Hallel (Pee. cxv.-cxviii.,or, if the then ritual secrated wine which he gave hle aposllee. was the same as the later, Ps. cxxxvi.). Probability is aga.inst his having done so (see Before this, however, the Lord spake the on ver. 26). He used the same words with the discourses and the prayer recorded so first en p e.t the commencement of tile supper lovingly and carefully by St. John (John (Lukexxii. 18). Ofthi• be probably pe.rtook, xiv.-xvii.). They went out. Which they bnt not of the latter. The offspring of the could nnt lawfully have done had they been vine ie a poetical way of dee~ribing wine ( cf. celebrating the usual Jewish Pnssover (see Deut. x.xii. 9; Iae.. x.xxii. 12, eto.). It is Exorl. xii. 22). Though it is possihJ,-, that absurd to find in tilie term an argument for many modifications of the 1Jrigin,d ritual  en, xxv1. 1-7G.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTilEW. 62&