“The Christians of Asia Minor were accustomed to celebrate this sacred feast, commemorative of the institution of the Lord’s supper, and the death of Jesus Christ, at the same time when the Jews ate their Paschal lamb, namely on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.a For . . . they considered the example of Christ possessing the force of law; and, as is equally manifest, they did not conceive our Savior to have anticipated the passover, . . . but that the Paschal lamb was eaten by him and his disciples on the same day on which the Jews . . . were accustomed to eat theirs.”

ITS MEANING

When, after having celebrated the passover, Jesus took some of the unleavened bread remaining and said, “Take this and eat; this is my body,” did he mean that that bread had suddenly, miraculously, by a process of transubstantiation, as it is called, actually become his body? How could it when he was still in his body? Besides, if he at that time had performed such a momentous miracle, would not some mention of it have been made in the rest of the Christian Greek Scriptures? Obviously he meant that this bread represented, stood for or meant his body. It was this fleshly body that he gave for his followers.—Matt. 26:26; 1 Cor. 11:25, NEB.

The same is true of Jesus’ words, “This is my blood.” He did not mean that this wine actually became his blood, for that was still coursing in his veins. Rather, the wine stood for, represented or meant his blood, “the blood of the [new] covenant, shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.”—Matt. 26:28; 1 Cor. 11:25, NEB.

“The blood of the covenant”? Yes, in Bible times blood was used to seal or make valid a covenant. Just as the blood of bulls and goats was used to validate the old law covenant made between Jehovah God and the nation of Israel, so the blood of Jesus Christ served to validate or make effective, put into operation, a new covenant, a covenant between Jehovah God and the followers of Christ.—Heb. 8:13; 9:15-24.

WHO PARTAKE?

On the evening that Jesus instituted the commemoration of his death he also mentioned a covenant for a kingdom: “I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom.” That covenant that God had made with Jesus Christ was originally made with King David and foretold the coming of one who would rule forever. Those who are parties to this Kingdom covenant are described in the Scriptures as the 144,000 members of spiritual Israel sealed in their foreheads, as the 144,000 standing upon Mount Zion with the Lamb, and as those who will partake of the first resurrection and rule as kings and priests of God and Christ. It is only those who are parties to both the new covenant and the covenant for the kingdom that are eligible to partake of the Lord’s evening meal.—Luke 22:29; 2 Sam. 7:11-16; Rev. 7:4; 14:1, 3; 20:5, 6.

Since the number of those in these covenants is limited to 144,000 and their number began to be selected when Jesus was on earth, it follows that not all who profess to be dedicated Christian ministers today could be parties to these covenants, since they number today many times 144,000. Thus in 1962, 1,639,681 attended the commemoration of Christ’s death as celebrated worldwide by Jehovah’s witnesses, but only 12,714 partook of the emblems, the bread and wine, or about one out of one hundred and thirty.

The question then comes up as to how one can tell whether one should partake of the bread and wine. God’s Word says: “The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children. If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together.”—Rom. 8:16, 17.

Those who have this witness in their lives, who have evidence that God’s holy spirit is preparing them for this heavenly reward, are certain of it. They have no doubts. The realization of this heavenly goal means more to them than any earthly prospect could possibly mean. Particularly were those of this heavenly class called prior to 1931, during which time God held out only a heavenly hope to dedicating Christians. Those who have this hope should partake. But those whose hope is one of everlasting life in an earthly paradise, also promised in God’s Word, clearly should not partake; for they are not in the new covenant nor in the covenant for the Kingdom.b

Does this mean that Jehovah God is unjust, unfair, partial, giving differing destinies arbitrarily to different individuals? Not at all. As the householder of one of Jesus’ illustrations, who hired workers for his vineyard, said to those who complained because those who had worked but one hour received the same wages as did those who had worked all day: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with my own things?”—Matt. 20:15.

We may never forget that all we receive at God’s hand is undeserved kindness. No one merits anything. This is especially true of human sinners, the offspring of Adam. If Jehovah wishes to reward some with everlasting life in the heavens and others with everlasting life upon earth, that is his prerogative. Adam was not unjustly treated by being created a human rather than an angel; John the Baptist was not unjustly treated in that he became merely the friend of the bridegroom and not part of the bride class. So today, none of those who gain everlasting life upon earth will have any reason to complain. If we are wise we will appreciate what is offered us.

Then why be present if one is not going to partake of the bread and the wine? Because of what will be said on that occasion. We will be reminded of how much Jehovah God has done for us, how much Jesus Christ has done for us and the marvelous example he set for us. To come together on such a serious yet joyful occasion also serves to draw Christians closer together.

This year the witnesses of Jehovah throughout the earth will come together to commemorate Christ’s death on Monday, April 8, after 6 p.m. All persons of goodwill toward God are invited to associate with them on that evening and to be benefited by what they hear and see.

God’s Distinct Name

It is not unusual for modern Bible translators to obscure the name Jehovah by substituting “LORD” for the name recorded in the original Hebrew. It is interesting to note the comment of T. V. Moore, then pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia, who wrote in his translation and commentary on Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, page 55: ‘We have retained the name Jehovah, instead of rendering it LORD, because the sacred writers make a marked distinction between this name of God and every other, and a distinction that ought not to be concealed in translation. It is his covenant title, embodying in its structure the unchangeableness of his existence as the guarantee of his faithfulness to his people. See Exodus 6:3.”—January 1, 1856.