The 11 faithful apostles with Jesus that night, Nisan 14, were the first to be invited to eat of that loaf of unleavened bread and drink of that cup of wine, which, as Jesus said, represented his sinless flesh and his lifeblood. (1 Cor. 11:23-26) Others would follow who, as Jesus said, would be “putting faith in me through their word.” (John 17:20) In connection with these believers, notice the frequent repetition of the words “in union with” that are used only with reference to Jehovah and Christ Jesus and those of the anointed Christian congregation, as shown at John 6:56; 10:38; 14:10, 11, 20; 15:4-7; 17:21-23, 26. An American Translation uses both the phrase “in union with” and the phrase “united to (with) me.”

The members of this congregation are dealt with in a special way, though not because of any merit on their part. (Eph. 2:5; 1 John 2:2) They are begotten by God’s spirit to a heavenly hope, the hope of sharing with Christ in his heavenly resurrection, provided that they first prove faithful, as Paul said, in “sharing in his sufferings, submitting . . . to a death like his,” a sacrificial death, giving up all hope of life on a paradise earth. (Phil. 3:10) This sacrificial course commences from the time when one is chosen by God as a member of that Christian congregation, making up “Christ’s body,” as explained at Matthew 16:24 and; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. These members are brought into the “new covenant,” validated by Christ’s shed blood, and share in its ministry.​—1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6; 4:1-7.

There are still some on earth who are “in union with Christ Jesus” and have the witness of God’s spirit of being ‘God’s spirit-begotten children’ and “joint heirs with Christ.” (Rom. 8:1, 14-17) They will have these precious truths very much in mind when they come together for the “Lord’s evening meal.”

God causes His will to be done by the operation of his holy spirit. How that spirit operates with those chosen by God as prospective members of the “little flock,” quickening within them a heavenly hope, is explained at Romans 8:14-17. Those Christians had unmistakable evidence within themselves that they had been called to the heavenly kingdom.