Even a cursory reading of the four Gospels will
show that John’s record is markedly different to the three synoptic
accounts, not only in what he records but also in what he omits. The
omission of the institution of the Lord’s supper is made the more
striking by the fact that John records some of the other events that
took place on that occasion such as the prophecy of Peter’s
impending denial. However, John is unique in that he alone records
the Lord’s ministry on the spiritual conditions that should attend
the breaking of bread—for John wrote late when things were becoming
increasingly artificial.
On the very occasion the Lord set on the
remembrance of Himself during His absence, He also spoke of the
Kingdom of God. This was in spite the fact that Israel had rejected
both the King and His Kingdom. In Matthew and Mark, the Lord’s
supper is directly identified with the Kingdom (see Matt. 26: 29;
Mark 14: 25), although in Luke the two thoughts are only associated
(see Luke 22: 18). All this shows that
at that time there
was still the possibility of repentance for Israel and the Kingdom
being set up in power. Later when Paul had the Lord’s supper given
to him by revelation (see 1 Cor. 11: 23) there is no mention of the
Kingdom. Later still when John penned his Gospel, he omits the
institution of the Lord’s supper altogether. Its inclusion when John
wrote would have inappropriate because Israel’s opportunity for
immediate entrance into the Kingdom had passed. This peculiarity of
John is worth exploring further.
The Gospel proclaimed in the Synoptics was “the
glad tidings of the kingdom”, “the glad tidings of Jesus Christ” and
“the glad tidings of the kingdom of God” (Matt. 4: 23; Mark 1: 1;
Luke 4: 43). No other description in those three books is ever
given. This Gospel continued to be preached after the day of
Pentecost as Acts 8: 12 testifies. While the Synoptic writers trace
the historical rejection of the King and His Kingdom, John, by
contrast, begins with it (see John 1: 11). The Synoptics also record
evidence in abundance of the power of the Kingdom in the casting out
of demons, while John does not record a single instance of exorcism.
The Kingdom was preached throughout the history given in the
Synoptics but in John the words
preach and
proclaim,
gospel and
glad tidings are entirely
absent and the word announce
is only used once for the future service of the Holy Spirit (see
John 16: 13).
The subject of the Kingdom does come up
twice but only in private interviews (see John 3: 3, 5; 18: 36,
37)—never in public. Such omissions show that
by the time John wrote
any hope of the establishment of the public Kingdom was over for the
present. Accordingly, as the Lord instituted His supper in
connection with the Kingdom, John omits the event.
Concerning the Lord’s supper, Paul says “I
received from the Lord …” (1 Cor. 11: 23), raising the question as
to why this personal revelation was necessary seeing as he had
already met with Peter (see Gal 1: 18)—who had first–hand knowledge
of the institution of the ordinance. The answer lies in what is
contained in Paul’s account and what is omitted. As already
mentioned, the Lord’s supper is no longer linked with the Kingdom,
while a new thought is connected with the remembrance: “For as often
as ye shall eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye announce the death
of the Lord, until he come” (1 Cor. 11: 26). Thus the ordinance is
to continue in the setting of the Assembly rather than the Kingdom
“until he come”. But what of the spiritual conditions that should
accompany it? Even in Paul’s day, while the Lord’s supper was
physically observed, the spiritual conditions that should have
marked its participants were being lost (see 1 Cor. 11: 27–34).
These spiritual conditions can be summed up in one word:
love. This word does
not occur once in the Synoptics’ description of the events in the
upper room, but is found 17 times in John 13: 1–14: 31. John sets
the scene with his opening words “Jesus, knowing that his hour had
come ... having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to
the end” (John 13: 1). Now the Lord knew that His absence would be a
great strain and so He promises to return for His own so that “where
I am ye also may be” (John 14: 3). However, this is not all, for the
Lord also said “I am coming to you” (John 14: 18, 28). This is
something that can be realised when those who love Him remember Him
in the “breaking of bread” (Acts 2: 42)—for the phrase “remembrance
of me” (Luke 22: 19; 1 Cor. 11: 24, 25) has the sense of
a calling of me to mind.
Thus while John’s Gospel does not mention the Lord’s supper, it does
supply us with much vital information concerning it—information that
is consistent with John’s overall presentation.
