Various incidents took place in connection with this last Supper.  The disciples had a contest among themselves about which of them should be greatest.  This led Jesus, in the course of the evening, to give them the lesson of humility, by washing his disciples’ feet, of which we have already spoken.  Then he told them how sorrowfully he was feeling.  He said they would all forsake him, and one of them would betray him that very night.  This made them feel very sad.  Each of them suspected himself—­and asked sorrowfully—­“Lord, is it I?” They did not suspect each other; and none of them seems to have suspected Judas Iscariot at all.  Then Peter whispered to John, who was leaning on the bosom of Jesus, to ask who it was that was to do this?  In answer to John’s question, Jesus said it was the one to whom he should give a piece of bread when he had dipped it in the dish.  Then he dipped the sop and gave it to Judas.

After this, we are told that Satan entered into him, and he went out and made preparation for doing the most dreadful thing that ever was done from the beginning of the world—­and that was the betrayal of his great, and good, and holy Master, into the hands of his enemies.  When Judas was gone, and before the Passover feast was finished, making use of some of the materials before him, Jesus established one of the two great sacraments to be observed in his church to the end of the world—­the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper—­or the holy Communion.

This is St. Luke’s account of the way in which it was done, chapter xxii:  19, 20—­“And he took the bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you:  this do in remembrance of me.  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”  St. Matthew adds, and—­“for many.”

Such is the account we have of the first establishment of the Lord’s Supper.  It was to take the place of the Jewish Passover, and to be observed by the followers of Christ all over the earth, until the time when he shall come again into our world.

And this solemn sacrament—­this holy communion—­this Supper of our Lord, ought to be observed, or kept, by all who love him, for three reasons:  these are its connection with the word of his command—­the memory of his sufferings—­and the hope of his glory.

Jesus connected this sacrament with the word of his command when he said—­“This do in remembrance of me.”  St. Luke xxii:  19.  This is the command of Christ.  It is a plain, positive command.  Jesus did not give this command to the apostles only, or to his ministers, or to any particular class of his followers, but to all of them.  It was given first to his apostles, but it was not intended to be confined to them.  Jesus does not say—­“This do,” ye who are my apostles; or, ye who are my ministers.  He does not say—­“This do,” ye old men, or ye rich men, or ye great men; but simply,