26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
In one sense, Jesus' giving of thanks was just a part of the Passover meal, taking the cup of blessing, which represented the blood of the lamb, which God's death angel used as a sign to "pass over" that house. It was a meaningful blessing, or giving of thanks for God's deliverance. But think about what is going on here: Jesus is saying: "This represents my blood; I'm going to suffer and die for your sins." That is not something it is easy to say "thank you" for. But, as we saw the other day, Jesus really was thankful; He was not just going through a ritual. He was thankful that the Father loved Him, and that He knew that what He was doing pleased the Father; it was His joy to do the Father's will. When we have that kind of confidence and commitment, we will be able to give God thanks in tough times too.
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