John Calvin Commentary Luke 22:17

"And he received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:" — Luke 22:17 (ASV)

As Luke mentions that the cup was twice presented by Christ, we must inquire, in the first place, if this is a repetition (as the Evangelists are frequently accustomed to say the same thing twice), or if Christ, after having tasted the cup, repeated the same thing a second time. This latter conjecture appears to me to be probable; for we know that the holy fathers, during sacrifices, observed the solemn rite of tasting the cup;¹⁸⁸ and therefore those words of the Psalmist:

I will take the cup of salvation,
and will call on the name of the Lord (Psalms 116:13).

I have no doubt, therefore, that Christ, according to the ancient custom, tasted the cup in the holy feast, which otherwise could not have been correctly observed. Luke expressly mentions this before giving an account of the new mystery, which was a totally different institution from the paschal lamb.

It was also in compliance with received and ordinary custom that he is expressly said to have given thanks, after having taken the cup.

For at the commencement of the supper, I have no doubt, he prayed, as he was accustomed never to sit down at table without calling on God. But now he wished to discharge this same duty once more, so that he might not leave out a ceremony which, as I have just now shown, was connected with the sacred act of taking the cup and tasting it.¹⁸⁹

¹⁸⁸ “Que les saincts peres ont observé ceste ceremonie solennelle de prendre la coupe, et gouster un peu de ce qui estoit dedans;” — “that the holy fathers observed this ceremony of taking the cup, and tasting a little of what was within it.”;” — “that the holy fathers observed this ceremony of taking the cup, and tasting a little of what was within it.”

¹⁸⁹ “De prende la coupe, et en gouster.”.”