Raleigh
Bible Study Materials
THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT
Matthew 26: 17 - 30
29 Oct 2023
Message
THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT
(Matthew 26:17-30)
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (v. 28)
Someone questioned if we cut the Bible, what would happen? It may bleed. The Bible is full of blood as our human body is filled with blood. It says that an adult will have approximately 1.2-1.5 gallons of blood in their body. From Genesis to Revelation, we can find the word “blood” almost 400 times. Just as we cannot imagine our human body without blood, we cannot imagine the Bible without blood. Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Without blood, it is impossible for any fallen human being to be cleansed and approach the holy God. In today’s passage, Jesus eats his last Passover meal with his disciples and makes a new covenant with them. He calls it the blood of the covenant and teaches its meaning. May God help us to deeply accept the blood of the covenant, commemorate Jesus’ sacrifice and love and remain in the joyful fellowship with Christ every day!
It was the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Jesus’ disciples asked where he wanted to eat the Passover. Obviously, they had celebrated the Passover regularly in obedience to the law of God. The Passover was one of the major holy days. It commemorated God’s great deliverance of the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. What did Jesus direct his disciples? Look at verse 18. “He replied, ‘Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, “The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” Jesus had eagerly desired to eat the Passover with his disciples in peace without any hindrance before he suffered. (Luke 22:15) He had something important to teach them. The disciples did as Jesus had directed them. They trusted and obeyed him simply.
The Passover meal started after sunset and lasted until late night. Tradition says that it was the house of John Mark where later the Holy Spirit came. (Acts 1:12) When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. (20) The time of intimate fellowship was precious to Jesus and his disciples. This time, however, the atmosphere was somewhat different. Look at verse 21. “While they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’” Jesus’ words shocked the disciples. The disciples had been with Jesus for more than three years. They had suffered with him in many ways. They had shared great victories. They were a loyal community. One thing seemed sure to them that they would all follow Jesus to the end. Therefore, when Jesus said one of them would betray him, it must have pierced their hearts like a knife. They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” (22) Jesus’ words struck each one personally and led them to search their own heart. Each of them had a possibility to be a betrayer.
How did Jesus respond? Look at verse 23. “Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me…’” “‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me” means a close friend. In John 13:26, Jesus, dipping a piece of bread, gave it to Judas as an expression of his love. Jesus’ love for Judas manifests God’s long-suffering and unconditional love for sinners. Then Jesus continued, “…The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” (24) Jesus did not think of his betrayal from a human point of view. Jesus did not think that his life was in the hands of the disciples, religious leaders or Roman authorities. He knew that all this would happen according to the Scriptures. God was in control, not evil people.
However, this did not excuse Judas for his decisions and actions. He would be responsible for his choice and suffer terrible consequences. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility are not in conflict. God’s providence does not justify man’s sin. Though Judah’s heart was full of evil, he said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” He called Jesus, “Rabbi,” not “Lord.” Rabbi was a title with which the Jews were accustomed to address their teachers. Judas did not accept the divinity of Jesus or the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus told him plainly, “You have said so.” Jesus loved him and helped him to repent to the end. John’s Gospel indicates that at this moment Judas left the table and went into darkness. (John 13:30)
Read verse 26. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’” Jesus had only hours remaining with his disciples. He really wanted to explain the meaning of his death on the Cross. Jesus used physical symbols. He compared his body to bread. Bread nourishes our physical bodies. We need to eat bread every day to maintain our strength and health. In the same way, our soul needs spiritual bread. This bread is Jesus himself. Jesus said in John’s Gospel, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty…unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” (John 6:35,53,55)
When Jesus said, “Take and eat; this is my body,” Jesus was giving himself to us out of love. He would break his body and shed his blood on the Cross. For our part, we must take what Jesus gives. When our souls feed on Jesus, we find a spiritual life source. We find healing, spiritual strength and eternal life. We can grow in the image of Jesus. We must feed on Jesus constantly. It is to believe in Jesus and what he has done for us on the Cross. It is to have a fellowship with him through the word of God, prayers and holy Communion. We human beings constantly seek something that can satisfy our deepest longing. They may be money, human love, pleasure, success, achievements, or fame, and so on. But nothing in this world can truly satisfy us. Only Jesus can give us true and lasting satisfaction, joy and peace.
Look at verses 27, 28. “Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Now Jesus related the cup to his blood. As drink was poured into the cup, so his blood would be poured out at the Cross. Here we can learn some important lessons
First, Jesus made a new covenant. The words, “This is my blood of the covenant,” imply this new covenant. (Luke 22:20) “Covenant” is one of the key words throughout the Scriptures. It refers to a binding agreement between two parties. It is like a marriage covenant, in which a man and woman vow to love each other exclusively and to be faithful to each other until death. In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with the Israelites. It refers to the old covenant. After the Exodus, God led the Israelites to Mt. Sinai. There God gave them the law and said to them through Moses, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” (Exodus 19:5-6) The old covenant was conditional and hinged on man’s obedience. It is characterized by God’s words, “You shall…you shall not….” Perfect obedience leads to life and disobedience, no matter how small, leads to death. When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.” (Exodus 24:7) Throughout history, however, Israel broke the covenant again and again. While God had been faithful, God’s people had been unfaithful.
About six hundred years earlier before Jesus came, God promised a new covenant through the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 31:33-34 say, “‘This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord. ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’” The heart of the new covenant is twofold: First, God will put his law in the minds and hearts of believers and second, God will forgive them and remember their sins no more. The first refers to the coming and work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit changes our minds and our hearts, filling us with the knowledge of God, love for God, and willingness to obey and serve God.
The second refers to the perfection of redemption and the lasting love relationship between God and his redeemed people. The new covenant of grace is based solely on God’s faithfulness to keep his promise and stems from his unconditional love for mankind. It is characterized by God’s words, “I will…I will….” It is God’s one-sided promise of blessing. No one could keep the old covenant due to our sinful nature. So, we were all doomed to death and judgment. But God had mercy on us and made a new covenant. Jesus fulfilled this new covenant completely on the Cross and said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Jesus paid it all. He forgives all our sins and enables us to come to God freely. God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west and remembers them no more. (Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 8:12) Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we can enjoy an everlasting love relationship with God. We can receive this blessing only by faith.
Second, the new covenant was sealed by Jesus’ blood. The old covenant was sealed by the blood of animals. When the Israelites said, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey,” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:7-8) Furthermore, the high priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year where God was present, and he had to bring the blood of animals to offer for sin. However, this animal blood was not able to clear the conscience of the worshipers. (Hebrews 9:7-10) It was only a shadow of what was to come.
The reality was found in Jesus. (Colossians 2:17) Jesus shed his blood once for all and sat down at the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:10) His blood is effective forever because he is the Son of living God and he lived a sinless life. His blood can cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14) His blood has power to break the chains of sin and death and set us free to live a new life. Jesus’ blood is the power of God to save all who believe in him. 1 Peter 1:18-19 say, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” Jesus’ blood is the permanent guarantee that we can enter his unshakable, everlasting kingdom. (Hebrews 12:22-24, 28) The new covenant sealed by Jesus’ blood is the blood of the eternal covenant. Thank you, Jesus, for this new covenant in your precious blood!
Third, the new covenant is for all kinds of people. Look at verse 28 again. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” On the Cross, Jesus poured out his blood for many without reservation. Here, who are the “many”? Do they refer to the good? Yes, the “many” includes the good people like the woman who poured out her perfume on Jesus' head and did a beautiful thing to Jesus. However, the “many” does not restrict to the good only, but refers to any person and all kinds of people. It includes even the betrayer, Judas Iscariot. It includes us. It includes me.
Apart from God, I had wandered in darkness to pursue my worldly success and pleasure. As a result, I was dying in my sins and despair, but God called me out of darkness into his wonderful light. God showed me his love through Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross. By faith, I accepted God’s sure love manifested by Jesus' Cross and entered the new covenant relationship. For the last 33 years, God has blessed me to live in the relationship. However, when I look back at my life, I find that I have fallen many times in my old sins by forgetting God’s love and grace. God could have forsaken me, but he did not. Rather, he has endured me and repeatedly made me stand again and walk with him because of the new covenant made through Jesus’ sacrifice and blood. I confess that the new covenant is the covenant of love forever for all kinds of sinners. I praise God and thank you for his everlasting love given to such a sinner like me. I pray that I may remember God’s love and continually remain in Jesus by eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood daily.
After establishing the new covenant, Jesus planted hope in the kingdom of God in the hearts of his disciples. He said, “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (29) Jesus saw the coming kingdom of God. Jesus saw the glorious scene of final victory. Jesus saw all of God’s children gathered together with him in heaven having an extremely joyful celebration. There will be perfect fellowship between God and his people. (Revelation 19:7)
When Jesus and his disciples had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (30) At the Mount of Olives Jesus would be betrayed. Jesus was marching into suffering and death. But Jesus sang a hymn and helped his disciples to sing together with him. It was such a beautiful night to make a new covenant with his disciples and many.
The Lord’s Supper was an intimate celebration for Jesus and his disciples. Jesus gave them his body and blood and they accepted it, making a covenant with Jesus. By eating the bread and drinking the cup, we commemorate and proclaim Jesus’ atoning death for our sin and participate in all the benefits given to us through Jesus’ death. We are spiritually nourished and refreshed through the fellowship with Jesus Christ, and we are united with all other believers in Christ’s love. Furthermore, we hope for the great banquet with Jesus in the kingdom of God. I learned that the last Passover meal was so beautiful forever. I pray that God may grant me such a joyful taste of fellowship with Christ every day. By keeping such a beautiful fellowship with Christ, I pray that God may strengthen me to overcome all temptations of unhealthy bread and drink from the fallen world. I pray that God may bless our community to love God and love our neighbors all the more in such a beautiful fellowship with Christ. May God bless us to bring all kinds of people to the joyful fellowship with Christ!
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