THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS

Luke 22:20 – And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.

These words of Jesus bring us into to touch with the power of what was about to happen the next day. There was no getting around it now, Jesus was going to die, blood was going to be spilled, a New Covenant was essential. Jesus was celebrating the very essence of the Old Covenant as He introduced the new and better covenant. Promises had been made to the children of Abraham, the condition was they must follow the law. That proved to be impossible because of our fallen nature. A covenant could not be fulfilled because man did not have the ability to fulfill his side of the covenant. That is the miracle right under our noses ever time we take communion. God became a man, this man Christ Jesus was able to fulfill the conditions of obedience to God. This new covenant was made with man through this man Jesus Christ. His blood being poured out sealed the deal. Now all of the privileges and promises of the New Covenant are ours through faith in Christ. Here is how Barclay describes this.

“He said of the cup, ‘This cup is the new covenant made at the price of my blood.’ In the biblical sense, a covenant is a relationship between human beings and God. God graciously approached his people; and the people promised to obey and to keep his law. The whole matter is set out in Exodus 24:1–8. The continuance of that covenant depends on keeping that pledge and obeying this law; we could not and cannot do that; human sin interrupts our relationship with God. All the Jewish sacrificial system was designed to restore that relationship by the offering of sacrifice to God to atone for sin. What Jesus said was this – ‘By my life and by my death I have made possible a new relationship between you and God. You are sinners. That is true. But because I died for you, God is no longer your enemy but your friend.’ It cost the life of Christ to restore our lost relationship of friendship with God.”

The blood of Jesus is the guarantee of all of the promises of God that are included in God’s New Covenant with man. This is what the Apostle John saw when he was caught up into heaven, he saw one who was qualified to represent all mankind securing for us our eternal inheritance. Celebrating communion brings us into touch with the Living God.