For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
At the Passover supper He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to the disciples as the emblem of His own blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins, the blood that establishes, ratifies, and seals the new covenant. The bread and wine are symbols of His broken body and spilled blood, not changed into His actual body and blood, and the cup is pure unfermented juice of the grape, for fermentation stands for sin and death. In that meal He set apart the Lord's Supper as the memorial of His sacrifice in place of the Passover and its system of types, to be kept often by His followers in all lands until He comes, keeping His death in remembrance and His return vivid. That death is a full, free, and perfect sin-offering for whoever believes, whose shed blood washes away guilt, cleanses, sanctifies, and renews the soul, and through it reconciliation with God, union with Him through Christ alone, and lasting love between brethren are made possible. It is spoken for the comfort of every needy, tempest-tossed soul, inviting sinners to receive Him, repent, and be cleansed, as shown when even Judas the betrayer was allowed to partake, yet none cherishing pride, variance, and strife can enter its fellowship until every difference is removed in humility and love, and each is to partake publicly and often as a witness that He gave His life to rescue them from death.
Institution and Emblems
The words were spoken while eating the Passover supper with the disciples, when the cup was taken, thanks given, and it was given to all as the emblem of spilled blood shed for many for the remission of sins. The cross stood just before Him and He walked in its shadow as He spoke. After the supper He went with them to Gethsemane where He often prayed, talking with them and teaching them as they walked but becoming strangely silent as they neared the garden.
By connecting the Lord's Supper with the Passover just before His condemnation, He identified Himself as the great antitype of the paschal lamb in full obedience to the Jewish law. Israel's deliverance from Egypt typified the great salvation He brought. The innocent lamb slain in Egypt whose blood on the doorposts turned away the destroying angel prefigured the sinless Lamb of God whose merits alone avert judgment and condemnation, and whose atoning death fulfilled the type.
The bread and wine are emblems or symbols representing His broken body and spilled blood. They are not changed by priests into His actual body and blood. The claim that they are so changed is a blasphemous heresy that supplanted the scriptural ordinance with the sacrifice of the mass.
The cup represents His own unblemished sacrifice by pure juice of the grape untouched by fermentation. Fermentation symbolizes sin and death, so the Passover wine was untouched by it. He did not make intoxicating wine, since doing so would have contradicted His teachings and example, so the wine at the Lord's table should be unfermented.
In the setting of the Passover meal He instituted the Lord's Supper as the memorial of His sacrifice. It replaced the Jewish national festival and the system of types and ceremonies that had pointed to His death. The ordinance is to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages and commemorated often, showing forth His death until He comes.
Covenant and Forgiveness
The blood spoken of is the blood of the new covenant or testament, and by its shedding that covenant is established, ratified, and sealed for the remission or forgiveness of sins for many. The cup received in faith carries power to make peace and cleanse the soul and to restore those afflicted by sin. The supper is to be commemorated often so that believers remember that Christ gave His life for the remission of sins, and each person is to participate publicly as a witness that Christ is a personal Saviour who gave His life to rescue from death.
The verse teaches divine redemption through the sacrifice of His own life upon the cross as a sin-offering, a full, free, abundant, and perfect offering shed for the remission of sins. That offering is for whosoever believes, including each needy soul, so that believers should not perish but have everlasting life. As the provision at the wedding was ample, so salvation provides abundantly for blotting out human iniquity, for the wine there symbolized this shedding of blood which purifies from sin.
That shed atoning blood washes away guilt, cleanses, purifies from sin, blots out iniquity, sanctifies, renews and sustains the soul, makes peace, restores those afflicted by sin, and brings final redemption. Through it fallen people receive redemption and safety from Satan, and the Passover blood that protected Israel prefigured continual dependence on its merits. The rites that point to His death nourish the soul only through His power working through faith, and His grace blots out iniquity and renews and sustains the soul. Followers learn continual dependence on His blood for salvation when they come to Christ for pardon and receive Him as Saviour, and even the betrayer would have been received and pardoned if he had repented. Sinners may trust the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour rather than wait for a dream or other special sign, for the cross is evidence that Jesus forgives those who repent and His blood cleanses and sanctifies them.
Through His death reconciliation with God is obtained and His love is made effective, becoming the center of hope. Only His death makes His love efficacious, makes union between souls and God possible through Christ alone, cements love between brother and brother for eternity, and makes His death the ground of joy in looking with joy to His coming and fixing faith upon His sacrifice. The words were spoken for the comfort and assurance of every tempest-tossed soul that feels need of a Redeemer and Saviour, when the cross was just before Him and He walked in its shadow. Doubting His forgiving love pains His heart that is full of mercy and sympathy, because He gave His precious life that sinners should not perish.
Remembrance and Participation
The communion service commemorates His death and sacrifice, His betrayal and crucifixion, and was designed to keep His death in remembrance and to keep the hope of His return vivid. Remembering that sacrifice sustains the hope of His return, and that hope comforted the disciples in tribulation. His death is the center of hope and the ground of joy in His second coming, for only through it is reconciliation with God obtained and His love made effective. The wine symbolizes the blood that cleanses those who come for pardon and receive Him as Saviour, teaching continual dependence on His blood for salvation.
Believers are to look with joy to His coming and fix faith upon His sacrifice. He promised He would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until He drinks it new with them in His Father's kingdom. That promise comforts with the hope of reunion, while the rite shows forth His death until He comes and nourishes the soul only through His power working through faith.
The blood and the sacrament invite sinners to receive Him, repent, and be cleansed from sin. Even Judas the betrayer was present, received the emblems of the broken body and spilled blood, and heard the command to do this in remembrance. He sat in the very presence of the Lamb of God brooding over dark purposes and cherishing sullen, revengeful thoughts, yet was allowed to share, showing patience and mercy toward the erring. Even Judas would have been received and pardoned if he had repented, for the atoning blood washes away guilt.
No one cherishing pride, variance, and strife for supremacy can enter into fellowship with God in this communion of His body and blood. Before the emblems are partaken every difference between brother and brother must be removed, evil thoughts cleansed, and misunderstandings swept away. Christ appointed the ordinance of humility, the memorial of His humiliation, to be observed first to bring the heart into humility and love. It gives true appreciation of the service and fitness and preparation to sit with Christ in His kingdom. Each person is to participate publicly and often as a witness that Christ is their personal Saviour and gave His life to rescue them from death, remembering that He gave His life for the remission of sins.
The verse stands with the sufferings leading to His crucifixion, including His agony in Gethsemane and His betrayal. It stands in the history of Christ falling into the hands of Caiaphas and Pilate. He falls into those same hands again when earthly power annuls liberty of conscience and brings indignation, alarm, and violence upon those who hold the gospel.
At the Passover supper He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to the disciples as the emblem of His own blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins, the blood that establishes, ratifies, and seals the new covenant. The bread and wine are symbols of His broken body and spilled blood, not changed into His actual body and blood, and the cup is pure unfermented juice of the grape, for fermentation stands for sin and death. In that meal He set apart the Lord's Supper as the memorial of His sacrifice in place of the Passover and its system of types, to be kept often by His followers in all lands until He comes, keeping His death in remembrance and His return vivid. That death is a full, free, and perfect sin-offering for whoever believes, whose shed blood washes away guilt, cleanses, sanctifies, and renews the soul, and through it reconciliation with God, union with Him through Christ alone, and lasting love between brethren are made possible. It is spoken for the comfort of every needy, tempest-tossed soul, inviting sinners to receive Him, repent, and be cleansed, as shown when even Judas the betrayer was allowed to partake, yet none cherishing pride, variance, and strife can enter its fellowship until every difference is removed in humility and love, and each is to partake publicly and often as a witness that He gave His life to rescue them from death.
Institution and Emblems
The words were spoken while eating the Passover supper with the disciples, when the cup was taken, thanks given, and it was given to all as the emblem of spilled blood shed for many for the remission of sins. The cross stood just before Him and He walked in its shadow as He spoke. After the supper He went with them to Gethsemane where He often prayed, talking with them and teaching them as they walked but becoming strangely silent as they neared the garden.
By connecting the Lord's Supper with the Passover just before His condemnation, He identified Himself as the great antitype of the paschal lamb in full obedience to the Jewish law. Israel's deliverance from Egypt typified the great salvation He brought. The innocent lamb slain in Egypt whose blood on the doorposts turned away the destroying angel prefigured the sinless Lamb of God whose merits alone avert judgment and condemnation, and whose atoning death fulfilled the type.
The bread and wine are emblems or symbols representing His broken body and spilled blood. They are not changed by priests into His actual body and blood. The claim that they are so changed is a blasphemous heresy that supplanted the scriptural ordinance with the sacrifice of the mass.
The cup represents His own unblemished sacrifice by pure juice of the grape untouched by fermentation. Fermentation symbolizes sin and death, so the Passover wine was untouched by it. He did not make intoxicating wine, since doing so would have contradicted His teachings and example, so the wine at the Lord's table should be unfermented.
In the setting of the Passover meal He instituted the Lord's Supper as the memorial of His sacrifice. It replaced the Jewish national festival and the system of types and ceremonies that had pointed to His death. The ordinance is to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages and commemorated often, showing forth His death until He comes.
Covenant and Forgiveness
The blood spoken of is the blood of the new covenant or testament, and by its shedding that covenant is established, ratified, and sealed for the remission or forgiveness of sins for many. The cup received in faith carries power to make peace and cleanse the soul and to restore those afflicted by sin. The supper is to be commemorated often so that believers remember that Christ gave His life for the remission of sins, and each person is to participate publicly as a witness that Christ is a personal Saviour who gave His life to rescue from death.
The verse teaches divine redemption through the sacrifice of His own life upon the cross as a sin-offering, a full, free, abundant, and perfect offering shed for the remission of sins. That offering is for whosoever believes, including each needy soul, so that believers should not perish but have everlasting life. As the provision at the wedding was ample, so salvation provides abundantly for blotting out human iniquity, for the wine there symbolized this shedding of blood which purifies from sin.
That shed atoning blood washes away guilt, cleanses, purifies from sin, blots out iniquity, sanctifies, renews and sustains the soul, makes peace, restores those afflicted by sin, and brings final redemption. Through it fallen people receive redemption and safety from Satan, and the Passover blood that protected Israel prefigured continual dependence on its merits. The rites that point to His death nourish the soul only through His power working through faith, and His grace blots out iniquity and renews and sustains the soul. Followers learn continual dependence on His blood for salvation when they come to Christ for pardon and receive Him as Saviour, and even the betrayer would have been received and pardoned if he had repented. Sinners may trust the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour rather than wait for a dream or other special sign, for the cross is evidence that Jesus forgives those who repent and His blood cleanses and sanctifies them.
Through His death reconciliation with God is obtained and His love is made effective, becoming the center of hope. Only His death makes His love efficacious, makes union between souls and God possible through Christ alone, cements love between brother and brother for eternity, and makes His death the ground of joy in looking with joy to His coming and fixing faith upon His sacrifice. The words were spoken for the comfort and assurance of every tempest-tossed soul that feels need of a Redeemer and Saviour, when the cross was just before Him and He walked in its shadow. Doubting His forgiving love pains His heart that is full of mercy and sympathy, because He gave His precious life that sinners should not perish.
Remembrance and Participation
The communion service commemorates His death and sacrifice, His betrayal and crucifixion, and was designed to keep His death in remembrance and to keep the hope of His return vivid. Remembering that sacrifice sustains the hope of His return, and that hope comforted the disciples in tribulation. His death is the center of hope and the ground of joy in His second coming, for only through it is reconciliation with God obtained and His love made effective. The wine symbolizes the blood that cleanses those who come for pardon and receive Him as Saviour, teaching continual dependence on His blood for salvation.
Believers are to look with joy to His coming and fix faith upon His sacrifice. He promised He would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until He drinks it new with them in His Father's kingdom. That promise comforts with the hope of reunion, while the rite shows forth His death until He comes and nourishes the soul only through His power working through faith.
The blood and the sacrament invite sinners to receive Him, repent, and be cleansed from sin. Even Judas the betrayer was present, received the emblems of the broken body and spilled blood, and heard the command to do this in remembrance. He sat in the very presence of the Lamb of God brooding over dark purposes and cherishing sullen, revengeful thoughts, yet was allowed to share, showing patience and mercy toward the erring. Even Judas would have been received and pardoned if he had repented, for the atoning blood washes away guilt.
No one cherishing pride, variance, and strife for supremacy can enter into fellowship with God in this communion of His body and blood. Before the emblems are partaken every difference between brother and brother must be removed, evil thoughts cleansed, and misunderstandings swept away. Christ appointed the ordinance of humility, the memorial of His humiliation, to be observed first to bring the heart into humility and love. It gives true appreciation of the service and fitness and preparation to sit with Christ in His kingdom. Each person is to participate publicly and often as a witness that Christ is their personal Saviour and gave His life to rescue them from death, remembering that He gave His life for the remission of sins.
The verse stands with the sufferings leading to His crucifixion, including His agony in Gethsemane and His betrayal. It stands in the history of Christ falling into the hands of Caiaphas and Pilate. He falls into those same hands again when earthly power annuls liberty of conscience and brings indignation, alarm, and violence upon those who hold the gospel.