Poured Out for the Forgiveness of Sins
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Read 26:17-19, 26:26-29
As many as 1500 years in a row, thousands of Jewish families sat and observed the passover meal like Jesus and his disciples did here in this upper room.
Many millions of lambs killed and roasted, with the blood of those lambs reminding the families of the Lord’s mercy, deliverance, and redemption that fateful night in Egypt. Freed from slavery, saved from death, redeemed from the bondage of an evil ruler, and delivered to walk and serve in newness.
Millions and millions of lambs, millions and millions of meals over hundreds and hundreds of years.
Why the repetition? Why the vast numbers? Why the continued celebration? Because of what it pointed to, what it reminded them of, what it signified. It signified something God had done. It brought them to both humble recognition and joyful celebration. It moved them to a sense of gratitude, and the ritual pointed to life.
Of course, ritual can become ritual, and perhaps it does for many as that passover meal is still celebrated over and over again, but something changed at this passover meal.
This little meal, prepared away from home in a borrowed room, served as a pivot point for the significance of all passover meals. All before this can now be seen as pointing to this one, and all after it can be seen as lacking and missing if they don’t recognize this one.
Fast forward to us, though.
Now, for nearly 2000 years in a row, millions of followers of Jesus take part in a meal. The circumstances are all different. Sometimes in a group as small or smaller than the disciples’ band that night, sometimes in churches with 10,000 people present.
Some churches celebrate every week, some only a few times a year. Sometimes the bread is homemade, sometimes it is purchased. Sometimes the cup is passed around, sometimes the drink is shared in little portions.
In any and all of these ways, though, we could ask the same. Why the repetition? Why the vast numbers? Why the celebration?
Because of what it points to, because of what it reminds us of, what it signifies. It brings us both to humble recognition and joyful celebration. It moves us to a sense of gratitude, and the ritual points to life.
And, of course, ritual can become ritual. And perhaps it does for many of us, as this Lord’s Supper celebration is celebrated over and over again. But that doesn’t negate the command to do it, to continue it, and to celebrate it, because something changed at this passover meal.
Jesus’ brought the Old passover to fulness of life in His own Body and Blood on the cross. And we celebrate it, even now today.
Our time in scripture will be very simple today, but I don’t want it to be without significance.
Some of you have joined in this meal many times without probably knowing the significance and the fulness of it.
By not knowing it, I don’t mean that you don’t understand the symbolism, that it points to the broken body, the poured out blood, the death of Jesus for us.
I mean, some of you have observed it time and time again without truly knowing that death for you, that forgiveness that he offers.
1. The Body - Vs. 26
1. The Body - Vs. 26
This is my body
Symbolism vs. real presence, transsubstantiation.
That would have been a confusing thought in this context, where the disciples would see Jesus holding up the bread with his body fully in-tact. Certainly, stretches the point.
Aramaic, “This, My Body...”
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
“this, my body, is given for you....”
Exodus 12:5 (ESV)
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
Without blemish
Comparison, our early sinfulness, Christ in his sinlessness.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Broken for the broken.
The whole divided for the unwhole.
Sacrifice, Vicarious, In your place. In my place. In your place?
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
2. The Blood - Vs. 27-28
2. The Blood - Vs. 27-28
There were four cups of wine in the passover meal that were symbolic of the four images in Exodus 6:6-7
Exodus 6:6–7 (ESV)
Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
I will Bring you Out
I will Deliver You
I will Redeem You
I will take you to be my people
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Same themes, sinless, spotless, delivered, redeemed.
My blood of the covenant
Covenant confirmed in Exodus
And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
The blood, sprinkled on the people to symbolize cleansing, a newness of promise.
This, my blood, poured out. Not merely sprinkled, but poured out.
Of course, meaning true death, but also meaning the fulness and the sufficient and abounding nature of the sacrifice. Poured out, amply, teeming, overflowing mercy.
For many
not just for the 12 in that upper room. But for many.
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
For you
Vicarious
Romans 5:8–9 (ESV)
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Where are you in terms of Christ’s forgiveness, of his death?
Do you see Christ’s blood as poured out for your forgiveness? Do you see yourself as standing in need of that forgiveness? Do you yearn for that forgiveness?
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
3. The Promise - Vs. 29
3. The Promise - Vs. 29
I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
What is seen in this?
twofold
he is going away
there will be a reunion
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
So, then, this little meal has continuing significance. And there will be a time when we drink the fruit of the vine with Jesus in the Kingdom.
What a celebration, when we not only remember and proclaim God’s faithfulness to his people in the passover, Christ’s vicarious death and atonement, but also drink it in fulness and completion with Him having received the fulness of the promise.