Blood is Thicker than Water: The Cup of Salvation

Call to Worship

Good evening, welcome to our second sermon (of 4) on the Blessed Sacrament—called the Eucharist, Communion, or Lord’s Supper. We’re on another Thursday sermon, apologies for my schedule being mixed up. But to foretell a hopeful future, we will work work through this series today, next week Wednesday, and that following Sunday. Now, I always appreciate when you all introduce yourself after my sermons. If you don’t know, my name is Caleb, I both volunteer here weekly to preach and sometimes work up at the front desk. But last week one of you all—and I apologize for not recalling who—pre-figured this weeks sermon, mentioning the healing effects in the Old Testament of blood and water. Because of that, and lots of research, I want to approach that theme in depth as it is true, and I’m glad it was pointed out, that it becomes more clear the effects of Christ’s blood in reference to Christ’s water. But for now,

Let us begin this evening with an exploration of Scripture.

Old Testament Reading

A reading from the Old Testament, in the books of the Moses—Exodus. May God bless the reading of His word,

Exodus 24:5–8 “[Moses] sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.””

This is the word of God.

Prayer of Divine Invocation

The Lord be with you. And with your Spirit. Let us pray.

Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires known, and from You no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. In harmony, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, your people say, Amen.

New Testament

A reading from the New Testament, the Epistle to the Corinthians, written by Saint Paul,

Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again! Hallelujah!

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, According to Mark. Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Mark 14:23–24 “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”

This is the word of God.

Moment to Reflect (5-10 seconds)

Sermon

Introduction

As last week our sermon focused on the Words of Institution for the bread, which is Christ’s body. This week, our focus is on the wine, which is Christ’s blood.

It’s important to remember Scripture as all-encompassing and fluid. There’s this idea that the ways God moves in the Old Testament are more vicious than in the New. A matured system of that understanding even led to an early Christian heresy, Marcionism—which rejected the “evil God” of the Old Testament and focused solely on the “good God” of the New. With a light reading, this perception can be forgiven. But the more one digs into Scripture, the constant allusions to earlier writings, the foretelling, and symbols are difficult to ignore as mere coincidence. I’m privileged in having had the opportunity to study the congruence of the Old and New at an East Coast seminary, but from that I have the honor now of sharing my earnest studies with you all.

The title of the sermon today is, “Blood is thicker than water,” a phrase typically meaning that family is stronger than friends. We’ll then start with the weaker of the two, water, to establish a basis,

Water as Healing in the Old Testament

Water plays a central role in Scripture, for it, too, heals. The Israelites passed through the sea into freedom. Naaman, plagued by leprosy, found healing when he bathed in the Jordan. Baptism, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, marks our entry into the people of God. Water is the sign of being made clean, of being born again, of being restored.

In 2 Kings, we see an early type of water as healing when the prophet Elisha says, 2 Kings 2:21 “He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I have [lit.] healed these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.’ ” Notice how it is Elisha, or man that threw salt in the water, but the Lord God who has healed it. It is often ourselves to ourselves or others that we prepare men for God, but it is important to realize that it is God doing all the work. From the letter to the Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” In this context, “His good pleasure” refers to the same result as after God healed the waters in Elisha’s case. That, there shall be no more death and unfruitfulness—that we can be reconciled to our Creator.

Then it was through Prophets who the people would have to hope would act faithful in their communication with God in the temple. Now, with the God-man having acted here as mediator, that ability goes to any person—Jew or Greek, male or female, rich or poor. This is most clear in the Gospel accounts, where Jesus Christ Himself calls us “salt of the earth” in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, with Him replacing “healing water” in John’s account of the blind man at the well. In essence, Christ has come to fulfill. The need for “healing water” has been abrogated. Now, as Paul says to the church in Philippi, it is for us to offer ourselves as “drink offerings” by our service of the faith. We are the salt Elisha threw into the water, and Christ is the water, turned into blood. We offer to Him by our faith as he offered and offers Himself to us, by drink, via the cup of wine, when we partake of the Eucharist. Thus, again, blood is thicker than water.

The Covenant Bonded in Blood

But to understand Christ’s sacrifice, that water-replacement turned blood, we need to examine the context behind covenant. This theme—which encompasses the sovereignty of God in light of the historical narrative in Scripture—is that of covenant. Covenant, in its most basic form, informed by Hebrew culture, is that of a “contract” or “agreement” between two parties. Covenant, as well, is understood as similar to Testament (in which the Greek word is the same), but in their nuances Covenant is understood in light of God’s promises to us, and Testament (as the Old and New) in terms of God’s sacrifice or death for us. God became the testator of a Testament (think Last Testament in terms of wishes written before someone dies). While we have water attested as healing universally (as that well Christ abrogated in the account of John), blood acted as particular, a contract between the Israelites and God. But in Christ, again that man who replaced the water, has now given His blood, not just for the Israelites but for all men—Jew or Greek.

But what death? We read of a covenant bonded in blood in our verses today in Exodus, where young bulls are used as peace offerings to God. Later, in Exodus we see the Israelites casting a golden calf (young bull), seemingly demonstrating that the sacrifice has become what has been worshipped. So then, we see what will be sacrificed being worshipped in Christ. But examine the differences: with the golden calf, human beings chose and created what was the sacrifice, and what was worshipped. With Christ, God the Father chose and begot Him, and man rejected the sacrifice, which was still done in accordance with the Scriptures and as atonement for the sins we did not realize. When man does (apart from God) we worship the sacrifice, when God does, we worship God. Same with the blessing of the wine in our reading of Mark today, when Christ blessed the wine, and promises that if we do, he will be there, by being it.

Agnus Dei — Christ as Paschal Lamb; Wine as Representative of the Lamb’s Blood

And this sacrifice of Christ is prefigured earlier in Exodus, right before Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. We read that the Israelites, in order for the Angel of Death to “pass over” them (hence the holiday name) had to wipe the blood of a lamb over their doorframes. And in the first letter of Peter we read, 1 Peter 1:18–19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” So the bloody sacrifice that God had provided became God itself through Christ—fully God and fully man. Just as the Paschal lamb symbolized the passing over of death from the Israelites, as they were sent by God to the Promised land; so then. is Christ’s blood a passing over of our death, first present in our water-washing in baptism towards new life, and acted out through sanctification until we reach our Promised land, union with Christ, partaking of the divine nature.

So Christ and the wine as blood reminds us of that ever-lasting covenant and testament, him being that lamb that was slain so that we would be passed over from death into new life. Much of how Christian salvation is communicated is through a life-death paradigm so familiar to us. We are born in sinful flesh, reborn in baptism, and sanctified in the blood of God. So yes, water is healing in the Old Testament, but blood is thicker.

To hammer in this point, I want to read an ancient Jewish oral tradition for what made one Jewish, through covenant: "Our ancestors entered into the covenant through circumcision, immersion, and the sprinkling of blood, as it is written: 'Behold the blood of the covenant...'" - Yevamot 46b. Is this not another type of that salvation. We are realized and cut from our flesh in circumcision, washed (and reborn) in baptism, and sprinkled with blood by that God who sacrificed Himself for us. In the salvation account, as in Scripture, water before blood. And as in baptism we experience a full expiation of our sins—past and present—so that in Christ’s re-offering, and in a “promise” (like covenant) from our sacrifice to His represented, may our sins be fully expiated through Him again. Solus Christus. It is through Christ and only Him, that we as Christians can escape the propitiatory cycle of bloody sacrifice, such that that one bloody sacrifice on the cross is one-and-for-all, effectual for the sins of the world.

Bread as Body, Blood as Seal

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. And that body is held together not by our own effort, not by family heritage, not by human striving, but by the blood of the Son of God—poured out in mercy and justice, once and for all. This blood is not just symbolic; it is covenantal. It is active, living, and binding. And, get this, the early church (as many do today) would mix water with wine. Christ as healing water and Christ’s blood as its reality are then presented to us, that Holy Lamb, sipping on a reservoir, killed by us and for us, so that Scripture can be fulfilled.

Blood—blood is the seal. Blood is the guarantee and protector. Blood does not just cleanse the surface; it cleanses the soul. And this blood is intrinsically tied to wine. This is why Christ’s first miracle is at the Wedding in Cana, turning water into wine, where the attendants ask why the good wine was drunk later. Christ’s blood is sweet, like life. And while water restores the body, blood secures this life, this everlasting life. The church father Irenaeus of Lyons comments on this very connection, “This wine was good, which the vine of God produced in accordance with the laws of creation and which the guests drank first at the wedding feast of Cana. None of those who drank it criticized it, and even the Lord himself took some of it. But better still was the wine which the Word (John 1 - Christ), in a simple, momentary action, made out of water, for the use of the invited guests.” He describes this plan of salvation through Christ’s life correctly, explaining the process like that of spiritual growth and progress. The water to wine at Cana, right after Christ’s baptism (in water) marking the start of his mystery, prefigures not only the Eucharist, but that which is commemorated and represented, Christ’s death for us as seal.

And blood as the seal is why the covenant given at Sinai by Moses was ratified not merely with words, but with blood. Why that healing water, mixed with wine, encompassing Christ in his holiness and kenosis, fully God and fully man, is given to us and for us. That from Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, did not lift a basin of water but a cup of wine, and said, "This is My blood of the covenant, poured out for many.”

Participation in Christ — Real Presence

Blood is thicker than water because blood binds through death—and through that death, brings new life. Water can symbolize birth, but blood seals inheritance. And this is the core of the covenant we now live in: that the Son of God has died our death, and in drinking His cup, we now live His life. Consider what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:16: “Is the cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ?” This is not merely about memorial—it is about union. We are united with Christ in His death and resurrection, and this cup we drink together is a sharing in that reality. It binds us to Him and to each other. When we partake, we are not just remembering; we are participating.

The New Covenant, inaugurated by Christ’s blood, is not simply a legal arrangement. It is a familial one, hence why I used such a common aphorism (that’s not verbatim from Scripture) to get this point across. Paul says we are part of a heavenly community, part of Christ’s body in the bread, and part of Christ’s death in the blood. Thus, Paul can say to the Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me...” We are adopted through this blood into the household of God, made co-heirs with Christ. And the wonder of it is that the blood which seals this covenant is also the blood that purifies, that redeems, that continually speaks mercy over our lives.

And this covenant changes us. Through the blood of Christ, we are not just saved—we are sanctified. We are not merely forgiven—we are being transformed. As Peter says in 2 Peter 1:4, “He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature.” Partakers. Sharers. Not just followers from a distance, but indwelt and remade from within. Many get uncomfortable with this talk of suffering and partaking in Christ, they want to see Christianity as acting good and “moral” but don’t want to live like the earliest Christians who were infamous for dying for their faith. A faith and salvation sealed by the blood of Christ.

Not Mere Symbol, Not Mere Ritual — Of the Generation of Peace

This is what makes the New Covenant so glorious. It is not that we perform rituals to stay within its bounds. It is that Christ has performed all righteousness for us, and through His blood, the covenant holds firm—even when we falter. The blood speaks a better word than Abel’s that beautiful son who died such a vain death) in the book of Hebrews 12:24 “and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” This is why Augustine speaks of the true church as ab Abel (from Abel). Like him, it speaks peace, where once there was wrath. It speaks forgiveness, where once there was guilt.

And when we sin, when we fall short, when we feel too dirty or distant from God—what do we look to? Not our behavior. Not our feelings. Not our resolutions or performance. We look to the blood. We return again and again to the table, to the cup, to the covenant. Because the blood is the anchor. The blood is the bridge. The blood is the sign that God has already made His choice—and He has chosen to save.

This is why Hebrews reminds us in 10:19–22 that we now have boldness to enter the holy place “by the blood of Jesus.” We come not timidly, but boldly—because we are covered in something stronger than guilt, stronger than shame, stronger than death itself. In that famous type of Christ, the high priest Melchizedek, he is said to bring out “bread and wine” as a “priest of God Most High.” This solidifying the idea that Christ—through Covenant—was always meant to become incarnate for us. That in the moments when the accuser whispers, or when we wonder if we truly belong, the blood speaks louder—our inclusion in Christ’s death. The covenant holds as Christ’s death holds us above sin, free from death’s bonds.

Sprinkled and Poured Out

But the blood not only reconciles us to God. It also binds us to each other. In Exodus 24, Moses doesn’t just sprinkle the blood on the altar—he sprinkles it on the people. They were joined to one another through that act. Likewise, we are bound as a body through Christ’s blood. This is why forgiveness in the church is not optional—it is covenantal. This is why reconciliation matters. Why unity matters. Because the blood that saved you is the same blood that saved the person sitting next to you.

There is no private Christianity. The cup is given to the many. When you partake, you do so as part of the Body. This is not just your salvation story—it is ours. This blood makes us family. This blood makes us one.

And now, even as we live under the shadow of Christ’s cross, we also look ahead to the feast that awaits us. Jesus said, Matthew 26:29 “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” So every time we take the cup, we proclaim two things: first, that we are covered by His blood—and second, that He is coming again. The cup is not only a memorial of death; it is a taste of the banquet to come. It is a future promise in present form.

And the cup—this wine of the covenant—is not just a sacred tradition or religious ritual. It is a declaration. A holy proclamation. Every time we take the cup, we proclaim that death has passed over us—not because we are without guilt, but because the blood of another has covered us. The blood has shielded us. The blood has satisfied wrath. And through it, we are brought into a covenant that cannot be broken.

Call to Action

So let us drink the cup worthily—not because we are worthy, but because He is. Let us come reverently, joyfully, gratefully. Let us come not as strangers or as people trying to earn a seat, but as those who have been invited, welcomed, and sealed by the blood of the covenant.

Let us remember, again and again, that blood is thicker than water. Water may cleanse, but blood redeems. Water may initiate, but blood sustains. Water washes us into the family—blood binds us there eternally.

And so I urge you: Live as people of the covenant. Live as those bought with blood. Let the blood of Christ shape how you love, how you forgive, how you repent, and how you rejoice. Let the memory of the cup lead you to the foot of the cross, and the promise of the cup lead you to the hope of glory. Because the cup we share today is not just wine. It is not just remembrance. It is covenant. It is mercy. It is victory. It is life. It is Christ. And as it is Christ, it is God.

Conclusion

So then, finally, as we leave the table and return to the world, let us not forget what we have received. The cup we share is not merely a symbol, but the very sign and seal of the New Covenant—a covenant written not on stone, but on hearts, not with ink, but with blood. Water may mark the beginning of our journey in Christ, but it is blood that carries us home. This wine, mingled with water, reminds us of a Savior who not only heals but redeems, not only cleanses but binds. It is the blood of Christ that speaks a better word, that silences guilt, that secures us in the family of God. And so we go, not in fear or striving, but in the assurance that we are His—joined to Him, and to one another, by a covenant that cannot be broken. Blood is thicker than water, because Christ is thicker than death. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer and Absolution

Now let us end in community by praying the Lord’s prayer, receiving absolution in the embolism, and leaving blessed,

Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

Almighty God we have forsaken you in thought, word, and deed. Have mercy on us, forgive us all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. In the name of the Father, who creates, and of the Son, who redeems, and of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies and purifies us before You, Amen.

Benediction

Now as you walk out tonight, wherever that may be, remember the Lord’s blessing as we remember Him in the bread and wine,

The Lord bless you, and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine on you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace.’ Num. 6:24-26