Now, Luke's account shows that Christ and the disciples drank of the cup of wine twice - once during the Passover meal, and once after. I don't know what significance this has, but it is in the biblical record, so we should at least be aware of it:
Christ's words in verses 17-18 reiterate what He declared in verse 16, that He would no longer eat of [the Passover] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. The resurrected apostles will be present when Jesus resumes His partaking of the Passover meal, including the wine. So, as mentioned, Passover has forward-looking aspects.
The second taking of the cup (in verse 20) receives the most attention. The wine in the cup represents the blood that would seal the New Covenant. We will see this again in Matthew 26:
In Christ's words, the commonality in all the accounts is the covenant. Matthew adds the detail that Christ's blood was shed for the remission of sins, but we need to get the emphasis and order correct. Notice that the remission of sins does not stand on its own. Instead, it is part of the New Covenant. A covenant proposal was taking place here, one that includes the assurance of forgiven sins, but which also includes much more.
Biblically, blood is a symbol for life. As early as Genesis 9:4, God says that we shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. In Leviticus, He reiterates that the life of the flesh is in the blood. The best-known application of this symbology is that blood can indicate the payment for sin. This is because one life symbolically pays the life-debt of another.
However, the various covenants show a second application of the symbol of blood, where blood represents life given as a pledge of faithfulness. When God made the covenant with Israel, He had them seal it with blood, which we will see in Exodus 24:
The source of the blood used here is significant. The blood designated as the blood of the covenant did not come from a sin offering. In fact, the first sin offering is not commanded until 5 chapters later (Exodus 29:14). Instead, verse 5 here tells us that the blood of the covenant came from burnt offerings and peace offerings. If you recall what the offerings picture, the burnt offering symbolizes wholehearted devotion to God, which certainly fits with the ratification of a covenant. And the peace offering pictures a relationship that is on good terms, such that all the participants are satisfied and can enjoy the abundance of the occasion. It is easy to see why the blood that sealed the Old Covenant was taken from these two offerings.
Now, as it says, the Passover wine is symbolic of the blood of the New Covenant. This covenant includes the remission of sins, but God promises more than that. We will review the New Covenant in Hebrews 8:
In His Passover prayer, Jesus includes a fundamental and priceless aspect of this covenant, that of knowing God personally. Jesus says in John 17:3, And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. The establishment of this covenant allows for those entering the covenant to have a relationship - a fellowship, a communion - far beyond what ancient Israel ever had. Jesus calls this relationship eternal life. It is a life of abundance - foremost spiritual - that continues past the grave. This speaks to the quality of life that comes through the New Covenant, a quality that is not dependent on our physical circumstances.
Now, it is crucial to understand that the remission of sins comes through the covenant, not before it. When God calls us, we respond with belief and repentance. When we pledge our loyalty to Him through baptism - accepting His covenant - He then forgives us. When we are put into Christ, we are washed clean (Acts 2:38; 4:12; 8:36-37; 22:16; Romans 6:3-7, 23; Colossians 2:12; Titus 3:4-7). But the blood of atonement is only available to those who have accepted the blood of the covenant.
Neither the Old Covenant nor … . . .
