My blood which is poured out for you

Luke 22:14-23

Key Verse 22:20

“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Today’s message is Jesus Passover dinner with his disciples. It teaches us two things the most. First, the last Passover meal lays the foundation of the coming kingdom of God. Second, Jesus’ shedding of his blood is very personal for his disciples. So today we would like to know how his last Passover lays the foundation of the coming kingdom of God, and how his pouring out his blood is personal one for us.

My message has two parts.

Part I. Until the kingdom of God comes (v.14-18)

Part II. Do this in remembrance of me (v.19-23)

Part I. Until the kingdom of God comes (v.14-18)

Look at verses 14-18.

¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. ¹⁸ For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

These verses clearly says ‘Jesus’ last Passover meal’ has a close relationship with the kingdom of God. First, Jesus mentioned ‘I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Secondly he said, “I will not drink again until the kingdom of God comes.” So Jesus was revealing that there will be special meal in the kingdom of God with his apostles. It will be a special meal and that special meal will come as the fulfillment on what Jesus did in today’s message.

The meaning of the coming of the kingdom of God or the fulfillment of the Passover meal in the kingdom of God all refers to the final stage of God’s will to be accomplished. When the kingdom of God comes with Jesus’ second coming all things will be restored and the God’s rule will be established completely.

So Jesus’ eating the Passover meal with his apostles becomes the foundation of the coming kingdom of God. So his eating the Passover meal does not mean only his death but it may also includes his resurrection, ascension and second coming. When the 1 Corinthians declare that the last enemy to be destroyed is death and all things will be restored to God’s control.

1Co 15:24-28

²⁴ Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. ²⁸ When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

The expression ‘God may be all in all’ probably refers the coming of the kingdom of God.

To eat the Passover meal together with his disciples means to be ready to suffer and crucified for Jesus. But Jesus was talking about the fulfillment of the meal in the kingdom of God. He is talking about eating together with his disciples in the kingdom of God. He is talking about the coming kingdom of God. It means he was not just seeing his pain and suffering but rather the glorious coming of the kingdom of God through his suffering and death.

Jesus also shared his vision and glorious coming kingdom of God when he was tried.

Mt 26:63-65

⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.

When Jesus was unjustly tried and accused for his death, he was talking about the his coming at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.

So when Jesus had Passover dinner with his disciples, he was talking about the kingdom of God. He was talking about the fulfillment of the meaning of his Passover meal with his disciples and eat again in the kingdom of God with his disciples. When he was pressured to face his death penalty he was talking about his glorious second coming at the right hand of he Mighty One.

So when we face troubles and difficulties in our life, especially about taking up our own cross, to have vision from the pain and suffering is what we can learn from Jesus.

We may face many challenges in the course of having one to one bible studies and raising up disciples. But we need to think about what our effort will bring eventually. It is none other than bringing the kingdom of God in other’s lives.

Then we can take heart. Then we can escape our despair and work for the Lord all the more as apostle Paul said, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors who loved us.” We are more than conquerors through Jesus’ vision and his promise in our lives.

To have vision and hope is so important. The founder of logo therapy, Frank Victor (?) was able to survive concentration camp because he was thinking about how he could use his enemies’ abuse upon his as the subject of his class when he returned to colleges again. Even in the concentration camp, people die within a few days when they gave up their hope. Then nothing worked for them. They just sit there or lie there and die according to witnesses who survived concentration camp.

Part II. Do this in remembrance of me (v.19-23)

Look at verses 19-23.

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. ²¹ But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. ²² The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” ²³ They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

In verse 19 Jesus asked his apostles to remember his body given for them and do that in remembrance of me. This is replacement of Passover festival in the old testament. In the new testament Jesus set up a new Passover festival, that is, to eat his body in remembrance of him. To eat his body means to be united with him. It means Jesus’ body substitutes our bodies.

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 

Jesus is talking about new covenant in his blood. The old covenant in the old testament was based on animals’ blood. When Moses sprinkled animals blood the covenant was formed. So the old covenant is based on the blood of animals and it was temporary. The old covenant was also based on the law. If anyone keeps all the laws continually he will live.

But the new covenant is based on Jesus’ blood which was shed once for all, and its effect is permanent. It is also covenant of grace and love. The new covenant does not depend on what we do but depend on what Jesus did. So the new covenant is based on the covenant of grace and mercy and love.

Most importantly Jesus was teaching the new covenant in his blood personally to them. He said, “in my blood which is poured out for you.”

Here Jesus was replacing old Passover with the new Passover when he said, “Do this im remembrance of me.” God asked Israel people to remember his deliverance and observe old Passover every year. Now Jesus wants his people to remember him and share his body and blood.

To believe and know Jesus’ shed his blood for us personally for each one of us is important. It is important because it will free us from all condemnation because Jesus’ blood brings God’s forgiveness for all our sins.

We cannot live under condemnation. So Jesus was condemned in our place and shed his blood for us. So there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The shedding of Jesus’ blood for each one of is important.

Personally I can be free from any and all condemnation based on Jesus’ blood for my sins. Otherwise I will be very unstable and I will depend on others whether they forgive me or not or whether they are kind to me or not. When Jesus shed his blood for our sins it means all of our sins. Nothing can hinder us to receive God’s forgiveness of our sins.

In my life I also had troubles when I could not forgive others. But what helped me is God’s promise of forgive my sins if I forgive others. God and I know the amount of my sins which was million times greater than the sin of my brother. So I was very happy to know that God forgives my sins if I forgive other’s sins. So I forgave others.

But I had a trouble in forgiving one person who demanded of forgiveness from me. He sinned against me. But he demanded my forgiveness, saying, “Are you a believer? If you claim, look the bible says you must forgive me. Why can’t you forgive me?” I was more offended because his demand was another abuse and his demand shows he did not know how much he hurt me. It took several years for me to forgive him and finally I was freed from hatred and anger against him. Mother Barry helped me in this process saying, “Not to forgive someone is like you take poison and wait for others to die.”

Someone cried out to me, “God forces me to forgive others who sinned against me although I cannot do it because he said, “If you do not forgive your brother who sinned against you your heavenly Father will not forgive you.” God indeed said it but that does not mean God does not understand our limitation. There is time issue. God did not demand to forgive that person who sinned against them right away.

When Jesus taught his disciples to forgive their brothers who sinned seven times a day they all cried out, “Increase our faith”. Jesus accepted their limitation of faith and did not demand them, saying, “You fool, don’t you know you have to do it now?”

God knows our limitation of faith and our limitation in many things. We are all weak here and there, and no one is perfect. It means who hurt each other intentionally and unintentionally. It means we condemn each other. We accuse others.

But when we accept Jesus shedding of his blood for us, we can be free from all condemnation. If God does not condemn us who can condemn us? If God is for us who can be against us? Jesus Christ who offered his body and blood for us was condemned in our place. So there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So it is even for our best interest for us to forgive everyone who sins against us. But if we need more time because our limitation God accepts it as well.

If we do not believe Jesus’ body and blood for us personally, we will suffer from condemnation from each other and we will demand blood from each other because the bible says there is no forgiveness without shedding blood.

But we should never lose heart or in despair even if someone condemn us because Jesus was condemned in our place and there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Most of all, we need to remember we will not be like this forever. There will be times in the kingdom of God where we will eat and drink again with Jesus. At that time we will not have any limitation in our faith and no limitation because of our sinful nature or the devil or the power of death. We will all be completely restored in the image of Jesus Christ, and God’s glorious creation order will be completely restored.

We will all forgive each other completely and we will be happy together, eating and drinking in the kingdom of God.

So let us not despair even if we are condemned by others or even if we cannot forgive others completely because of our limitation. But rather let us look at what Jesus did for us and be free from all condemnation, believing that we will again eat and drink in the kingdom of God together with Jesus and all of our brothers and sisters.

In conclusion, in the last Passover meal with his disciples Jesus showed his vision instead of his pain and suffering, and he wanted to make sure that each of his apostles understand and accept his shedding of his blood as for each one of them personally.

One word: new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.