He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” Mark 12:24 NABRE
We read Jesus’ words at a meal of unleavened bread and Passover called the Last Supper. The Passover is the highest feast in Israelite history. It refers to the blood of an unblemished lamb sprinkled on faithful Israelite door post on a night when the angel of death comes to bring a tenth plague to Egypt in the hopes of convincing Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. The blood of this lamb is a sign to save Israelites. Later God makes a covenant with the Israelites, spoken through Moses, which is sealed with the sprinkling of sacrificial blood. Jesus reapplies these words from Moses in this meal, using one of the Four Cups of the Passover wine and declaring it is His blood. For some traditions this becomes Holy Eucharist celebrated within a service, reenacting this central aspect of the meal, sharing bread and wine as Body and Blood. Other traditions see these words as symbolic and reenact them occasionally when they want to be reminded of this important event. The blood of Jesus is shed for all, in the hopes we will see and live a life like Him.
Jesus doesn’t declare this an atoning event, though it is interpreted this way because God declares atonement of sacrifice to Moses (see Leviticus 16:11) in the covenant sealing. Jesus sacrifices and desires we sacrifice for others, but no sacrifice is an atonement for other’s indiscretion. When we sin Jesus tells us to go and make amends, if we are unable we should do so in our hearts. God’s mercy finds the means to forgive His creation and God constantly forgives and forgets. Jesus saves, God hopes His Son will not have to die to prove it, but in the end His blood is shed and becomes a sign for all faithful disciples.
How do you forgive? Do you sacrifice for others?
God's mercy finds the means to forgive His creation and God constantly forgives and forgets. Jesus saves, God hopes His Son will not have to die to prove it, but in the end His blood is shed and becomes a sign for all faithful disciples. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #sacrifice #covenant #Mark #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #Matthew #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways