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     As Jesus observed the Passover meal with His 12 disciples on the night before he went to the cross, He instituted the Lord’s Supper as a memorial of His sacrifice for all of mankind.  ‘He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me”’ (Luke 22:19).  With His human body, Jesus fulfilled the law which man could not do (Matthew 5:17, 18).  In fulfilling the law, He was sinless, thus became the acceptable sacrifice for the sins of all people, paying the penalty of death which each person deserves (Genesis 2:16,17; Romans 7:21-24; 2 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:9; 7:26-27).  Having paid the debt of death demanded under the Old covenant which God had made with Israel via Moses (Exodus 19), Jesus set it aside (Colossians 2:13-14; Hebrews 10:9-10).  Would God make a new covenant with Israel or anyone else?

     On that Passover evening, Jesus continued – “He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you’” (Luke 22:20).  This new covenant would be extended to all of mankind beginning on Pentecost (Acts 2).  The covenant was dependent upon Jesus blood.  Under the Old covenant, the blood of the animal sacrificed for each was necessary for the remission of sins.  However, the book of Hebrews clarifies it was not an actual forgiveness – “But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3, 4).  Jesus entered heaven, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place (God’s throne – JM) once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

     Jesus blood is central to salvation from sins.  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,…” (Ephesians 1:7).  There is no forgiveness without Jesus blood.  So how does one receive forgiveness?  It is evident in two places in the book of Acts that forgiveness is appropriated in baptism, the outward submission of oneself to Jesus in a grave of water, symbolizing Jesus own death, burial and resurrection – “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38; cf Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3, 4).  Without Jesus blood there is no remission of sins.  Without faith in Jesus to submit oneself in baptism, one can not receive that forgiveness.

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