“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
Jeremiah prophesied that someday there would be a new covenant. This was God’s plan from the beginning. “ ‘This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’ ” (Jeremiah 31:33). With the death of His Son God initiated the new covenant, sealed with the blood of His Son, Jesus.
The new covenant is not like the old covenant. That covenant required that we be governed by laws, rules and regulations. This covenant changes the inner man. Rather than just keeping the law because we must, we become new creations and our entire nature is changed. We aren’t who we once were because the Holy Spirit comes to transform us into the children of God He created us to be.
The old covenant meant that a multitude of sacrifices had to be repeated to deal with our sins. Animals died daily as sacrifices for the sins of the people. The covenant Jesus instituted by His death provided that by His dying once for all of us no sacrifice would ever have to be repeated. His death was all that would ever be needed to purchase our forgiveness forever! The new covenant deals finally with sin and makes our forgiveness permanent.
“Forgiveness” literally means “sent away.” Because of Jesus, our sins are removed permanently and He will never remember them again. They are gone forever because the blood of Jesus cleanses us completely. That opens the door for us to live a new life of freedom from guilt and condemnation. This is a life-changing reality. It’s what the Cross of Jesus was all about.
