Matthew chapter 26. We'll begin
reading at verse 26. The Lord has met with his disciples
to observe the Passover. It was the last Passover, the
last one that would be observed. And as they finished the meal
of the Passover, he took the bread and the wine and instituted
what we've come to call the Lord's Supper. The first communion service
takes place here, and he does it with such simplicity. No religious fanfare. He simply takes the bread and
says, this is my body. Now, I don't think anyone, anyone
with good sense, as we say, would imagine that he was saying that
that actually was becoming his body, or the wine was really
becoming his blood, as it has been taught. No, he says, this
represents my body, this represents my blood, is exactly what he's
saying. Then in verse 26, let's begin
reading there. And as they were eating, Jesus
took the bread and blessed it and break it, and gave it to
the disciples and said, Take, eat, this is my body. And he
took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the New Testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say
unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
And when they had sung in him, they went out into the Mount
of Olives. Then saith Jesus unto them, all ye shall be offended
because of me this night. For it is written, I will smite
the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.
But after that I am risen again. I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto
him, though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet
will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I
say unto thee, that this night before the cock crow thou shalt
deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I
should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also
said all the disciples. Look back up in the chapter at
verse 18. Our Lord speaking, and he says,
Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The master
saith, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at thy
house with my disciples. My time is at hand. I can only
imagine, as our Lord sat down to observe this last Passover,
knowing, knowing that that sacrificed lamb was a picture of himself,
every year. when that high priest would enter
the most holy place, that's the only time that he was allowed
to do so, with the sacrifice, and sprinkle it there as a symbol
of the remission of sins, our Lord knew perfectly well that
it represented Him. He says, my time is at hand,
that time for which God became a man. What a mystery. That time that He who was God
and never ceased being God became man, the time for which time
began. The beginning of time was for
this hour that had now come. This is the hinge upon which
the doors of eternity revolve, as we call it, We only have rather
words to use. Eternity past looked forward
to this hour. Eternity to come looks back to
this hour. Indeed, everything revolves on
this hinge of our Lord's sacrifice. That time, that hour, it was
just a few hours away now. that he who knew no sin would
be made sin for his people. In John 17, in that high priestly
prayer, he said, Father, the hour has come. In verse 45, here
in Matthew 26, sleep on now, he tells his disciples, sleep
on now, take your rest, behold, the hour is at hand. The hour has come. About 34 years
before this, an angel appeared to Joseph with
these words, Mary shall have a son, that holy thing that's
conceived in her shall be called the Son of God, the Son of the
Most High God. And when he's born, when he's
born, call his name Jesus, Savior, God's salvation, because he shall
save his people from their sins. It speaks of a specific reason
for his coming, doesn't it? It always does. When it speaks
of what our Lord was about to do, it speaks of it with certainty. Just as the angel told Joseph,
he's coming for a specific purpose, to accomplish something, to save
his people. It never speaks of salvation
as being a mere possibility. He's not coming to make something
possible. He's not coming to enable men
to save themselves. He's not coming to make a mere
attempt at something. The Son of God is coming to this
earth. He who is Himself God is going
to be made like unto His brethren for this purpose, to save His
people from their sins. His people. His people, as He
says in verse 28, of the New Testament which is shed for many
His people, to save them from their sins, from sin's guilt,
from sin's dominion, from sin's presence. Is that right? Is that so? From the very presence
of sin, from all the consequences of sin. That's why he's given
that precious name, Jesus, Savior, the salvation of the Lord. The bride in Solomon's song said
concerning her bridegroom, thy name is as ointment poured forth. Oh, how much more Dear name,
Jesus. There is no name, the hymn writer
wrote, there is no name so sweet on earth, no name so sweet in
heaven, the name before his wondrous birth, to Christ the Savior given. Our text will be verse 28. The
Lord's Supper. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians
11 that our Lord also spoke these words. What you're doing, and
as often as you shall do it hereafter, as we'll do here shortly, he
says, when you do it, do it in remembrance of me. Remember me. This remission of
sins that he was about to accomplish. Accomplished. He said, I have
a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straightened until
it be accomplished? Turn, if you will, to Luke chapter
18. When again the hour was near
at hand, in verse 31 of Luke 18 we read, Then he took unto
him the twelve and said unto them, Behold, we go to Jerusalem
And all things that are written by the prophets concerning the
Son of Man shall be accomplished. They'll be fulfilled. For he
shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and spitefully
entreated and spitted on. and they shall scourge him and
put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again." The
death of Christ was that by which he accomplished some things. He accomplished some things.
He made them certain. The prophet said concerning the
Son of Man, he shall not fail. And whatever our Lord intended
by his death, by the shedding of his blood, when that hour
had come that he should go to the cross, he accomplished some
things. He made them absolutely certain. The Zechariah chapter 3, we read
this concerning the work of the Messiah. We read, I will remove
the iniquity of that land in a day. In one day, I'll remove
all the iniquity of that land. What we celebrate when we observe
the Lord's Supper are the accomplishments of our great God and Savior.
We remember what he succeeded in doing. We remember his success,
not his failure. His triumph, not his attempt. These words speak of his success. He uttered it plainly himself. When after the darkness that
engulfed him on Mount Calvary for three hours, those last three
hours, as it was passing, after he had trod the winepress of
the fierceness of the wrath of God all by himself, all alone,
he uttered this cry of victory, the greatest victory that was
ever accomplished. He cried, it is finished. Isn't that what he said, Lord?
It's done. Whatever he intended to do, he
said, I've done it. It's accomplished. It's finished. That deserves celebrating, does
it not? Doesn't that deserve celebrating
when we take the bread representing his body? We take the wine representing
his blood. We're remembering what he obtained
for us. We're remembering what he accomplished
for us. We're remembering his success. We celebrate his finished work. Again, the old hymn writer expressed
it like this, and is this not worth celebrating? Think about
it. All the bliss, and I declare,
That's not too strong a word. It is bliss. It is bliss when
a helpless, bankrupt, guilty sinner obtains the blessed forgiveness
of all of his sins when in the day of his power, that sinner
for whom he died, for whom he was surety, is brought to him
by his grace, and he's made to experience in his soul the blessed
reality of the forgiveness of all of his sins. Does he not
sing? Who has more right to sing? Oh,
the bliss of this glorious thought, my sins not in part, but the
whole. All of my sins were nailed to
his cross and I bear them no more. Oh, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Oh, my soul. I often think of that famous
allegory by old John Bunyan. Pilgrim's Progress. I can identify
with that man, can't you? He's left the city of destruction. going to the city of refuge. And as he begins his journey,
Bunyan pictures Christian with that burden on his back. And he can't get rid of it. Nothing
he does can get rid of it. that burden of guilt, the weight
of his sins, with the voice of God's law thundering in his ears,
the soul that it sinneth, it must die. And with the question
of his heart asking, how can this sinner be just with God? And he continues his journey
with that weight of sin and condemnation. Remember that? Remember that? I'm lost. My soul, I'm lost. And Bunyan says, when Christian
came up to the cross, just as he came up to the cross,
the burden loosed from off of his back. and fell to the ground
and began to roll. And it continued to tumble until
it went to the mouth of the sepulcher where it fell in and Bunyan said,
Pilgrim saw it no more forever. And he stood there. He stood
there because it was a great wonder to him. He stood there
with amazement because he wondered how that the sight of the cross
should loose the burden from off of his back until the tears
began to flow down his cheek. And he gave a leap in the air
and went on his way rejoicing. Oh, bless God, at the cross,
at the cross. where the burden of my heart
was rolled away. The Lord knew all that was soon
to take place, did he not? Look again at verse 46 of Matthew
26. What a lovely picture this is
of the great faithful shepherd of the sheep, is it not? Three
times he went away praying, saying to Peter and James and John,
my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. And he would
arise from that struggle with the shadow of the cross already
eclipsing his holy soul, already anticipating that he would be
made sin already, anticipating the withdrawal of his father's
presence. So he came back to them seeking
some solace, some comfort, but he found them sleeping. The last
time he comes back and he says, not sarcastically, but he says,
sleep on now. Can you picture that? Isn't that
a blessed, blessed picture? The great shepherd sits there
And as his three disciples sleep, he watches over them. Sleep on. Take your rest. And then he hears
the trampling of the feet of that bloodthirsty mob being led
by the traitor Judas coming to take him. He looks through the
olive branches and sees the torches of that mob coming for him. And
he says to them, arise now. Wake up, arise. Let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that doth
betray me. And he goes forth. In John's
Gospel, chapter 18, we're told that our Lord, knowing all things,
knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth. He went to meet that multitude. And he stands out before his
disciples and says, Who seek ye? Who indeed? Who indeed? Awake, O sword, the
prophet said, against the man who is my fellow. Smite the shepherd. He's about to tread the winepress
alone. I can understand something about
the physical sufferings of my Lord. I can comprehend that,
comparing the four gospel narratives that tell us about that event. But when I hear him cry out,
my God, he's God, and yet he cries out, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? I can't understand that. I cannot
understand that. I cannot enter into that. Can
you? The old writers referred to our
Lord's suffering upon the cross as the unknown sufferings of
Christ, meaning they were known only to Him. Matthew tells us He began to
be sorrowful, sore amazed. Luke says, he sweat, as it were,
great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Unknown,
yes, unknown to you and I, but not to him were they. He knew
that this was the last Passover. He was about to fulfill it. He
was about to do what those sacrifices only typified. Look at verse
28 with me again. Four things here, very simply. He says, this is my blood of
the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of
sins. My blood. The blood of that man
who is God. The fulfillment of all those
sacrifices. The blood of the God-man. Turn, if you will, to Hebrews
chapter 7. Hebrews 7, verse 27. Hebrews 7 and 27, speaking of
our Lord, it says, Who needeth not daily, that is, our Lord
did, as those high priests to offer up sacrifices first for
His own sins and then for the people's. For this he did once
when he offered up himself. Look in chapter 10 of Hebrews,
verses 4 and 5. Hebrews 10, verse 4. For it is
not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take
away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into
the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not,
but a body hast thou prepared me. And look at the result of
his sacrifice in this same chapter. What was the outcome of it? What
was the fruit of it? Verse 10 of Hebrews 10, By the
witch will we are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily,
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins, but this man, but this man, the God-man,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at
the right hand of God. His blood is sin-atoning blood. You remember that night of the
first Passover, Exodus chapter 12? Moses gathers all the elders,
leaders of Israel around him and says, this night God will
pass through the land of Egypt and smite the firstborn. A Pharaoh
that sets up on the throne to the slave in the dungeon. The
firstborn shall be slain. But, but, don't you like that? There are exceptions. God's going
to pass over some people. When God in strict justice passes
through the land at midnight, There's going to be some who
will not experience death. Why? Why? You know why. The blood of that first Passover
lamb that was slain, and his blood was applied to the doorpost
and the lintel of the door. And God says when he sees the
blood, That's what we remember when we take this wine and drink
it. God says, when I see the blood,
I will pass over you. Paul said, Christ, our Passover,
is sacrificed for us. Oh, thank God for his sin-atoning
blood of our dear Redeemer. His blood is meritorious blood. I mean by that, it's of infinite
value and merit. Look at what it does. Turn, if
you will, to Ephesians chapter 2. Look at what the blood of
the Son of Man accomplished. Not made possible. No, no, no. No, what he actually accomplished. In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul
exhorts God's people to remember, remember, don't forget, that
ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision,
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time you were without Christ, without Christ. What a terrible, terrible description.
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world. And so we would have remained,
except for this. But now, now, child of God, right
now. In Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh, are brought near by the blood of
Christ. Near, nearer I cannot be, for
in the person of God's dear Son I am as near as he." What did
the blood of Jesus Christ accomplish? He entered one time into the
holy place and there obtained eternal redemption for us. John said, the blood of Jesus
Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. That's what he said, didn't he,
when he handed them that cup and said to drink from it? This
is for the remission of sins. Peter says it's precious blood. Precious blood, the blood of
God's own Son. What can wash away my sins? Not my works. Not my faith. That's not what washed away sin.
Not my repentance. What does it? What so thoroughly
and completely washes away the sins of God's people so that
in that day they'll be looked for but they'll not be found?
So thoroughly purged that they're gone forever. What can do that? What can wash away my sins? Nothing. Nothing but this. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious. Isn't it precious? The precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh, precious is that blood that
before the throne of the thrice-holy God I stand as white as snow. This is what John saw. In Revelation
14, he saw that multitude before the throne, and what did he say
concerning them? They're without fault. Without fault before the throne
of God. Oh, no other fount I know. Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Now, back to our text, look at
the second thing our Lord said. This is the blood of the New
Testament. The New Testament. What did he
mean by that? He meant the covenant, the everlasting
covenant of God's grace. You see what our Lord did? He
did on purpose. The redemption that he obtained
for us on Calvary's tree, he did it on purpose. The triune
God entered into a covenant, a testament before the world
ever was. that the Son of Man should come
in the fullness of time and do everything necessary, everything
that the holy God required to save all of His people from their
sins. And His precious blood sealed
and ratified that covenant of God's grace. The covenant of
works, the law said, do this or die. Oh, but the covenant
of grace says to Christ, Christ, you do this. and they shall live. Turn if you will to Hebrews chapter
13. This is where Paul speaks of the blood of God's everlasting
covenant. This is what our Lord speaks
of in our text. In Hebrews 13 verse 20, now the
God of peace, now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of
the sheep, The Great Shepherd said, of all that the Father
giveth me, I should lose none. I'll raise them up at the last
day. The Great Shepherd said, I seek my sheep and save my sheep. The Great Shepherd said, all
my sheep shall hear my voice and they'll follow me. Our Great
Shepherd is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto
God by him. That Great Shepherd are the sheep.
through the blood of the everlasting covenant. The covenant of God's
purpose of grace. Make you perfect in every good
work to do his will, working in you. That which is well pleasing
in his sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. Thirdly, know as our Lord
said, For this is my blood of the New
Testament, which is shed for many." Shed for many. Those many that were chosen in
him. Those same many that were given
to him by the Father. The many he became the surety
for, that he became responsible for. In that covenant of grace,
he agreed. He agreed in the fullness of
time that He would come and do everything that God required
to save His people from their sins. Those same ones He redeemed. Those same ones He will call
to Himself. And those same many, without
an exception, He'll keep. And every one of them, He'll
bring the glory. He'll bring the glory to be with
Himself. Remember, these are they which
follow the Lamb, whether so ever He goeth. Father, Father, He
prayed shortly after this, I will also that all those whom you
have given me, that you've entrusted into my hands, be with me where
I am, and they shall be. In Mark's Gospel, chapter 4,
our Lord told his disciples, let us pass over unto the other
side. And a great storm arose, and
they feared that they might perish. Don't you care? Lord, wake up.
Don't you care we perish? But the captain, John, the captain
of our salvation, had already said, let us. Let us pass over. Before they would perish, the
captain of their salvation would have to perish. And that's not
possible. And in the first verse of chapter
5 we read, And they came over unto the other side. Oh yes, it will be the everlasting
glory of Christ. that of all that the Father giveth
him, he should lose none. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Every one of them shall sing
unto him that loved us and redeemed us to God by thine own blood
be glory forever and ever. Last of all, look what it says.
Which is shed for many for the remission of sin. for the remission
of sins. No other way for God to be just
and justify the ungodly. This cup he must drink. Look at verse 39 of Matthew 26.
Oh my Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless,
not as I will, but as thou wilt." He must be made sin. He must bear the curse of the
law. He must bear the sins, all the
sins of all of his people. And the result of that is this.
As the prophet foretold in Isaiah 53, he shall justify many for
he shall bear their iniquities. He shall see it to develop his
soul and be satisfied. Turn, if you will, to Romans
chapter 3. Romans chapter 3. Here's the
results of the shed blood of the Son of God. By that, God
remains absolutely just. This is the only grounds on which
he could do so, remain absolutely just in justifying a sinner. In Romans chapter 3 verse 24,
being justified freely, that's without any cost by us or any
cause in us, freely by his grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus. whom God has set forth to be
of propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through
the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time,
his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of
him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is
excluded by what law? Of works, nay, but by the law
of faith. Wherefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law. God's justice argues just as
strongly as His mercy that all those for whom Christ shed His
blood must go free. And he said concerning this,
observance of the Lord's Supper, to do it in remembrance of me. It's a memorial of him, what
he did for us. This doesn't convey grace. No,
no. Grace doesn't come through the
elements of the bread and the wine. Grace comes from him. This doesn't convey grace, but
He does. Grace comes to that one who sits
upon the throne of grace and exhorts us to come to Him boldly
that we might obtain grace and mercy in time of need. Remember what He did. Remember
what He did. Remember Him. that shall save
His people from their sins. Remember that He was made sin
for you and I, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. One is as certain as the other.
If He was made sin, then everyone, the many, the many that He spoke
of, will be made the righteousness of God in Him. Remember that
He cried, It is finished. Oh, remember, when you take the
bread and the wine, our sins are gone. Righteousness has been
brought in. Redemption has been obtained. When in John 18 again, they came
to Him, and He said, Whom seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth. I told
you that I am He. Therefore, let these go their
way. Christ's death is my substitute. Says the very same thing to God's
law and justice. Let these go their way. Payment God cannot twice demand. First at my bleeding surety's
hand and then again at mine. I'm free from condemnation. There is no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus, redeemed from the curse of the law because
Christ was made a curse for us. In Luke's account, when our Lord
instituted the Lord's Supper, He said, when He gave them the
bread and the wine, this is for you. This is for you. Imagine that. Just moments afterward, he said,
you'll all be ashamed of me tonight. You'll all be offended because
of me tonight. You'll all forsake me and leave
me alone. Peter, you'll deny that you even
know me. But this is for you. You'll leave
me to trot the winepress alone, and I'll do it for you. I'm forsaken
for you so that you'll never be. I made sin for you that you
might be made the righteousness of God in Him. For you that are
about to leave me alone. You that are about to deny me."
He still says, this is for you. Someone said that God never sends
His children to bed without their supper. And he does and does it. You'll forsake me, doesn't change
anything. I'm laying down my life for you.
You'll deny me, doesn't change anything. When I'm risen again,
I'll meet you in Galilee, just like I told you. doesn't change
anything. Take, eat, drink. And when you
do so, when you do so, remember me. Remember Him that loved us
and gave Himself for us. Amen.