Read Matt. 26:20-35
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
(Mat 26:26-29)

So just what is Jesus doing here and why should it matter to us? Well Jesus is establishing a covenant with his people. More so, Luke and Paul give us the added information in the account that it is a new covenant. The author of Hebrews reminds us: “Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”(Heb 9:18-22) And so the blood of the covenant Jesus makes is with blood and note this covenant is for the forgiveness of sins. Of course Jeremiah told us about this centuries before when he wrote: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant … For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people… For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer 31:31-34)

In the Lord’s Supper, which is the new covenant, as we participate in it, we receive the signs or tokens of the covenant, which are Christ’s body and blood in the form of bread and wine. The bread is the body of Christ and the cup is the blood of Christ. Otherwise they would convey nothing. It would be merely symbolic. And we would have a symbolic covenant and a symbolic forgiveness of sins. But no, you actually receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, the strengthening and perseverance of faith. Jesus’ body and blood seal to us his forgiveness, his life and his covenant. Jesus tells us here in the supper our sins are forgiven us. More than that, they are remembered no more. He restores our heart and puts his Law that is his Spirit in our hearts and we know the Lord because we believe the terms of the covenant—our sins are forgiven because Christ has given his body and shed his blood for us as the covenant. If you don’t believe your sins are forgiven here then you don’t know the Lord. But if you believe the words given by Christ, i.e. what you are being given and for what reason, then you have exactly what they say, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant us your Holy Spirit that we might believe you have established a new covenant with us, with your body and blood, that we might be your people through the forgiveness of sins. Amen.