#DailyDevotion Jesus Institutes A New Covenant

1 Corinthians 11:23–32²³The Lord gave me what I taught you, that the night He was betrayed the Lord Jesus took bread. ²⁴ He gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this to remember Me.” ²⁵He did the same with the cup after the supper. He said, “This cup is the new testament in My blood. Every time you drink it, do it to remember Me.” ²⁶Every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you are telling how the Lord died until He comes. ²⁷Then anyone who eats the bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in an unworthy way is sinning against the Lord’s body and blood. ²⁸Examine yourself and then eat some of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹Anyone who eats and drinks without seeing that the Lord’s body is there is condemned for his eating and drinking. ³⁰That is why many of you are sick and ailing and a number are dead. ³¹If we would look at ourselves critically, we would not be judged. ³²But if the Lord judges us, He corrects us to keep us from being condemned with the world.

One of the things we may not have noticed  here is that Paul was instructed directly by the Lord in all matters of life and doctrine. Paul writes, Gal 1:12 “because no man gave it or taught it to me, but Jesus Christ revealed it to me.” Many believe this occurred after his conversion and possibly during his three years stint in the desert of Arabia. But the same Lord Jesus who taught the twelve also taught Paul. One of the things he had taught Paul was the New Covenant or Testament. The words of Jesus’ testament from Paul are the same as those used by the evangelists in the Gospels.

What does this new covenant consist of? Not the blood of bulls and goats, nor the flesh upon the fires of the altar but the very body and blood of Jesus. We should take note that these are the words of a covenant, a testament. It is not a parable or story. It should therefore not be taken figuratively. The words of a testament should be taken literally. Jesus gave to the twelve on the night he was betrayed the very body and blood that would be given and shed upon the cross. It makes no sense to try to reason this out. It is a great mystery. Jesus however is not giving out individual cells of his body or blood in and with the bread and the wine. Jesus is giving us his whole body and his whole blood when he gives us the bread and the cup.

Now Jeremiah had prophesied about this in Jeremiah 31:31ff. This new covenant the Lord makes with us is this, he would forgive us our sins and remember them no more and he would give us new hearts as he implant his Torah (Law in the broad sense) upon it. This is nothing short of giving us his Holy Spirit so we may know Jesus through the forgiveness of sins and live out Jesus’ life in our own. All who partake of this mystery in faith receive the benefits of this covenant. Since there is a new covenant, the old covenant is set aside. It is annulled. For the old covenant was broken by Israel. When we receive this mystery, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Some take this very narrowly, but it is a broad confession of the faith in a few terms. It is the confession of our common faith for here is our communion in one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all as we commune, participate in the body and blood of Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus you gave us your body and blood which is the new testament fulfilled. Grant us faith that we may participate in your testament and be made partakers of your body and blood receiving all the benefits of this covenant for ourselves. In your precious name we pray. Amen.