As Easter approaches many churches choose to hold Seders in order to look into the Jewish Passover meal and examine all the types and shadows of the Messiah to come that are hidden within the meal itself.
The Passover meal was instituted to remind the Jews of how God spared them from death on the night He set the stage for their deliverance from Egypt. The meal is full of prophetic implications regarding the Messiah to come. But if it is observed in the mode of remembering the Exodus the prophetic implications are wasted. Jesus the Messiah observed this meal with His disciples just prior to being betrayed and going to the cross. There was however a transition in this meal that took place. It was time to address what the bread and the wine were truly intended to represent.
Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
VS26 gives us the emphasis now of partaking of Christ himself!
VS27 & 28 gives us the emphasis of a blood bought covenant that is new. A blood that is shed for many for the remission of sins.
It does not say a blood that was shed for every person that ever lived or will live. It says many. It does not use the term all. It says many. I find that interesting.
There will be some who will not see the benefit of this blood that was shed. They will not enter into this New Covenant made by Christ. They will not receive the remission of their sins.
If a persons sins are not remitted what does that mean?
It means that apart from Christ sin is still counted against a person no matter how well they live their lives.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
