September 27

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Luke 22:20.

At the Lord’s supper, before He is to be crucified on a cross, Jesus offers a cup of wine to the disciples. It is a new covenant—one announcing that the requirements of the Law are to be fulfilled by the offering of the Lamb, His body. The Old Testament sacrifices were a constant reminder of what was to come, and now the final sacrifice, the perfect one, has come. I am not convinced that they fully understood.

And there is further meaning in all of this. It was the custom in a Hebrew wedding engagement for the groom to approach his potential bride and offer her a cup of wine. The price for the bride had been paid after agreement between the fathers of the bride and the groom. As the groom offers the wine he is in effect saying “I offer you my life, will you come live with me and share my life?” The bride may refuse or accept his offer—if she accepts she drinks the cup of wine and the groom goes ‘to prepare a place for her in his father’s house’. My friends, do you see what Jesus is asking His disciples? He is in effect saying, “Will you accept my life, poured out for you, and will you share your life with Me? The price, My life, has been paid in full.” As I participate in a communion service, or for that matter in each day of my life, I also need to examine my dedication to Jesus. Am I saying to Him, ‘Yes, I accept Your life and I give You mine’?

Today Lord Jesus, I will think, pray, and act on these things. You have offered Your blood, poured out for me, and I want to take it fully with all the desire to accept Your life that has been offered to me. Let me not put other things in the way of this. Let me just be content to see You in all that I do. In Your precious name, Amen.
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