Well, good evening to all of you.
As we prepare to participate in communion,
I wanted us to look at the Last Supper of Jesus
as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Luke chapter 22.
However, even though the account is quite long
and has many, many sides to it,
I wanted us just to look at one verse.
That's all, just one verse.
And that verse is Jesus' words in Luke 22, 20.
It says, in the same way, after the supper,
he took the cup saying,
this cup is the new covenant in my blood
which is poured out for you.
This cup is the new covenant in my blood
which is poured out for you.
These are Jesus' words.
So when I read these words,
I asked myself,
what was going on in Jesus' minds?
What ideas were going through him?
What was he reflecting on?
And I would like to suggest that he was reflecting on several things.
So even though this verse looks very short,
it turns out to be very loaded simultaneously.
Let's take a look at it one by one.
The first part is,
Jesus says,
this cup is the new covenant in my blood.
The new covenant in my blood.
Notice the words covenant and blood.
So where does that idea come from?
When Jesus says,
my blood of the covenant,
or covenant in my blood,
what was he thinking about?
Well, believe it or not,
he was thinking about Exodus 24.
So if you have Bibles,
turn to Exodus 24.
If not,
I'll be happy to read it for you.
Exodus 24 is the chapter
in which God makes a covenant with Israel.
and the one who mediates in that covenant
happens to be Moses.
And then in Exodus,
in Exodus 24,
in the middle of this ceremony,
in the middle of this covenant,
look what Moses says.
In verse 8,
Moses then took the blood,
sprinkled it on the people,
and said,
this is the blood of the covenant
that the Lord has made with you.
This is the blood of the covenant
that the Lord made with you.
Jesus is thinking to himself
that he, like Moses,
is going to make a covenant
that God is going to use him
to make a covenant with the people.
And so he, like Moses,
mentions the blood of the covenant.
But what was Moses doing?
Of course, covenant is a religious term
for the secular word of treaty.
So a treaty and covenant
are the same thing.
And you can make treaties between equals
when nations make treaties with each other.
Or in this case,
it is a treaty between unequals
when God is making it with people.
So what was God wanting to accomplish
in this covenant
that Moses was officiating at?
He wanted to accomplish two things.
The first thing,
he wanted them to realize
that they belong to God,
that they are God's special treasure.
Now, there's a difference
between special and ordinary.
Believe it or not,
I have a tuxedo,
but none of you have ever seen me
because I only wear it
to special occasions.
And the next time I wear it
will probably be my funeral,
so you can see it then.
I also have,
but I have worn it before
to my daughter's wedding,
but that's all.
Then I have
three-piece suits,
and the only time I wear those
is when I go to teach class
and I'm completely unprepared,
and then I hope
that my attire will distract
them from my lousy lecture.
But when I am informal like this,
I'm very prepared,
so don't worry.
No tie, no coat, nothing.
So,
there are special clothes
that you wear on special occasions,
wedding dresses,
tuxedos,
and then there is ordinary,
average, normal.
And God was saying
that he wanted Israel
to be the special part,
not the ordinary part.
And so Israel was going to be special
because it was going to be the agent
that God was going to use
to bring salvation to the world.
And so in Exodus 19,
4, he says,
you are my special treasure,
segula,
which 1 Peter quotes,
by the way,
and applies it to us.
So God wanted them to be,
to realize that they belong to him.
Well,
all of us belong to several things.
I happen to belong to the United States.
I wasn't born in this country.
I was naturalized.
So through naturalization,
I became a U.S. citizen.
I also belong to Trinity International University
because they have hired me to teach there.
I belong to Christ the King Church
because I agreed to become a member
and I was accepted.
I belong to the YMCA
because I want to see
if God can still perform miracles
and transform me
in spite of,
you know what.
Well,
we all belong to different things.
So,
they were going to be special,
but what were they going to belong to?
The statement that is made
again and again is,
I will be your God
and you will be my people.
They were going to be his people.
And that is repeated,
as I said,
over 50 times
just in the Old Testament.
I am God
and you are my people.
Not,
I am God
and you are my employees
or I am God
and you are my factory workers
or I am God
and you are my choir
or I am God
and you are my soccer team.
It is,
I will be your God
and you will be my people.
So,
if he wants them
to become his people,
how is he going to do it?
And it's the thing
that he says
again and again.
You can see it
in Exodus 6, 7.
You can see,
you can see,
yes,
Exodus 6, 7.
You can see it
in Exodus 19,
4 and 5.
What he was going to do
was to adopt them.
God was going to adopt them.
So,
they were going to belong to him
not by hiring them
or coercing them
or whatever,
but through adopting them.
Now,
what happens
in an adoption?
Several things
happens.
One obvious thing
that happens
in an adoption
is a person
who is an outsider
becomes an insider.
And when that person
becomes an insider,
usually,
maybe the first name
is changed.
Certainly,
in most cases,
the last name
is changed
and one is given
a new name.
And those who
were not belonging
now belong.
Those who were
on the outside
now become
on the inside.
And with that
comes, of course,
the privileges
of being adopted
into this family
and not that family.
Presumably,
the love
of these parents
who adopted
the individual.
Maybe,
perhaps,
the wealth
of that family
is rich
or perhaps
the prestige,
the honor,
the name
of the family
and so on
and so forth.
And so,
God is saying,
you belong to me,
I am going
to adopt you
and the way
that I am going
to adopt you
is through
this covenant.
And, of course,
that is very special.
Now,
this doesn't,
this illustration
doesn't deal
with adoption
but it will help
make a point.
I was a smart student
when I was at UCLA
and I did very good grades
in philosophy.
And being an analytic philosopher,
I quickly realized,
surprise, surprise,
it's just as easy
to fall in love
with a rich girl
as it is
to fall in love
with a poor girl.
So, I thought,
I'm going to put
controls on my heart,
none of this
middle class stuff,
you know,
I'm going to check
her last name,
but regrettably,
there was no Rockefeller
at UCLA
who was single
and available.
So,
I was not
married
into a rich
family.
And,
not only
did I inherit
my own debts
and student loans,
but others.
where is Rockefeller
to come to the rescue?
Where is J.P. Morgan?
They obviously
didn't send their
kids to UCLA.
Well,
we are being adopted.
We may be adopted
by a famous name
like Bush
or Clinton
or Lincoln,
or we may be adopted
by an ordinary family.
and based on
what we are adopted,
we get the privileges
and the advantages
of being part
of that family.
Now,
I want you to think
for a second.
Is there anything
special
about being
adopted
by God?
Is there
any advantage
that we have
over others
if we are
adopted by God
and this other
person is not?
Is there
anything
wonderful
about
being adopted
by God
or is it just
a common
ordinary thing?
What does
being adopted
by God
make available
to us?
God wants
to adopt us.
There is something
very interesting
that
happened
between the Old
and the New Testaments
there is a
German scholar
by the name
of
Joachim
Jeremias
who studied
every written
prayer
that was prayed
in the last
400 years
before Jesus
appeared on the scene.
Every written
prayer
in the Talmud,
in the commentaries,
in the writings,
he studied
every one of them
and he wasn't
out to prove
a point
but he discovered
to his great
surprise
that in the
spirit of 400
years
every prayer
that was prayed
that is also
written,
recorded for us
addresses God
formally
and collectively.
so it is
always
our,
it is never
my
and it's
always
father,
it is never
dad.
So every
prayer for 400
years,
out of great
respect for God,
the nation,
the rabbis,
the priests
would pray
our
father
rather than
my
dad.
and of course
you can see
that,
that is
the beginning
of the
Lord's prayer,
our father
who art in
heaven.
But if you
continue to
read in
John's account
of the
Last Supper,
the Lord
says that
part of
being adopted
is that
we will be
allowed to
call God
Abba.
Not
Avinu
as all the
other prayers
but Abba
and Abba
is Aramaic
for dad.
Jesus
calls the
father
intimately
the same
way a
child would
call.
My sons
never,
never called
me Mr.
Messuah
or Professor
Messuah
or anything
like that.
It was
dad
because there
is a
relationship
between me
and them
that allowed
them to be
intimate with
me and
allowed me
to be
intimate
with them.
And
Jesus
says,
you can
also read
it in
Romans 8,
the spirit
bears witness
with our
spirit by
which we
cry out
Abba,
father,
dad.
So we
are adopted
and we
are allowed
to think
of God
intimately
although of
course there
is nothing
wrong in
thinking about
God with
reverence and
awe and
exaltation.
it's not
an either
or,
it's two
different
approaches.
One we
approach him
as his
subjects,
the others
we approach
him as
his children.
And the
first thing
that Jesus
is thinking
about is
just as
Moses accomplished
that,
Jesus is
going to
accomplish
this as
well.
However,
if we go
back to
Luke 22,
20,
there is a
difference,
slight difference
between what
Moses said
and what
Jesus said.
Moses said,
the blood
of the
covenant.
Jesus says,
my blood
of the
covenant.
So while
in Exodus
they were
offering animals,
Jesus is
announcing that
he is going
to offer
his own
life.
That this
covenant that
God is going
to make is
going to cost
him his life
rather than
the life
of bulls
and goats
and sheep.
And so
the second
thing is
this.
When Jesus
is thinking,
I am going
to accomplish
a great
act of
salvation.
I am
going to
fulfill
God's
purposes
and plans.
And it's
going to
cost me
my own
life.
And I'm
a human
being.
What else
is he
thinking about?
Where else
do we
have an
individual
who is
willing to
give his
life to
bring salvation
to the
world in
the Old
Testament?
That is
Isaiah
53.
So Jesus
is thinking
about
Exodus
24,
but in
addition to
that he
is thinking
also of
Isaiah
53.
Take a
look at,
it's a
familiar
passage,
but if
you're
in
53,
look at
verses
4-7.
So
Isaiah
53,
4-7.
7.
Surely
he took
our
infirmities
and carried
our sorrows,
yet we
considered him
stricken by
God,
smitten by
him and
afflicted,
but he
was pierced
for our
transgressions,
he was
crushed for
our
iniquities,
and the
punishment that
brought us
peace was
upon him.
By his
wounds we
are healed.
We all,
like sheep,
have gone
astray.
Each of us
has turned to
his own way,
and the Lord
has laid on
him the
iniquity of
us all.
He was
oppressed and
afflicted,
yet he did
not open
his mouth.
He was
led like a
lamb to
the slaughter,
lamb to
the slaughter.
Why lamb?
Because he
wants us to
connect this
passage with
the Passover,
lamb.
And it's
not only that
Isaiah saw
it, guess
what?
John the
Baptist saw
it.
And when
John saw
Jesus, the
first thing
he announced,
behold the
lamb of
God who
takes away
the sin
of the
world.
And it's
not just
John the
Baptist saw
it and
nobody else
in the
New Testament.
Turn with
me to
1 Corinthians
5-7.
That's a
very important
passage.
1 Corinthians
5-7.
Let me
read it
for you.
1 Corinthians
5-7.
1 Corinthians
5-7.
In the
middle of
this verse,
Christ, our
Passover
lamb, has
been sacrificed.
sacrificed.
And that's
as explicit
as you can
get.
Christ, our
Passover lamb,
has been
sacrificed.
Jesus understands
it.
Paul understands
it.
John the
Baptist understands
it.
Jesus is
offering
himself to
make it
possible for
us to be
adopted, has
become our
Passover lamb.
So, Jesus
is thinking of
Exodus 24,
the blood of
the covenant.
He is thinking
of Isaiah 53,
like sheep led
to the slaughter,
he opened not
his mouth.
But Jesus is
also thinking of
one more thing.
Please turn to
Luke 22,
20.
In the
same way,
after the
supper, he
took the
cup saying,
this is the
new covenant
in my blood
which is
poured out
for you.
He doesn't
say this is
the covenant
in my blood.
He says,
this is the
new covenant
in the blood.
So, just as
he adds the
word my,
he also adds
the word
new.
And so,
what is he
thinking about
now when he
says new
covenant in
my blood?
He is thinking
of Jeremiah
chapter 31,
31.
This is the
only passage
in all of the
Old Testament,
in all of the
Old Testament,
that uses the
expression the
new covenant.
covenant.
Nowhere else
is that
phrase used
in the Old
Testament other
than Jeremiah
31, 31.
The days are
coming, says
the Lord, when
I will make
a new covenant.
And Jesus
says, this is
the new covenant
in my blood.
So, he is
thinking Jeremiah,
he is thinking
Isaiah, he is
thinking Moses.
But what is
special about
the new covenant?
It is
verse 34.
I will
forgive their
iniquities and
remember their
sins no more.
So, in order
for God
to adopt
us, he
must also
forgive us.
He needs to
forgive us
first and
then adopt
us.
And what
the new covenant
emphasizes is the
forgiveness of
sins.
So, we have
been adopted
by God.
And we
have the
privilege of
being intimate
with him and
call him
dad, knowing
that our
sins are
forgiven.
And that
this covenant
has cost him
his life.
Now,
since I
making eye
contact with
Mike, I
will use
him for
an
illustration.
Suppose
someone
kidnaps
Mike and
writes me a
letter and
says,
Samir,
we have
Mike.
If you
want him
back, you
have to
pay ransom.
And I
said, oh,
okay.
How much
do you
want?
Five
dollars.
Mike is
safe.
Let's
say he
says
$10.
Mike is
still safe.
$50.
Still
safe.
$100.
I have to
think about
it, but
still safe.
$2 million.
No way, I
don't have
that kind of
money.
how about
not just
$2 million,
but $2
million and
the life of
my grandchildren.
No way.
I mean, I
love Mike and
all that, but
I am not
willing to
give the
life of my
grandchildren
for him.
My love
has limits.
So you
have to ask
yourself, how
much do I
love somebody?
And how
much am I
willing to
go?
And we
have the
answer.
John 3.
16.
God so
loved the
world that
he gave
not just
$50 or
$100 or
$2 million.
God gave
his son
to show
you how
generous he
is.
That he
wants to
adopt us
so much
that he
is willing
to pay
that much.
You think
Ben would
give the
life of
his son?
Not in
million years?
But God
is willing
to.
That is
what we
are celebrating
this evening.
That we
are adopted
by God.
God
says, you
can call
me dad.
I love
you more
than you
realize.
God
and I'll
even give
the life
of my
son for
you.
Not
cows,
not cattle,
but my
son.
And that
is what
Jesus
initiated.
And he
wants to
establish it
as a
treaty,
as a
covenant,
so nobody
would have
any question
or doubts
as to what
he is
doing.
Amen.