Blood of the Covenant
In the Passover, the blood applied to the doorposts shielded the Israelite households from the angel of death, establishing God's covenant protection and deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Later, Moses took the blood of sacrificed animals and sprinkled it upon the people at Sinai, sealing the old covenant between God and Israel with its promises and obligations. This theme reaches its fulfillment when Christ, at the table with His disciples, declares the cup to be His blood of the new covenant, shed for the remission of sins and inaugurating the eternal redemption for all who believe.
Key Passages
Passover Blood
Exodus 12:13
The Passover blood reveals God's tender protection over all who trust the lamb's sacrifice, pointing ahead to Jesus' covenant blood that saves us from judgment.
13nd the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Blood of New Covenant
Matthew 26:28
Jesus' blood establishes a new covenant that brings forgiveness and opens the way for us to live in close relationship with God.
28or this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Did You Know?
The old covenant was ratified with the blood of animals. The new covenant was ratified with the blood of the Son of God. The difference in the blood measures the difference in the covenants.
Jesus said the cup is the new covenant in His blood. Every time we take communion, we are remembering that the covenant is not a contract we might break. It is a covenant God sealed with His own life.
The blood speaks. Abel's blood cried for vengeance. Christ's blood speaks better things. It speaks forgiveness, adoption, and an inheritance that can never fade away.