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A

NEW

    COVENANT 
   

FOR

    GOD'S 
   

    PEOPLE 
   

103

2

On

the

    passover 
   

    night 
   

    thirty-seven 
   

    years 
   

be-

    fore 
   

the

    second 
   

    destruction 
   

of

    Jerusalem 
   

A

.D

.

70,

    Jesus 
   

    Christ 
   

    started 
   

the

    Memorial 
   

    evening 
   

    meal 
   

    with 
   

his

    eleven 
   

    faithful 
   

    apostles 
   

    and, 
   

as

he

    handed 
   

    them 
   

the

cup

of

    wine, 
   

he

    said 
   

:

    "Drink 
   

out

of

it,

all

of

you

;

for

    this 
   

    means 
   

my

    blood 
   

of

the

    cove- 
   

    nant' 
   

    which 
   

is

to

be

    poured 
   

out

in

    behalf 
   

of

    many 
   

for

    forgiveness 
   

of

    sins 
   

."

    Luke's 
   

    account 
   

of

it

    says 
   

:

    "Also 
   

the

cup

in

the

    same 
   

way

    after 
   

    they 
   

had

the

    evening 
   

    meal, 
   

he

    saying 
   

:

    This 
   

cup

    means 
   

the

new

    covenant 
   

by

    virtue 
   

of

my

    blood, 
   

    which 
   

is

to

be

    poured 
   

out

in

    your 
   

    behalf 
   

."'

    (Matthew 
   

26

    :27,28 
   

and

    Luke 
   

22

    :20, 
   

NW)

By

    these 
   

    words 
   

    Jesus 
   

in-

    dicated 
   

    that 
   

the

    making 
   

of

a

new

    covenant 
   

was

at

    hand 
   

and

    that 
   

he

was

the

    sacrifice 
   

    required 
   

for

it

.

3

The

old

Law

    covenant 
   

had

    been 
   

    made 
   

    with 
   

the

    blood 
   

of

the

    passover 
   

    lamb 
   

in

    Egypt 
   

.

    About 
   

    fifty 
   

    days 
   

    later 
   

it

had

    been 
   

    ratified 
   

or

    inaugurated 
   

    with 
   

the

    blood 
   

of

    young 
   

    bulls 
   

and

of

    goats 
   

at

    Mount 
   

    Sinai 
   

in

    Arabia 
   

.

    Moses 
   

had

    acted 
   

by

    divine 
   

    appointment 
   

as

    mediator 
   

    between 
   

    Jehovah 
   

God

and

    natural 
   

    Israel 
   

.

But

the

    blood 
   

of

all

    those 
   

    ani- 
   

mal

    sacrifices 
   

had

not

    been 
   

    able 
   

to

    wash 
   

    away 
   

    human 
   

    sins 
   

and

    give 
   

the

    Israelites 
   

a

    conscience 
   

    free 
   

    from 
   

sin

.

And

so

    animal 
   

    sacrifices 
   

    were 
   

of-

    fered 
   

    continually 
   

    year 
   

    after 
   

    year 
   

    upon 
   

a

    literal 
   

    altar 
   

.

God

    remembered 
   

    their 
   

    sins, 
   

and

for

    that 
   

    reason 
   

    found 
   

it

    necessary 
   

to

    make 
   

a

new

and

    bet- 
   

ter

    covenant 
   

.

    Jesus 
   

did

not

    offer 
   

the

    sacrifice 
   

of

2

.

At

the

    Memorial 
   

    what 
   

did

    Jesus 
   

    indicate 
   

    about 
   

the

new

    covenant? 
   

3,

4

.

(a)

Why

did

God

    remember 
   

    sins 
   

    under 
   

the

old

Law

    covenant? 
   

(b)

    What 
   

    sacrifice 
   

did

    Jesus 
   

    offer? 
   

    With 
   

    what 
   

    effect 
   

on

    that 
   

    covenant? 
   

A NEW COVENANT FOR GOD’S PEOPLE 103 2On the passover night thirty-seven years before the second destruction of Jerusalem A.D. 70, Jesus Christ started the Memorial evening meal with his eleven faithful apostles and, as he handed them the cup of wine, he said: “Drink out of it, all of you; for this means my ‘blood of the covenant’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.’’ Luke’s account of it says: “Also the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf.’” (Matthew 26:27, 28 and Luke 22:20, NW) By these words Jesus indicated that the making of a new covenant was at hand and that he was the sacrifice required for it. 3 The old Law covenant had been made with the blood of the passover lamb in Egypt. About fifty days later it had been ratified or inaugurated with the blood of young bulls and of goats at Mount Sinai in Arabia. Moses had acted by divine appointment as mediator between Jehovah God and natural Israel. But the blood of all those animal sacrifices had not been able to wash away human sins and give the Israelites a conscience free from sin. And so animal sacrifices were offered continually year after year upon a literal altar. God remembered their sins, and for that reason found it necessary to make a new and better covenant. Jesus did not offer the sacrifice of 2. At the Memorial what did Jesus indicate about the new covenant? 3,4. (a) Why did God remember sins under the old Law covenant? (b) What sacrifice did Jesus offer? With what effect on that covenant?