New covenant in the New Testament – Lk 22:20 -

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025357957

 

>> "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (Lk 22:20)" <<

 

The old covenant was contracted between God and Israel through Moses' intermediation when Moses brought Israel from Egypt to the Mount Sinai. At that time, Moses killed a beast and sprinkled its blood on the altar and on the Israel as a covenant ceremony. It's a covenant of blood. It's an unspoken threat to Israel that they would be like the slaughtered beast if they broke the contract.

 

The contents of the covenant were well summarized into the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments). If Israel serves only God and keeps his commandments, God is the God of Israel, and exclusively Israel becomes God's people. In return, God gives the land of Canaan to Israel and takes care of his people. The sign (the precondition) of the covenant was circumcision. I've told the meaning of the circumcision somewhere else. (The meaning of the circumcision as the sign of the covenant between God and Israel is holiness, because it requires the holiness of the sexual life of the people of God. Only unholy wicked man can use the circumcised organ (the sign of the holy covenant) to commit adultery.)

 

But Israel violated the covenant with God. They served idols, trampled on social justice. So Israel fell to the neighboring strong powers. All these were included in the covenant already. God clearly said in advance in the covenant that he would scatter them all over the world if they didn't live in accordance with God's word. 

 

After twists and turns, Israel returned to Palestine, but failed to achieve political independence. Like this, the old covenant came into disuse on account of Israel's insincerity. Now in the New Testament, Jesus the only begotten Son appeared on the stage instead of Moses. Jesus made a covenant when he had dinner with his disciples just the day before the crucifixion. It, too, was a covenant of blood; however, the blood was not a beast's but his that would be shed the next day. The import of the covenant is that whoever believes in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, will be saved. Anyone can participate in this covenant; there is no distinction between Israelites and Gentiles here. Jesus is the High Priest. He sacrificed his body to God on the cross and reconciled God and man.

 

Wine is to the New Testament what circumcision is to the Old Testament. Wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ. This blood of Jesus is the sign of a new peace treaty between God and man. Believers, drinking wine at the sacrament, celebrate Jesus' suffering and sacrifice for the reconciliation between his God and man. Would it be a desirable attitude for a Christian to drink too much wine (or liquor), a precious symbol for Christians, and become a drunkard? There are various types of food, but Jesus indirectly demands by making wine the symbol of his blood that deeds of believers should be holy. (You must keep yourself holy even in relation to wine. He who knows God always keeps his life holy.) Bible says, "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery. (Eph 5:18)" Holiness is the key both in Old Testament and New Testament. The color of Christianity is always 'holiness', seen from near or from afar. God and Christians alike have the same color 'holy'.