THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW - Chapter 26 - Verse 28

Verse 28. For this is my blood. This represents my blood: as the bread did his body. Luke and Paul vary the expression, adding what Matthew and Mark have omitted. "This cup is the new testament in my blood." By this cup, he meant the wine in the cup, and not the cup itself. Pointing to it, probably, he said, "This—wine represents my blood about to be shed." The phrase, "new testament," should have been rendered new covenant, referring to the covenant or compact that God was about to make with men through a Redeemer. The old covenant was that which was made with the Jews by the sprinkled of the blood of sacrifices. See Ex 24:8. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you, etc. In allusion to that, Jesus says, this cup is the NEW covenant in my blood; that is, ratified, or sealed and sanctioned by my blood. Anciently, covenants or contracts were ratified by slaying an animal; by the shedding of its blood; imprecating similar vengeance if either party failed in the compact. So Jesus says the covenant which God is about to form with men, the new covenant, or the gospel economy, is sealed or ratified with his blood.

Which is shed for many for the remission of sins. In order that sins may be remitted, or forgiven. That is, this is the appointed way by which God will pardon transgressions. That blood is efficacious for the pardon of sin:

(1.) Because it is the life of Jesus; the blood being used by the sacred writers as representing life itself, or as containing the elements of life, Ge 9:4; Le 17:14. It was forbidden, therefore, to eat blood, because it contained the life, or was the life, of the animal. When, therefore, Jesus says his blood was shed for many, it is the same as saying that his life was given for many. See Barnes "Ro 3:25".

(2.) His life was given for sinners, or he died in the place of sinners, as their substitute. By his death on the cross, the death or punishment due to them in hell may be removed, and their souls be saved. He endured so much suffering, bore so much agony, that God was pleased to accept it in the place of the eternal torments of all the redeemed. The interests of justice, the honour and stability of his government, would be as secure in saving them in this manner, as if the suffering were inflicted on them personally in hell. God, by giving his Son to die for sinners, has shown his infinite abhorrence of sin: since, according to his view, and therefore according to truth, nothing else would show its evil nature, but the awful sufferings of his own Son. That he died in the stead or place of sinners, is abundantly clear from the following passages of Scripture: Joh 1:29; Ep 5:2; Heb 7:27; 1 Jo 2:2; 4:10; Isa 53:10; Ro 8:32; 2 Co 5:15.

{c} "new testament" Jer 31:31