- [00:00:00] Yeah, Pastor JP said that he thought I was brilliant, but we thought in our class he was the most serv-y, teach-y pastor in our class. As you can tell, God has really gifted him in many ways. From his background and the ways God has been working in his life, it\'s been a joy to get to know him. I love his heart for the Lord and for his church. Before I get into the message, I\'d really love to share a little bit about my background to tie into what he was saying. - [00:00:38] As you just heard, I am from Congo, the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. I was born in a small village near GMA where we ended up moving again because of war. I was eight years old when we moved there. Part of moving within a country that has 450 languages means that whenever you move from one region to another, you learn a new language. So that has been part of my life, along with all the challenges that come along the way. But God has been good throughout the process. - [00:01:17] Unfortunately, the history of my home country has had some conflict issues that have deeply affected families and the entire nation. As we speak now, over 10 million people have died as a result of that conflict. Where I\'m from in GMA, my parents are currently surrounded by rebels who took over the area. Frankly, it\'s been difficult to think about it while I am far away. But as I told the young adults, it\'s been a joy to know that God is there with them. It’s comforting to hear how God has continued to protect them. - [00:01:56] As you continue to pray, please pray for peace there. Pray that God would restrain evil as we wait for the situation to change. Also pray that someday Tracy and I would be able to visit them. You heard that I\'m also pursuing a Doctor of Ministry alongside Pastor JP. Part of what I\'m focusing on is peacemaking and reconciliation. It has been on my heart for many years. I can’t even remember when I started dreaming of seeing peace in my own region. I didn’t know how that would work until I kept digging deep into God’s Word and realized that only the gospel can bring people who think blood is thicker than water together by the blood of Christ, making them a family who can love each other from the heart. - [00:02:37] What we read from our bulletin about adoption bringing us into God’s family and making us His children is very relevant here. Unless we understand that, we will keep viewing each other through the lens of color, language, or tribe—and that is the root of our problem. But when we see God and each other through the lens of what God has done in Christ, that changes everything. True reconciliation comes from that perspective. I will be focusing on that for the next two years. Please pray for me, as you pray for your pastor working on a project, that God would use this to nourish my own soul spiritually and also impact many lives. - [00:03:58] Now, coming to our message today, I would like to begin by going back to where you started this whole long series on covenants. I heard that the sermon I’m giving today from Luke 22 is part of a long trajectory you’ve had with Pastor JP. From what I gathered, Pastor JP did a very good job laying out the major covenants that constitute the fundamental structure of the Bible. In Scripture, we see the triune God—the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—as a relational God who created man to be in an intimate, loving relationship. - [00:04:46] When God created, because He is triune, He was not lonely nor trying to escape loneliness. He created because He was filled with love that He wanted to share. That’s why He created us—because He loves us. One line I heard from Pastor JP’s very first sermon was that God planned us from glory for glory. He wanted to know us so that we could also feel known by Him and be in intimate knowledge. In that sense, we could say He created us to show us His love so that we may be known, loved, redeemed, and eventually ushered into the glory from which we were created. - [00:05:35] That was amazing because sometimes when you read the Bible, you may wonder if things are random. They are not. God does nothing by accident; He planned it all. Now, do we have the slide on the screen? Great. It basically summarizes everything Pastor JP said with a diagram, and I will try to give a brief explanation. - [00:06:28] As you can see, the covenant of creation is obviously with Adam, and it is the only one—for today’s purposes—that is not bloody. There is no sacrifice involved with the covenant of creation. Then there is the covenant of redemption, where sacrifice is involved, either a thankful sacrifice or one absorbing sin. Why is that relevant? Because with Adam, when God created him, He said, “Adam, I have given you everything. You may eat of every fruit from every tree in the garden, but Genesis 2:17 says, ‘Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for on the day you eat, you shall surely die.’” - [00:07:15] So everything begins there. How do we know that was a covenant? The Bible does not explicitly use the word covenant here, but Hosea tells us that Adam broke the covenant he had with God. Sometimes this is referred to as the covenant of works. Because Adam broke the covenant, what did he deserve? Death. After the fall, God provided. God calls on Adam, saying, “Where are you?” Adam responds, “I am hiding because I am naked.” God asks, “Who told you you were naked? Did you eat of the tree I told you not to eat from?” Thank God He does not leave us to our own devices. God intervenes immediately. An animal dies in Adam’s place so that God may clothe him and cover his shame. That’s where the first sacrifice begins. - [00:08:06] Next, we come to Noah, where the symbol is the rainbow. God says He will never again destroy people with water. The rainbow is a sign of God’s faithful promise. After this, Noah sacrifices. Then we move to Abraham, who is called in Genesis 12. In Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed in God’s promises and was counted as righteous. Then God makes a covenant with Abraham, which is very relevant for the future. - [00:09:42] At the end of Genesis 15, Abraham is told to bring several animals—a heifer, a female goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon—all three years old. He cuts them in half and lays each half opposite the other but does not cut the birds in half. When birds of prey come, Abraham drives them away. This act is significant culturally. At that time, there was something called the suzerainty treaty, where a king or sovereign who conquered a city would describe himself and his expectations, and there would be blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Then they would cut animals and walk between the pieces, invoking their gods. - [00:10:28] But here, the difference is the covenant is between Abraham and God. Instead of men walking between the pieces, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the pieces, symbolizing God\'s presence and His solemn commitment. This is described in Genesis 15:12-18. The Lord promises Abraham that his offspring will be sojourners and servants in a foreign land for 400 years but will come out with great possessions. The Lord also promises to bring judgment on the nation that enslaves them. - [00:12:43] This covenant shows that God guarantees His promises unto death. Exodus later describes God leading His people by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. So the smoking firepot and flaming torch symbolize God’s personal guarantee of this covenant. - [00:13:58] What follows is the story of Moses and the Exodus. God’s people are enslaved, and Pharaoh resists God’s commands. God sends ten plagues, culminating in the death of every Egyptian firstborn. Israel, as God’s firstborn, is spared by the blood of the lamb applied to their doorposts. This event, the Passover, becomes a great redemptive event in Israel’s history, celebrated annually, and later accompanied by the Day of Atonement. - [00:15:55] Exodus 12 instructs Israel to celebrate the Passover throughout generations. When Jesus celebrates His last Passover with His disciples, He is participating in a long-standing tradition that He will transform. A covenant, as Pastor JP defined it, is a bond in blood, sovereignly administered. This is a key definition for understanding today’s passage. - [00:17:00] Jesus eagerly desires to eat this Passover with His disciples, even though He knows His suffering is imminent. Why eagerness? First, Jesus loves His disciples, who have become like family after three years together. Second, He is about to become the Passover lamb Himself—the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus wants His disciples to understand the significance of His body and blood. - [00:18:30] Jesus instructs His disciples on the preparations, showing His knowledge and control over the events. At the meal, He breaks bread and says, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Likewise, He shares the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you.” - [00:20:00] This is new. The Passover tradition involved several cups of wine and a liturgy where children would ask about the meaning of the meal. Now, Jesus inserts Himself into the tradition, redefining the bread and wine as His body and blood—symbols of a new covenant. Matthew’s account complements this, explaining that Jesus’ blood is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. - [00:21:00] The phrase “for you” (Greek: ὑπέρ ὑμῶν) implies substitutionary atonement—Jesus taking the place of sinners, including the man who would betray Him. The new covenant fulfills and surpasses the old covenant’s shadows. - [00:22:00] Traditionally, Israel celebrated two major feasts: Passover and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), separated by six months. Jesus links these two feasts, fulfilling both within 24 hours—Passover on Thursday and His sacrificial death on Friday. This unites redemption and atonement in Christ. - [00:23:00] To illustrate, consider family traditions involving silverware or plates. One explanation might be, “That’s how we always did it.” Another explanation adds meaning: “We use these because we want the guest to feel special.” Jesus is like the great-grandmother who explains the true meaning behind the tradition—His body and blood are the real significance of the Passover. - [00:24:00] From Genesis to Revelation, everything finds fulfillment in Christ. God’s purpose has always been to bring a people to Himself. Animal sacrifices could never fully remove sin because they were repeated annually and only substituted temporarily. The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin. - [00:25:00] Hebrews explains that animals could not represent humans because they had no will, while sin is an act of the will. Jesus is unique because He becomes both substitute and representative voluntarily, knowing the cost, motivated by love. As God incarnate, He takes on human sin and overcomes death, rendering sin and death powerless. - [00:26:00] We admire human heroes who sacrifice for their nations, but Jesus is the ultimate hero—He sacrifices not just for external freedom but for the heart, alienated from God, bringing us into God’s presence. - [00:27:00] Just as the Israelites were marked by the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, so today those who trust in Christ are marked by the blood of the new covenant Passover lamb. This mark offers eternal protection. The angel of destruction will pass over those marked by Christ’s blood. This protection is eternal and indelible. - [00:28:00] However, not everyone understands or accepts this. The bad news is that those who have not trusted Christ are not marked by His blood and face judgment. Jesus has gone to the Father and will return to judge the living and the dead. Those unmarked by His blood will be condemned, missing the glory and joy God intended. - [00:29:00] But the good news is that Christ’s arms are open. He invites all to come and receive what He has done. Like the Israelites looking back to the Passover, we look back to Jesus and celebrate His redemptive work. - [00:30:00] We should praise Jesus even more than we praise superheroes or national heroes because His sacrifice is eternal and cosmic. Remember, the covenant is a bond in blood sovereignly administered. We did not pay that blood—Christ did. This truth is too wonderful to keep to ourselves; it is worth telling the world. - [00:31:00] We were created by a loving Creator who wants to dwell with us. In Christ, God says, “You are my people, and I am your God, and I will dwell with you forever.” This is an amazing promise to cling to. - [00:32:00] My prayer for you and me is that we would cling to Christ, our Passover lamb, who took away all our sins, took our place, and gave us standing in the presence of our heavenly Father.