My Blood of the New Testament
Matthew 26:28
“For this is my blood of the new
testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
“My Blood
of the new testament” this statement of our Lord Jesus Christ declares that His
own blood of His human body, is the blood that has sealed the everlasting
covenant of grace from eternity past and will remain the seal of it in eternity
to come; for it is written, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the
dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of
the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his
will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus
Christ; to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21). The blood of Christ is God’s own blood. Though
“God is a Spirit:” (John 4:24) in His essential essence; and has no body, yet
by the indissoluble union of the Godhead in Christ Jesus to human nature; the
blood that did flow through the arteries and veins of the Son of God was God’s
own blood. That human nature of Jesus Christ is the true tabernacle of the Triune
Jehovah; (Hebrews 8:2) “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily” (Colossians 2:9); and therefore Jesus Christ, “who is the image of the
invisible God, the first born of every creature:” (Colossians 1:15) is the only
visible Jehovah. And it is written “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to
all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts
20:28). Therefore “the blood of the everlasting covenant” is the “blood of the
New Testament” and it is the blood of Jesus Christ; and it is God’s own blood.
It is the two separate natures
indissolubly joined in one glorious person that is our Lord Jesus Christ; and
it is this all glorious Person that is the God-Man Mediator, Great High Priest,
and Surety of the everlasting covenant, or New Testament. The two natures
remain all they are in themselves, and in the person of Christ never
intermingle. All that Christ Jesus undertakes in His own glorious Person, He
undertakes in both natures. Therefore the infinite and incomprehensible glory
and merit of His Godhead upholds all that He undertakes in His Most Holy humanity;
and all His activities as the Great High Priest and Surety of the New Testament
are perfectly effectual to their intended end, which is to “save his people from
their sins” (Matthew 1:21); “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth” (Romans 3:10). Jesus Christ Himself is the
righteousness of His people, He is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6)
and His people are perfectly sanctified or holy in Him; for the children of God
are, as they were chosen, in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 1:4; I Corinthians 1:2;
Jude 1).
“In the beginning was the Word,”
(John 1:1) “and the Word was made flesh,” (John 1:14); by this action the Son
of God took sinless, and perfectly holy human nature into indissoluble union with His Godhead, (Luke
1:35; Isaiah 6:3 compared with John 12:41). In this action the espousals of eternity were
finished; human nature was indissolubly joined to the Godhead in Jesus Christ; now,
therefore, both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one:
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,” (Hebrews 2:11). “For
we (the church of God) are the members of his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones” (Ephesians 5:30). Because of this “he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit”
(I Corinthians 1:17). All the members of the church of God
are members of the election of grace, of which company Jesus Christ is the
Head, “And hath put all things under
his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church, which is
his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Therefore the Lord Jesus speaking to His Apostles and to the church through
them saith “I have given unto them thy word; and the world hath hated them,
because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).
Then in verse 16 to strengthen the force of His words He repeats them “They are
not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). “Ye are of God,
little children, and have overcome them: (the antichrists) because greater is
he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). Each member of
the church of God is a member in particular of the body of Christ “Now ye are
the body of Christ, and members in particular (I Corinthians 1:27). Thine eyes
did see my substance, yet being unperfect; in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them (Psalm
139:16). The names of all the children of God of all ages, are written in heaven,
and have been written there from all eternity, (Hebrews 12:22-24;
Revelation13:8).
The union between Christ and the
church is in scripture presented as a conjugal union; for the Apostle Paul
writes “I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to
one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (II
Corinthians 11:2; Hosea 2:19; Revelation 21:2) and speaking to the church the
scriptures say “For thy maker is thy husband; the Lord of hosts is his name;
and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be
called” (Isaiah 54:5). The Apostle declares to us the oneness of Christ and His
church as set forth in the marriage union “For no man ever yet hated his own
flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church; for we
are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a
man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they
two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ
and the church” (Ephesians 5:29-32). The mystery of the union of flesh between
a man and his wife; is declarative of the union of Christ Jesus and His church,
and since the covenant and the union which is by the covenant, is from everlasting,
so also is the union of Christ and His church.
The eternal union
of Christ and His church is the just cause of the Blood of the New Testament. The
church in Christ Jesus sinned in Adam, when Adam sinned; and in their own
persons by actual transgression. Christ Jesus, the Son of God, has no sin,
neither original, nor actual; for He is the Holy One of God, but His members
have sinned; that is, individual believers have sinned. The sin of His members
was charged to Christ Jesus, for He is the Head of the church which is His body,
as it is written “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone
to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah
53:6). The iniquity of all the individual members of the church was laid on
Jesus Christ, and since the church is but one (Ephesians 4: 4-6) it may be said
that the iniquity of the church was laid on Christ Jesus. The sin that was
imputed to Christ, He willing owned as justly imputed or charged to Him; so
much so that He called it “my sin and mine iniquities” (Psalm 38:3-4; 69:5).
This truth is declared in the second Corinthian epistle, for it is written “For
he hath made him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians
5:21). The same truth is stated in epistle to the Galatians “Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is
written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree:” (Galatians 3:13). And it is written “Who his own self bare
our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live
unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye are healed (I Peter 2:24). Reader, it
was for the sin of His people that Christ died, for He “knew no sin” (I Co.
5:21) “did no sin” (I Peter 2:22) is “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15) “in him is no
sin” (I John 3:5); in the presence of Christ Jesus the seraphim covered their
face and cried, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:” (Isaiah 6:3; see also
John 12:41).
Christ Jesus died
for the sin that was laid to His charge; and in His death He fulfilled the law
of God in its penal arrangements for His church which is in Him and is His
body. “And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for himself:” (Daniel 9:26) Messiah, Christ Jesus was cut off not for Himself,
but was slain in the stead of His members, that is, His elect, the church; whom
He loved and washed from their sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5). His
washing the church in His own blood is according to that which is written “Him
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” (Acts 2:23). Every event
that occurred concerning the death of Christ was agreed upon in the everlasting
covenant of grace, by God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; for it is
written “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child
Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the
Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do
whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done” (Acts
4:26-28). All this was done in complicity with what was determined from
everlasting, for it is written “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with
the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it
pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make
his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his
seed, he shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:9-10).
The whole human
nature of Jesus Christ was made an offering for sin, that is, Christ Jesus was
made a sin offering, in that, the sin of His elect who were in Him was laid to
His charge. The law of God finding sin laid to His charge, charges Him with sin,
and condemns Him as guilty of sin, and therefore worthy of death; the sentence
goes forth from the law; “The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4) and
“Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:” (I Corinthians 5:7). God dealt with
sin, when in fury He punished sin, which was upon His own beloved Son, for it
is written “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for
sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” (Romans 8:3). God punished sin to the fullest
extent of the law in His own beloved Son; and put the sin which was upon His
Son away for ever; and has promised, never to remember it again in such way as
to condemn the church, (Hebrews 8:12). Christ Jesus “now once in the end of the
world hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews
9:26). “Christ was once offered to bare the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”
(Hebrews 9:28). Christ shall appear the second time without sin, for He has
finished the transgression, and made an end of sins, made reconciliation for iniquity,
brought in everlasting righteousness, by full and free justification, fulfilled
the vision and prophecy, and was anointed the most Holy (Daniel 9:24). “For by
one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews
10:14). Christ Jesus has, by one offering, perfected forever them that were set
apart in Himself; for, they are sanctified or set apart by the decree of
election in Christ, in the covenant of grace from everlasting, for, to sanctify
is to set apart see Exodus 13:2 and compare it with Exodus 13:12. Therefore the
Holy Ghost, by the Apostle Paul declares; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6). Amen
and Amen.
A. J. Ison
“For this is my blood of the new
testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
“My Blood
of the new testament” this statement of our Lord Jesus Christ declares that His
own blood of His human body, is the blood that has sealed the everlasting
covenant of grace from eternity past and will remain the seal of it in eternity
to come; for it is written, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the
dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of
the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his
will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus
Christ; to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21). The blood of Christ is God’s own blood. Though
“God is a Spirit:” (John 4:24) in His essential essence; and has no body, yet
by the indissoluble union of the Godhead in Christ Jesus to human nature; the
blood that did flow through the arteries and veins of the Son of God was God’s
own blood. That human nature of Jesus Christ is the true tabernacle of the Triune
Jehovah; (Hebrews 8:2) “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily” (Colossians 2:9); and therefore Jesus Christ, “who is the image of the
invisible God, the first born of every creature:” (Colossians 1:15) is the only
visible Jehovah. And it is written “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to
all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts
20:28). Therefore “the blood of the everlasting covenant” is the “blood of the
New Testament” and it is the blood of Jesus Christ; and it is God’s own blood.
It is the two separate natures
indissolubly joined in one glorious person that is our Lord Jesus Christ; and
it is this all glorious Person that is the God-Man Mediator, Great High Priest,
and Surety of the everlasting covenant, or New Testament. The two natures
remain all they are in themselves, and in the person of Christ never
intermingle. All that Christ Jesus undertakes in His own glorious Person, He
undertakes in both natures. Therefore the infinite and incomprehensible glory
and merit of His Godhead upholds all that He undertakes in His Most Holy humanity;
and all His activities as the Great High Priest and Surety of the New Testament
are perfectly effectual to their intended end, which is to “save his people from
their sins” (Matthew 1:21); “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth” (Romans 3:10). Jesus Christ Himself is the
righteousness of His people, He is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6)
and His people are perfectly sanctified or holy in Him; for the children of God
are, as they were chosen, in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 1:4; I Corinthians 1:2;
Jude 1).
“In the beginning was the Word,”
(John 1:1) “and the Word was made flesh,” (John 1:14); by this action the Son
of God took sinless, and perfectly holy human nature into indissoluble union with His Godhead, (Luke
1:35; Isaiah 6:3 compared with John 12:41). In this action the espousals of eternity were
finished; human nature was indissolubly joined to the Godhead in Jesus Christ; now,
therefore, both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one:
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,” (Hebrews 2:11). “For
we (the church of God) are the members of his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones” (Ephesians 5:30). Because of this “he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit”
(I Corinthians 1:17). All the members of the church of God
are members of the election of grace, of which company Jesus Christ is the
Head, “And hath put all things under
his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church, which is
his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Therefore the Lord Jesus speaking to His Apostles and to the church through
them saith “I have given unto them thy word; and the world hath hated them,
because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).
Then in verse 16 to strengthen the force of His words He repeats them “They are
not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). “Ye are of God,
little children, and have overcome them: (the antichrists) because greater is
he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). Each member of
the church of God is a member in particular of the body of Christ “Now ye are
the body of Christ, and members in particular (I Corinthians 1:27). Thine eyes
did see my substance, yet being unperfect; in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them (Psalm
139:16). The names of all the children of God of all ages, are written in heaven,
and have been written there from all eternity, (Hebrews 12:22-24;
Revelation13:8).
The union between Christ and the
church is in scripture presented as a conjugal union; for the Apostle Paul
writes “I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to
one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (II
Corinthians 11:2; Hosea 2:19; Revelation 21:2) and speaking to the church the
scriptures say “For thy maker is thy husband; the Lord of hosts is his name;
and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be
called” (Isaiah 54:5). The Apostle declares to us the oneness of Christ and His
church as set forth in the marriage union “For no man ever yet hated his own
flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church; for we
are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a
man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they
two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ
and the church” (Ephesians 5:29-32). The mystery of the union of flesh between
a man and his wife; is declarative of the union of Christ Jesus and His church,
and since the covenant and the union which is by the covenant, is from everlasting,
so also is the union of Christ and His church.
The eternal union
of Christ and His church is the just cause of the Blood of the New Testament. The
church in Christ Jesus sinned in Adam, when Adam sinned; and in their own
persons by actual transgression. Christ Jesus, the Son of God, has no sin,
neither original, nor actual; for He is the Holy One of God, but His members
have sinned; that is, individual believers have sinned. The sin of His members
was charged to Christ Jesus, for He is the Head of the church which is His body,
as it is written “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone
to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah
53:6). The iniquity of all the individual members of the church was laid on
Jesus Christ, and since the church is but one (Ephesians 4: 4-6) it may be said
that the iniquity of the church was laid on Christ Jesus. The sin that was
imputed to Christ, He willing owned as justly imputed or charged to Him; so
much so that He called it “my sin and mine iniquities” (Psalm 38:3-4; 69:5).
This truth is declared in the second Corinthian epistle, for it is written “For
he hath made him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians
5:21). The same truth is stated in epistle to the Galatians “Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is
written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree:” (Galatians 3:13). And it is written “Who his own self bare
our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live
unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye are healed (I Peter 2:24). Reader, it
was for the sin of His people that Christ died, for He “knew no sin” (I Co.
5:21) “did no sin” (I Peter 2:22) is “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15) “in him is no
sin” (I John 3:5); in the presence of Christ Jesus the seraphim covered their
face and cried, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:” (Isaiah 6:3; see also
John 12:41).
Christ Jesus died
for the sin that was laid to His charge; and in His death He fulfilled the law
of God in its penal arrangements for His church which is in Him and is His
body. “And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for himself:” (Daniel 9:26) Messiah, Christ Jesus was cut off not for Himself,
but was slain in the stead of His members, that is, His elect, the church; whom
He loved and washed from their sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5). His
washing the church in His own blood is according to that which is written “Him
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” (Acts 2:23). Every event
that occurred concerning the death of Christ was agreed upon in the everlasting
covenant of grace, by God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; for it is
written “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child
Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the
Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do
whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done” (Acts
4:26-28). All this was done in complicity with what was determined from
everlasting, for it is written “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with
the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it
pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make
his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his
seed, he shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:9-10).
The whole human
nature of Jesus Christ was made an offering for sin, that is, Christ Jesus was
made a sin offering, in that, the sin of His elect who were in Him was laid to
His charge. The law of God finding sin laid to His charge, charges Him with sin,
and condemns Him as guilty of sin, and therefore worthy of death; the sentence
goes forth from the law; “The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4) and
“Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:” (I Corinthians 5:7). God dealt with
sin, when in fury He punished sin, which was upon His own beloved Son, for it
is written “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for
sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” (Romans 8:3). God punished sin to the fullest
extent of the law in His own beloved Son; and put the sin which was upon His
Son away for ever; and has promised, never to remember it again in such way as
to condemn the church, (Hebrews 8:12). Christ Jesus “now once in the end of the
world hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews
9:26). “Christ was once offered to bare the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”
(Hebrews 9:28). Christ shall appear the second time without sin, for He has
finished the transgression, and made an end of sins, made reconciliation for iniquity,
brought in everlasting righteousness, by full and free justification, fulfilled
the vision and prophecy, and was anointed the most Holy (Daniel 9:24). “For by
one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews
10:14). Christ Jesus has, by one offering, perfected forever them that were set
apart in Himself; for, they are sanctified or set apart by the decree of
election in Christ, in the covenant of grace from everlasting, for, to sanctify
is to set apart see Exodus 13:2 and compare it with Exodus 13:12. Therefore the
Holy Ghost, by the Apostle Paul declares; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6). Amen
and Amen.
A. J. Ison
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