At the last supper, Jesus announced to the disciples that a new covenant would be established through His blood.

Luke 22:20 (NKJV)

Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

What is this new covenant all about? In what way was the old covenant different from the new?

During the Old Testament, God made a covenant to forgive the people’s sins if they brought certain animals to the priest for sacrifice.

Exodus 24:8 (NKJV)

And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”

In regard to this sacrificial process, there are a few things to keep in mind.

• Animal blood alone could not remove sin (only God can forgive our sins).
• Animal sacrifices had to be repeated every day, year after year as their atonement was temporary in nature.

When Jesus instituted the “new covenant,” He became a sacrifice for us by dying on the cross for our sins. However, unlike the animals, His blood (because He is God) would remove the sins of all who put their faith in Him.

Additionally, Jesus’ final sacrifice on the cross will not need to be repeated since it will be sufficient for all eternity (Hebrew 9 & 10).

In what way is the new covenant superior? Here are some reasons why the new covenant is superior to the old covenant:

1. It has a more reliable mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 8:6);
2. It offers greater hope, most notably complete forgiveness (Jer. 31:34; cf. Heb. 10:4);
3. It grants all believers direct access to God without the need for priests (Eph 3:12, Heb 10:19);
4. It is gracious in that its blessings will never be forfeited (Heb. 8:9);
5. It is internal, written not on stone tablets (2 Cor. 3:7; Ex. 31:18), but on the heart (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10);
6. It brings spiritual life and not death (2 Cor. 3:6; Rom. 8:2–3);
7. It results in righteousness, not condemnation (2 Cor. 3:9);
8. It is clear and straightforward, unlike the old covenant’s types, pictures, symbols, and mysteries; and
9. It is energized by the Holy Spirit’s liberating power (2 Cor. 3:17–18).

In the Old Testament, the prophets looked forward to the new covenant that would ultimately replace the old sacrificial system (Jeremiah 31:31-34). We must be grateful to be a generation that lives in the new covenant, where we have direct access to God’s grace, forgiveness, and mercy through His Son, Jesus Christ.