God's promise of forgiveness.

Matthew 26:26-28 NASB

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you;  for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

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Many times Jesus told his followers that he would suffer and die. 

Jesus was with his followers eating a special holiday meal. The holiday celebrated the time God rescued his people from slavery in Egypt. Long before Jesus was born, God sent Moses to rescue his people from Egypt's evil ruler Pharaoh. God told Moses a terrible judgement would come to every home that did not put lamb's blood on the door posts of their house. If God's angel saw the people obeyed God and that they put lamb's blood on the door posts then they would be saved from the terrible judgement. When the God's people survived the judgement God said they needed to hurry and leave Egypt the next day. So God said make bread without yeast. God said you will not have time for the bread dough to rise. God told his people to remember that day by celebrating every year with a holiday called Passover. It is called passover because God's judgement passed over the house with lamb's blood on the door posts.

Jesus was eating the Passover holiday meal with his followers. During the meal it was traditional to eat special flat bread that was made with no yeast. The people did this to remember God's promise to rescue them and because they had to  leave in a hurry. At the Passover celebration the people would drink wine to remember the blood of the lamb that was put on the door posts.

Jesus said the bread and the wine had a new meaning. Now when his people celebrated together they would remember that Jesus died to rescue his people like the lamb in Egypt. On the cross Jesus body was broken and his blood was shed for his people.

Jesus said these were new promises from God. God promised to forgive many people's sin because Jesus died and faced God's terrible judgement.

When we remember God's promise together, we can be sure that because of Jesus' death we are forgiven.

Jesus died to forgive your sin!

Will you remind someone today?