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  1. Today I want to look at Jesus’s sacrifice, the covenant of the cross and our redemption, by concentrating on the cross we can be shaped into God’s finest

Soldiers.

 

  1. Let’s look at Luke Chapter 20:14-20

'But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!” Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone’ ? Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people —for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.”

 

 

  1. In this parable the vineyard is a metaphor for the world and us in it.

 

  1. The vinedressers are those in charge of caring for the vineyard and represent the leaders of the church.

 

 

  1. They saw the son, the heir of the vineyard owner and instead of welcoming him they made plans to come against him.

 

  1. This was to describe the way the religious leaders of the time saw Jesus, the Son of God.

 

 

  1. They plotted against Him, rejected Him and in the end crucified Him.
  2. In many ways it reflects the human part of mankind. We too have chosen to reject Him and want our own desires, ambitions and our will over His.

 

  1. Despite all that He chooses to sacrifice Himself for us. He chooses to die so we could have eternal life.

 

 

  1. His love for us was so profound, so great and so unconditional that He went to the cross for us. This is the love that we have to show to others and reflect in our lives. 

 

  1. To understand this kind of love we have to admit our own sin and rejection of Him. We must realize that we are the tenants in the vineyard.

 

  1. We have to understand His sacrifice. He did not just die for us He took on the full wrath of God by baring our sin.  He took it on the cross for us.

 

  1. If we remember this in life, we will truly understand the amount of love He has for us.

 

  1. We must live out this sacrifice. We must show that kind of love, that kind of forgiveness and work every day to reflect His love, His sacrifice and His forgiveness in our lives.

 

  1. The covenant of the cross was different from all the others God had made in the past. It wasn’t a covenant of earthly blessing or to make us a nation.  It was a promise of eternal salvation and reconciliation with Him.

 

  1. This covenant was not a deal, it is not dependent on our actions. It is solely based on the faithfulness of God.

 

 

  1. It was freely given by God to anyone who will accept it. It is a covenant that is sealed by the blood of Christ.

 

  1. It isn’t a parable or a metaphor. He truly died on the cross for us.  He shed His blood and was broken for us.  He gave up His life for us.
  2. He paid the ultimate price for our redemption. That was the cost of this covenant and Jesus paid it in full.

 

  1. He paid the price out of His unending love for us.

 

  1. We must remember the reality that every time we repent of sin or share the good news of His death and resurrection, we are part of that covenant. The covenant that was sealed by the cross.  We are living out its reality and blessings.

 

  1. Communion is a place of remembrance of the redemption we have in Jesus. A remembrance of the price paid for our salvation. 

 

  1. It is a time to connect with Him and remember the glorious future He has promised us in Heaven with Him.

 

  1. The bread broken represent his body given for us, the cup poured out represents His blood shed for forgiveness of our sins.

 

  1. Each time we take part in communion we need to remember not only in our minds but in our hearts the extent of His love for us.

 

 

 

 

 

  1. S. Lewis said about communion “This is not a drill, or a dream or a piece of make believe; it is the real thing” Each time and all the time we need to remember we are connected to the Real Thing. We are connected to the real living, breathing, loving Jesus.

 

  1. Communion is not something to be taken lightly. It needs to be given the honor and reverence it deserves.  It is a time to contemplate on His never-ending love for us.

 

As we read Matthew 26:26-29

  1. 'And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”'

 

  1. 'Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. '
  2. 'Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”'

 

It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, to get distracted by the noise and chaos.  Let’s not forget that He is the cornerstone of our faith.  He is the rock on which we stand! 

He is our foundation, our strength and our hope,