But let us proceed to the institution of the Lord's Supper, whence the most definite teaching as to the saving import of His death is to be drawn (Mt 26=«-28, Mk 1422-2^, Lk 22i»-20). Here He speaks of the surrender of His life as a thing advan- tageous to those who believe on Him, and St. MattheAv adds the words — ' for the remission of sins.' In the Sacrament thus instituted there is a twofold reference to the ritual of the Jews — (I) to the Passover, in the breaking of bread, the symbol of His broken body ; (2) to the sacrifice of the covenant at Sinai, to whicli the giving of the cup with the Avords — ' This is my blood of the new covenant ' clearly alludes. Now the Passover sig- nified exemption from the deatli of the firstborn which overtook the Egyptians. By the death of the lamb, Avhieli tlie Israelites approimated to themselves by eating it, forgiveness and life were granted to them. But the Passover meant more than this. It brought them freedom not only from death, but also from bondage. It trans- formed a multitude of slaves into a free nation ; it made them God's people ; and sent them forth to serve Him. Its aim was the service of God. Our Lord, then, in the institution of the bread expressed the thought that His life given up to death is to be appropriated by His followers, that it ni.ay become their life, that it may set them free from the bondage of sin, and make them free servants and sons of God. This, too, must be noted, that it is not tiie fact of His death in itself that is significant. Had He thought of abiding in death, the whole meaning of the institution would have been taken away. The idea is that He sur- renders His piiysical life for their sakes, that His sjjiritual life may dwell in and inspire them. In the closing cliapters of St. John's Gospel this thouglit is most clearlj^ expressed. As to the in- stitution of tlie cup .and its reference to the ratifi- cation of the Sinaitic covenant, the idea here is th.at of purification on entering into communion with (Jod. In Ex 24 tlie sprinkling of the blood is tiie completion of tlie covenant already made : it symbolizes tlie need of puritj^ in those who would obey God. Just as the baptism of John was value- less without change of mind, and could confer no forgiveness without the bringing forth of fruit worthy of repentance, so the s])rinkling of the blood expressed the thought tliat puritj- .and sin- cerity are necessary for all who wouUl enter into the coven.ant relationship with (iod — that there can be no forgiveness except it be followed by sincere obedience. There is further present to tlie mind of our Lord the iiro|)hecy of Jeremiah regard- ing the New Coven.ant (or Testament) (Jer .3P'"^'') which should be .an inward relationship, ,a cove- nant of regener.ation— ' I will put my law in their inward parts, .and write it on their hearts.' In this covenant forgiveness was to be gr.anted in conse- quence of an internal reformation (v.^). When
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the power of sin is broken and cast out, when the heart is dead to sin, God is just to pardon. Thus Clirist called His blood about to be shed the blood of the New Covenant, in the sense that His death of love would inspire His followers with new life, would be to them in the hrst place a means of breaking the power of sin in their lives, of recreat- ing them in the love of holiness, and only in conse- quence of that an assurance of pardon. The saving signihcance of the death of Clirist, then, as it is set foith in the Lord's Supper, is this — to create in the believer a new power of spiritual life which should make sin hateful and so destroy its bondage, and to assure him of pardon by the guarantee of God's perfect love as revealed in the life and death of His Son. Christ's death is a sacrifice in that it removes for ever all doubt of God's forgiving love, and makes man's willing, loving obedience possible ; in that it proves the absolute victory of good over evil ; and, lifting His life beyond tlie limits of time and space, makes it a spiritual force communicable to all who accept Him as their Saviour.
2. Wlien we turn to the Gospel of St. John, we find at once much to confirm the hints which the Synoptics have already given us. He wrote long after the departure of his Lord, and his experience and spiritual insight had made clear to him the meaning of many words that had been dark to the earlier writers. In the teaching of Jesus as St. John presents it, the thouglit of His death as setting free a sijiritual life-giving principle emerges with much greater distinctness. He is the Bread of Life, the Livmg Water, that giveth life to men ( Jn 6. 1^- ^'^ S^""^-') ; He is the Resurrection and the Life (11"^) ; but that this wvevfjia i^wotroiovv may act with completed power, it nuist pass through death to larger life. ' Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone,' etc. (12-"*). ' It is expedient for you that I go away ; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you,' etc. (16^). But the death itself has a value apart from the resurrection, for in it is revealed the triumph of holy love over the power of evil : it is the means whereby the Father glorifies the Son (I2-'?- 28 1331. 32)_ ^11 jj^gn are subject to this power save Jesus only j and the power of evil is broken through His meek submission to that death which the evil world forces upon Him (12^^). The spirit of .selfishness no longer rules the earth Avhen its utmost wickedness is outdone by the obedience of perfect love even unto death. This power of over- coming the world and its spirit. He will communi- cate to those wlio follow Him. He will draw all men unto Him when He is lifted up (12^^ cf. 16^^). The cleansing power of His death, which in the Synoptics is symbolized by the institution of the Supper, here finds its place in the washing of the disciples' feet (13^"''^). They were already clean by the word which He had spoken unto tlieni (15^) : the death was but the completion, the final cleansing. According to St. John, then, the efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ lay in this — that it was an act of perfect obedience to the will of the righteous Father (14'*i) and of love to the world (IQii 15'^), — an example, therefore, and an inspira- tion ; but also that it broke the power of sin, and, through the glorified life wliich of necessity fol- lowed it, became a means of spiritual energizing and sanctilication to all believers. Once again there is no word to suggest the judicial theory of satisfaction.