because this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
These words are the continuation of the mystery of Holy Communion, where Christ establishes the New Covenant through His Blood. If in the previous saying the Lord gave the bread as a symbol of His Body, now the cup, filled with wine, becomes the symbol of His Blood. This moment shows the establishment of the New Covenant, just as the Old Covenant was sealed through the blood of a sacrifice (Exodus 24:8). Jesus takes the cup, gives thanks to God the Father, and gives it to His disciples, saying that it is the Blood of the New Covenant. Here the word “gave thanks” shows that Jesus’ coming suffering is seen not as a defeat, but as a voluntary sacrifice within the plan of salvation, for which He gives glory to the Father. The statement “This is My Blood of the New Covenant” confirms that Jesus’ death is not a sacrifice only in the flesh, but the establishment of an eternal covenant between God and man. If Moses sanctified the people with the blood of lambs and bulls, now Christ sanctifies His people with His own Blood (Hebrews 9:12–14). His Blood becomes a cleansing power that does not merely cover sin, but removes it. The phrase “which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” emphasizes the universal nature of the sacrifice: Christ does not die for one nation or for a few people, but for all who, by faith, receive the saving power of His Blood. Thus, this mystery of the cup confirms that the New Covenant is no longer based on the law and animal sacrifices, but on grace and the Love of God.