Jesus now takes the cup of wine and, as he did with the bread, he gives it new meaning for his followers. Step by step, he is teaching them what he is about to do, which is the basis of their salvation. Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. – Mark 14:23–24 Jesus says that the wine represents the blood of the covenant, poured out for many and that the blood of the covenant is his own blood. This is a completely radical idea for the disciples. Jesus was saying that the covenant of salvation between God and his people, which every Jew knew about and relied on, was centered on him because the sacrificial blood was at the very heart of the covenant. More than that, he was telling them that his blood was to be poured out “for many”: many, many more than his Jewish disciples could ever imagine. It was poured out for the salvation of the world. The Gospel tells us that when Jesus gave them the cup, they all drank from it. It’s not good enough to have been told about the blood of Jesus. It’s not good enough to know all about the blood of Jesus. It’s not good enough to be with others who have applied it to their own lives. Jesus said, “They all drank from it.” You have to personally apply it and accept the blood of Jesus as being the very source and nourishment of your life. Is this true for you?