Tonight was right up my alley. We had a 90s-themed night of worship and I absolutely knew every single song. I had a revelation while I was singing these classics that a lot of the people singing with me weren’t even born in the 90s. That was both humbling and honoring (that God let me stick around this long).

Pastor Mike spoke from Mark 14 about the institution of the Lord’s Supper the night before Jesus was betrayed and crucified. He mentioned something that I had either never heard or forgotten. Apparently, when a Jewish man was proposing to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, instead of offering a diamond ring, he offered a cup of wine. It was his way of initiating a covenant with her. If she accepted, she would take the wine.

It’s interesting that Jesus took that imagery when He offered the cup to the disciples. He was initiating a new covenant with them, one made with His own blood soon to be shed.

He didn’t make a contract where both parties would agree to hold up their end of the agreement. He knew we could never fulfill our part, so He made a covenant with us, like God with Abram, where He would do His part as well as our part. He would be the fulfillment of this new covenant by His shedding of blood, death, and resurrection.

In a world where all of us are constantly seeking validation and acceptance, it’s amazing to think that Jesus thought we were to die for. Literally. He thought the cross was worth it if you and I could be reconciled to God. That blows my mind.

Those 90s songs hit me differently tonight. I appreciate how much deeper and more solid they are than a lot of the newer worship songs. They remind us of a God who hated sin so much and loved us so much that He took our place on the cross so that we could take our place with Him in heaven. He died so that we might live.

I hope we have another night like this. It’s good to revisit the old classics from time to time.