Some takeaways from yesterday’s message:
Luke 22:20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
In a traditional Jewish Seder Passover meal there were four times the host of the meal would take a cup of wine, lift it up and make some kind of declaration.
The four cups of wine used in the meal were interspersed throughout the meal and they represented four “I will” statements God made to Israel while they were captive in Egypt. They flow from Exodus 6:6-7 (NIV) 6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.
Let me remind you what each of the four cups means:
Cup of Sanctification-I will bring you out. Sanctification means separate, set apart, and holy. In the Biblical account in Exodus, Egypt was symbolic as sin. Sin keeps us from a holy God. God was making a promise to His people that He would provide a way for them to become holy. 1 Corinthians 1:30 “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, HOLINESS and redemption.”
Cup of Deliverance-I will free you.
We all need freed from sin. Romans 6:17-18 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
If you are saved you may not be able to say you are sinless, but you should find that you begin to sin less. If we are letting God be God in our lives we are become free from the clutches of sin.
Now this third cup of wine is critical for us to examine and understand.
Cup of Redemption-“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.”
The picture here is of God reaching out His hands to help His people, to bring redemption to them. When you synthesize the Gospel accounts, you see this is the point and time in which Jesus said to His disciples: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Just as the Israelites had been given a picture of redemption through the outstretched hands of God, Jesus was about to stretch out His hands and be nailed to the cross. His blood would pay the price for their redemption and ours.
The Fourth Cup- Completion, or Praise-I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.
Read Matthew 26:29 where we learn a detail about the fourth cup. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Jesus didn’t drink the fourth cup with His disciples that night. He stopped after cup three. Why? He stopped because the Bible tells us there is a feast yet for us to celebrate. It is called the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Revelation 19:6-9 (NKJV)
Notice the use of the word “lamb!-That’s Passover language, right?” There is a feast ahead. There is a cup yet to drink! There is a cup of completion and praise to partake of. There is still a day coming when you and I who Scripture calls the “Bride of Christ” will celebrate with Jesus face to face. It will be a celebration like no other.
Jesus has become our Passover Lamb, and one day we will be reunited with Him forever. Jesus said, “Take and eat.” “Take and drink.” There is a reception on our part. Only those who have accepted Him as Savior and Lord can truly claim the “I will” promises of God. Only those who have accepted Him as Savior and Lord will receive an invite to that great reception in Heaven when we will all partake of the fourth cup with Jesus.
Praise God for the Communion Meal we have to remember all of these precious and wonderful promises!
Pastor Melissa
