Word@Work Luke324 - Luke 22:17-20
Published: Wed, 03/30/11
Word@Work from BeaconLight
THE CUPS OF PROMISE
Luke 22:17-20 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 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. (NIV)
Although our Christian communion celebration came from Jesus' Last Supper, it was a normal Passover meal, and we might forget that instead of one cup of wine, the Passover had four cups. Each one represented a promise from God: the first was the Cup of Sanctification - God's promise to bring them out of the land of sinfulness and make them a special people. The second was the Cup of Praise and Deliverance - God's promise to rescue His people. The third was the Cup of Blessing and Redemption - God's promise to redeem His people. And the fourth was the Cup of Completion - God's promise to finally gather His people to Himself. All four promises would be fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
This passage refers to what Jesus said when taking wine from the first or second cups, and the fourth cup. It was His personal promise to rescue all those who believed in Him from the slavery of sin, and to complete the promise by gathering them to Himself on the final Day. Those promises were His new covenant which was to be sealed by His own blood. They did not depend on people's ability to keep God's law (the old covenant), but on God's grace as the punishment for our sin was to be taken by Jesus. When He broke the Passover bread in front of them, He said that it represented His body which was to be broken for them ... and that it was important that they remembered the cost of His sacrifice for them, and its sustaining power for those who live by faith in the Son of God (Galatians 2:20).
Unlike pledges by human beings, God always keeps His promises. The centuries of Passover celebrations recalled how God fulfilled His promise to deliver His people from physical slavery; but the annual reminder was also always pointing forward to Jesus Christ - the only person who could complete God's plan of salvation. The cross was to be the starting point: its completion will be in glory. So as we take bread and wine to remember the sacrifice of Christ, we look back to Calvary. And we also look forward to His second coming when He will finally gather all those who love Him - out of this sin-sick world and into His presence for ever. We should be very grateful for both events. And it is also good to remember that His promises will never be broken, and will last until they have been fully completed.
Prayer: Father God. Thank You for Your plan to make me, undeserving as I am, one of Your children; and to gather me, with all those who love Jesus, to Your home one day. Please forgive me when I have treated my participation in Communion casually, or without appreciating the magnitude of Your promises fulfilled by Jesus as He died for me. And forgive me when I have failed to live in the confidence that what You have started in me You will complete in glory. May Your Word to me today open my eyes wider to what Christ has done for me, and teach me to be truly thankful. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Although our Christian communion celebration came from Jesus' Last Supper, it was a normal Passover meal, and we might forget that instead of one cup of wine, the Passover had four cups. Each one represented a promise from God: the first was the Cup of Sanctification - God's promise to bring them out of the land of sinfulness and make them a special people. The second was the Cup of Praise and Deliverance - God's promise to rescue His people. The third was the Cup of Blessing and Redemption - God's promise to redeem His people. And the fourth was the Cup of Completion - God's promise to finally gather His people to Himself. All four promises would be fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
This passage refers to what Jesus said when taking wine from the first or second cups, and the fourth cup. It was His personal promise to rescue all those who believed in Him from the slavery of sin, and to complete the promise by gathering them to Himself on the final Day. Those promises were His new covenant which was to be sealed by His own blood. They did not depend on people's ability to keep God's law (the old covenant), but on God's grace as the punishment for our sin was to be taken by Jesus. When He broke the Passover bread in front of them, He said that it represented His body which was to be broken for them ... and that it was important that they remembered the cost of His sacrifice for them, and its sustaining power for those who live by faith in the Son of God (Galatians 2:20).
Unlike pledges by human beings, God always keeps His promises. The centuries of Passover celebrations recalled how God fulfilled His promise to deliver His people from physical slavery; but the annual reminder was also always pointing forward to Jesus Christ - the only person who could complete God's plan of salvation. The cross was to be the starting point: its completion will be in glory. So as we take bread and wine to remember the sacrifice of Christ, we look back to Calvary. And we also look forward to His second coming when He will finally gather all those who love Him - out of this sin-sick world and into His presence for ever. We should be very grateful for both events. And it is also good to remember that His promises will never be broken, and will last until they have been fully completed.
Prayer: Father God. Thank You for Your plan to make me, undeserving as I am, one of Your children; and to gather me, with all those who love Jesus, to Your home one day. Please forgive me when I have treated my participation in Communion casually, or without appreciating the magnitude of Your promises fulfilled by Jesus as He died for me. And forgive me when I have failed to live in the confidence that what You have started in me You will complete in glory. May Your Word to me today open my eyes wider to what Christ has done for me, and teach me to be truly thankful. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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