The 4 Cups

Man, the Holy Spirit has been all over me, saying "study the cups, study the cups!" The only thing I knew about the biblical "cups" was that there were 3 or 4 of them and that one of them was called the "cup of redemption." Well, who knew that they would tie into the feasts...particularly Passsover.

During Passover, Jews then and today celebrate a meal called "Seder". During this meal, they take 4 cups of wine, each symbolizing a different thing. In Exodus 6, God makes 4 promises to Moses concerning his nation. They go like this:
1. I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians
2. I will free you from being slaves to them (save them...at great cost to the Egyptians)
3. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm
4. I will take you as my own people/be your God

The Jewish people celebrate these 4 promises with four cups of wine that are called:
1. The cup of Sanctification
2. The cup of Judgment (the cost of deliverance is always great...think of the Egyptians and of Christ's sacrifice on the cross)
3. The cup of Redemption
4. The Cup of Praise (or cup of Hallel...Hebrew for praise)

So, imagine with me the "Last Supper," or when Jesus was eating the Passover seder meal with his disciples...just hours before he was to be betrayed and go to the cross. Now, the third cup is always taken after the supper. Can you see the shock on their faces when Jesus lifts up the cup of redemption and says "this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:20) "Uh, hello, Jesus, I don't think you have the ritual sayings for Passover quite down!" I mean, this is the one and only time that a statement like this had ever been uttered at such a reverent time of remembrance.

It breaks my heart in two to know that my Savior went to the garden to pray...so anguished about the road that was before him. He was even sweating drops of blood...apparently this is a real physical, medical condition called hematidrosis or something like that. Jesus begs his Father to "take this cup from me...yet not my will but yours be done." (Luke 22:42) He is talking about the Cup of Redemption! What great sacrifice on His part to offer us the next cup...the cup of Praise....for he has taken our sins away!

What brought me to tears the most was Exodus 6:6, "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm." Christ did just that, with his arms stretched out on a cross.

Here is a Beth Moore article on this stuff if you are interested:
http://www.lproof.org/LastSupper.htm