“When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.  Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.” He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”

-Luke 22:14-20 (NLT) 

Good food with good friends always comforts the soul. Jesus longed to share a final meal with His close friends before facing brutal torture and agony on the cross. He savored this restful moment in a restless week backdropped by confrontation and betrayal.

Yet this meal signified more than just communion with friends. As faithful Jews, Jesus and His disciples would have celebrated the Passover each year to remember God’s deliverance of the Israelites from enslavement by the Egyptians. According to Jewish tradition, participants drank four cups of the “fruit of the vine” during the Passover meal to recall the four-part promise of redemption in Exodus. The first cup signified God’s promise to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. The second cup represented God’s promise of rescue from the bondage of slavery. The third cup commemorated God’s redemption of the Israelites to the Promised Land. The fourth and final cup symbolized God’s covenant to take them as His people and be their God.

It’s not clear whether Jesus and His disciples were celebrating Passover in this customary way. However, according to this passage, it seems that Jesus used this sacred meal to confirm and assure His friends that the price He would soon pay would deliver them (and us) once and for all.  Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Himself would bring us out of sin, set us free from Satan’s bondage, and redeem us to new and abundant life. This New Covenant would be written in Jesus’s own blood, His body broken for our freedom.

Jesus reserved one cup for the coming Kingdom of God, when heaven and earth are renewed and the rescue mission is complete. As His friends, we’re invited to this Great Supper with our Savior. What a joyful gathering it will be! Together we will raise this cup with Jesus and friends from every tribe, tongue, and nation, the remnant that God has called to Himself.  

 

For Further Reflection:

How do I need to “drink in” Jesus’s salvation, redemption, and restoration in my life today? What are some ways I can pour out His promises to others as I serve Him daily?

Jesus, thank you for delivering me from the bondage of sin and death through your sacrifice on the cross. Please help me to live in anticipation of our reunion around the banquet table by sharing You with others.