PASSOVER MEAL AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

 

Most people do not realise that the 4 cups of the Passover Seder represent three generations. 

• The Past: The first cup is the cup of Redemption of Israel (Mosaic Law written on stone) from the slavery of Egypt. The second cup represents the cup of Plagues which the Jews do not drink but dip their fingers and sprinkle it on a napkin, naming the ten plagues of the Egyptians.  These two cups relate to Israel. 
• 
  
• The present: After supper Jesus got up and washed the feet of his disciples and took the third cup and called it the cup of New Covenant Luke 22:20, (written in the heart- Jeremiah 31:31-34). This cup relates to Christian community today. 
• 
  
• The Future: The fourth cup Jesus refused to drink and said he will drink this in the new Kingdom (Matt 26:29). So this cup relates to a future generation who will be raptured, whose names are written in the Book of the Lamb. (Rev. 20:12,15)  Needless to say that it is what we do or not do (soul saving) that will decide whether we will be invited to that all important and sumptuous banquet. Rev 19:7-9
  

1. From Slave to Priest, Protector and Provider: After over 400 years of slavery, the Israelites left Egypt. That night when an Israeli householder sacrificed a lamb, he became the Priest of his family, and when he splattered the blood on the doorpost, he became the Protector and when they ate the meat of that lamb, he became the Provider of his family. (Exodus 12:7-12; 1Tim. 5:8)

2. The Passover Plate: Yeshua celebrated the Passover in a house, in the Jewish tradition. He served unleavened (leaven=corruption), bread, bitter herb (slavery) and roast lamb. (Matt. 16:11,12)

3. Broken Body: Yeshua broke the matzah (Unleavened bread with holes in it, symbolizing traumatized body of Christ) and said, "Take, eat; this is My body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me”. (1Cor. 11:24)

4. Three Loaves: Messianic Jews serve three loaves of bread (symbolizing Father, Son and the Holy Spirit), each one wrapped in separate linen. They only break the middle loaf (the Son). They eat one half and the father hides the other half. Later the family searches, finds and then eats. This symbolizes Yeshua in the grave for three days and nights. They call this half Afikomen which for Jews means “I will come” but for Christians it means “I came.”

5. Yeshua served four cups of wine based on, (Exodus 6:6,7) - ”Say to the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an out-stretched arm, and mighty acts of judgment: I will take you as My own people, and then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the yoke of the Egyptians.“.

i. The First cup is called the Cup of Sanctification because Hashem sanctified Israel by restoring His relationship with Israel “I am your Elohim.”

ii. The Second cup is called the Cup of Deliverance because God delivered Israel with mighty acts from the slavery of Egypt. It is also called the Cup of Wrath because God poured out his wrath on Egyptians. Later Yeshua suffered the wrath of God and redeemed us when he carried the sins of the world on the cross. Jews do not drink from this cup but dip their fingers in the cup and sprinkle the wine on a napkin, naming each plague of Egypt: the plague of blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the death of firstborn children. (Isaiah 53:1-12; Romans 5:9)

iii. The Third cup is the Cup of Redemption because God said, “I will redeem you with an out-stretched arm”. Yeshua redeemed us with his blood with an out-stretched arms on the cross from the slavery of sin.  Christians celebrate only the third Cup of Redemption. Yeshua said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

6. In the First Covenant (beryth=sacrifice), The Law was written on stone. Atonement was obtained through the sacrifice of the body and the blood of animals. (Exodus 29:42; 2 Chron. 7:12; Heb. 13:11-13)

7. The New Covenant (beryth=sacrifice), The Law is written on our hearts and minds, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant, I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, Love is the fulfillment of the Law.” (Jer. 31:31-34; Rom. 13:8,10)

8. The Lord’s Supper is a covenant (beryth=sacrifice) meal between two parties. The Lamb offers his Body and Blood and we offer to proclaim his death. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Cor. 11:26)

9. Paul warns us about taking it “unworthily”: Mega indicators of taking unworthily are:

a. Not sharing your food: especially with the poor and the newcomers, when you gather to break bread from house to house, makes taking Lord’s Supper unworthily. (1Cor 11:20-23; 33,34; Acts 2:46,47)

b. Not proclaiming his death: to those who do not know that Christ died for them also and that without him they face Christless eternity, makes taking Lord’s Supper unworthily. (1Cor. 11:27; Rom. 15:19,20)

c. Clergy/Layman Separation: makes taking Lord’s Supper unworthily. At the death of Yeshua the Temple veil tore from top to bottom, abolishing the middle wall of separation. We no longer need the services of a professional priest as His blood ordained priesthood of all believers. He opened the door for believers to minister one another as equals with “love, serve, pray, encourage, be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving and seek good for one another.” (John 13: 34,35; Eph. 2:13-15; 4:32; Rev. 5:19; Gal. 5:13; 1Thess. 5:15)

d. Not obeying the Lord’s Commands: The Israelites ate the Passover in their homes, standing up with belts and boots on and marched out of Egypt in obedience to God. Yeshua Ha Maschiach ate the Last Supper and marched to his death on the cross in obedience to the Father. He gave his last command to us to “Go make disciples and teach them to obey all that I have commanded you.” Not obeying him makes taking the Lord’s Supper unworthily. He said, “If you love me you will obey my commands.” (Matt. 28:19,20; John 14:15)

e.  Not Washing Feet: During the Supper Yeshua washed his disciples’ feet and said, “So if I, your Lord and Rabbi, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet”. A Guru washing his disciples’ feet was a huge lesson in humility, but the act also integrated them into his Body to make them fruitful, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me. If you abide in Me, you will bear much fruit. ”He had anointed their feet for fruitful ministry, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And Paul would say, “How beautiful are the feet of them that bring the gospel of peace.” To integrate newcomers into the Body of Christ, we need to wash their feet and then give marching orders to go and make disciples of all nations. (John 13:13-15; 15:5; 20:21; Rom. 10:15)

10. The Fourth cup is The Cup of Praise because God said, “I will take you as My people.” He made Israel and us a Kingdom of Priests to the nations.” (Exo. 19:5,6; Rev. 5:10).

11. Yeshua refused to drink it as he had not yet died on the cross with outstretched arms. He said that he will drink it in the new Kingdom (King with Domain) when it will become the Cup of Everlasting Covenant. On that day there will be a huge multitude of people from all nations, tongues and tribes, who he bought with his own blood. They will gather and have a great fellowship banquet with Him. (Luke 22:18; Matt. 26:29; Gen. 17:7; Rev. 5:9,10; 7:9,10; 19:9)

12. Soon all the kingdoms of the world will become the Kingdom of our Lord: But this will happen only when, “This Gospel of the kingdom has been preached in all the world and then the end will come.” For this to happen every believer will have to understand and implement the message and the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. (Rev. 11:15; Matt. 24:14)