1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Matthew 26:27-29
1 Corinthians 11:26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Yesterday we talked about Jesus being the Bread of Life and today we look once again at the meal He instituted for us to remember Him and His sacrifice. Today we look at the cup.
It seems unsettling to our western hemisphere minds to think of closing the meal by talking about drinking blood but the disciples don’t seem to flinch. The Passover meal had very specific sections and each portion represented a specific thing. This was the third cup and it is called the cup of redemption. This is the cup that Jesus said would be His last before until He drank of the vine in His Father’s kingdom.
His death, the pouring of His blood, was for our redemption. How fitting that this is the cup He said was His blood poured out for us, just as the blood on the doorposts caused the death angel to pass over the Israelite’s homes and the sacrificial lamb was slaughtered for the sins of the people.
The cup is the second part of this meal that Jesus said we should use to remember Him. When we partake of communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, we are to be using the bread and juice to see His sacrifice and remember what He did for us. He wants us to remember that He is the Bread of Life – the most basic need we have – and He poured His blood out for us – the act of redemption. He chose to give us life, redeemed life. How could we ever think we need more?
Oh, by the way, the last cup of the Passover meal – the one that Jesus said He wouldn’t drink until God’s kingdom – is the cup of praise. Pure praise will happen for eternity in God’s eternal kingdom.
Making It Personal
What thoughts are in your mind as you take communion? What does His redemption mean to you? Do you worship God when you remember what Jesus gave you?
Making It Personal Kids
Why did Jesus have to die? Did you know that He died for you? What can you do to remember His sacrifice for you?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for sending Your Son to die for our sins. Father, the next time we partake of Communion, remind us what the bread and juice represent. Don’t let us take it without remembering. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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