Transcript The Cups of Christ” (Demonstrated in the Passover Seder)

“The Cups of Christ”
(Demonstrated in the Passover Seder)
Resurrection Sunday—Pastor Timothy Hinkle
March 23, 2008
“HE IS RISEN!”
Matthew 26:39,42
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face,
and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass from Me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and
prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot
pass away from Me unless[a] I drink it, Your will
be done.”
Definition of “Cup”
Definition of “Cup” according to the
original Greek term used in this scripture:
The lot or portion under the emblem of a
cup which God presents to be drank,
either for good or evil.
Overview
The institutions given to the Jewish people
in the feasts, which they were
commanded to keep or observe
“FOREVER” all point to Messiah—Jesus!
Today we will look at the Passover Seder,
its elements, their symbolism with a
specific focus on the four cups, or
“portions given by God” and their
significance when observed by Jesus!
Fulfill NOT Abolish
Although we are not bound by the law,
Jesus clearly states in Matthew 5:17,
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy
the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to
destroy but to fulfill.
One New Man
We are also told in Ephesians 2:14-18,
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one,
and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law
of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to
create in Himself one new man from the two, thus
making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both
to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to
death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace
to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to
the Father.
The Passover Seder

The First Cup—The Cup of
Salvation/Sanctification
– A cup of blessing
 Psalms 23 contains the phrase, “my cup runneth over” and is
speaking of this cup.
 Psalms 16:5, “O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance
and my cup; You maintain my lot.”
 Psalms 116:13, “I will take up the cup of salvation, And call
upon the name of the LORD.”
 The cup is filled and drank together as the first “I will” is
read from Exodus 6:6, Therefore say to the children of
Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the
burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their
bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm
and with great judgments.
Thoughts on the First Cup
It is drank together symbolizing that
salvation is meant for EVERYONE. This is
where the term, “Predestined” is properly
used. We were all predestined unto
salvation, yet many are called and few are
chosen (accept the call).
As God’s children were delivered from the
bondage of Egypt, we are all delivered
from the bondage of sin!
The Passover Seder

The Washing of the hands
– Hand washing is a symbol of the purity
required to enter God’s presence in His Holy
Temple.
– When we are found in Christ, we are found
“in purity” and can enter God’s presence.
– We become His Holy Temple—the dwelling
place of His Holy Spirit
The Passover Seder

Dipping of Parsley Into Salt Water
– This symbolizes the hyssop with which the
Israelites marked their doors with the lamb’s
blood. The salt water represents the tears
shed in bondage.
The Passover Seder

Breaking of the middle Matzoh
– The leader breaks the middle of the three cakes of
unleavened bread (matzoh) and hides half of it. This
hidden half is called the afikomen. It is a Greek word
meaning “dessert,” or “after-dinner entertainment.” It
also means “He who comes”!
– The three layers of matzah represent the declaration
and mystery of God, three in one and the middle one
that is broken and partially hidden in linen represents
Christ who’s body was broken and partially hidden in
the tomb until He ROSE AGAIN!
– Note: The child that finds the hidden Matzoh receives
a prize at the Feast of Pentecost! This symbolizes
that he who finds Christ receives the gift of the Holy
Spirit!
The Passover Seder

The story of Passover is retold from
Exodus
The Passover Seder
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The Four Questions Asked by the Youngest child
Question 1:
On all other nights we eat all kinds of breads and crackers. Why
do we eat only matzoh on Pesach ?
Answer:
Matzoh reminds us that when the Jews left the slavery of Egypt
they had no time to bake their bread. They took the raw dough
on their journey and baked it in the hot desert sun into hard
crackers called matzoh.
The Passover Seder

The Four Questions Asked by the Youngest child
Question 2:
On all other nights we eat many kinds of vegetables
and herbs, Why do we eat bitter herbs, maror, at our
Seder?
Answer:
Maror reminds us of the bitter and cruel way the
Pharaoh treated the Jewish people when they were
slaves in Egypt
The Passover Seder

The Four Questions Asked by the Youngest child
Question 3:
On all other nights we don't usually dip one food into another
At our Seder we dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter
herbs in Charoset. Why do we dip our foods twice tonight?
Answer:
We dip bitter herbs into Charoset to remind us how hard the
Jewish slaves worked in Egypt. The chopped apples and nuts
look like the clay used to make the bricks used in building the
Pharaoh's buildings
We dip parsley into salt water. The parsley reminds us that
spring is here and new life will grow. The salt water reminds us
of the tears of the Jewish slaves
The Passover Seder
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The Four Questions Asked by the Youngest child
Question 4:
On all other nights we eat sitting up straight, Why
do we lean on a pillow tonight?
Answer:
We lean on a pillow to be comfortable and to remind
us that once we were slaves, but now we are free
The Passover Seder

The Haggadah (term meaning “telling”)
itself stresses the importance of the Seder
as "a spectacle meant to excite the
interest and the curiosity of the children."
Everything in the Seder is meant to make
the children curious and to ask questions.
The Passover Seder

The Second Cup—The Cup of The
Wicked/Judgment
– The ten plagues are recounted and a drop of
wine is spilled for each one.
The Passover Seder
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The Second Cup—The Cup of The
Wicked/Judgment
– Psalms 11:6
 Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.
– Psalms 75:8
 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
The Passover Seder
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The Second Cup—The Cup of The
Wicked/Judgment
– Ezekiel 23:32
 ‘ You shall drink of your sister’s cup,
The deep and wide one;
You shall be laughed to scorn
And held in derision;
It contains much.
– Jeremiah 25:27
 “Therefore you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of
hosts, the God of Israel: “Drink, be drunk, and vomit! Fall
and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send
among you.”’
The Passover Seder

The Second Cup—The Cup of The
Wicked/Judgment
– Revelation 14:10
 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath
of God, which is poured out full strength into the
cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with
fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy
angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
– Revelation 16:1
 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying
to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of
the wrath of God on the earth.”
The Passover Seder
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The Second Cup—The Cup of The
Wicked/Judgment
– Note: The definition of the term translated “bowls”
here and “vials” elsewhere is actually the same word
used for “Goblet”
– Revelation 18:6-8
 Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her
double according to her works; in the cup which she has
mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified
herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her
torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as
queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’
Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and
mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with
fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
The Passover Seder
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The Second Cup—The Cup of The
Wicked/Judgment
– Jeremiah 25:15—17
 For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: “Take
this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all
the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. And
they will drink and stagger and go mad because of
the sword that I will send among them.”
Then I took the cup from the LORD’s hand, and
made all the nations drink, to whom the LORD had
sent me
 When this cup was given to Jeremiah, he wept.
The Passover Seder
The Matzah is half eaten to symbolize the
haste in which the children of Israel left
Egypt
 The Bitter Herbs are eaten to symbolize
the bitterness of the labor forced upon the
children of Israel by Pharaoh
 The Charoseth—This tasty mixture of
apples, nuts, and spices represents the
mortar used to make the briks to build
Pharaoh's buildings. It is eaten with
matzah.

The Passover Seder
The Beitzah, or egg, is eaten in memory
of the daily Temple sacrifice, which is no
longer offered.
 The Afikomen—the children search for the
afikomen, which is ransomed and shared
by all.

– Luke 22:19
 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and
gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is
given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
The Passover Seder
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The Third Cup—The Cup of Redemption—The
Portion Given To Jesus
– “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm” (Ex 6)
– Why did Jesus pray “let this cup pass?” Did He not
want to die? NO, he said that I have power to lay
down my life and take it up again. Death didn’t
bother Him
– Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get
behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you
are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of
men.”
 He rebuked Peter for suggesting that He should not suffer
and die.
The Passover Seder
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The Third Cup—The Cup of Redemption—
The Portion Given To Jesus
– He rebuked Peter for suggesting that He
should not suffer and die.
– John 11:25
 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he
shall live.
– Jesus had not changed His mind about laying
down His life
– Jesus was not afraid, because Fear is the
opposite of Faith and would be sin
The Passover Seder
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The Third Cup—The Cup of Redemption—The
Portion Given To Jesus
– Romans 14:23
 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does
not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin
– Matthew 8:26
 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little
faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was a great calm.
– Revelation 21:8
 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers,
sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have
their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death.”
The Passover Seder
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The Third Cup—The Cup of Redemption—
The Portion Given To Jesus
– Did Jesus think that He might not be able to
go through with the crusifixtion? NO, he
knew that he would finish what He came to
do. Anything He would have to do had
already been decided before He left His Home
in Glory. He was the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. So, why did Jesus
not want this cup?
The Passover Seder

The Third Cup—The Cup of Redemption—
The Portion Given To Jesus
 Adam & Eve—God’s grace extended
 Noah & the Flood—God’s grace extended
 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judges, Prophets—God’s
grace extended
 HE’S ALIVE
 It stops at “Jesus Rejected”
The Passover Seder

The Third Cup—The Cup of Redemption—
The Portion Given To Jesus
– The heart of Jesus bled for those who would
REJECT HIM. He knew that there would be
no other grace extended. He was the final
sacrifice! That is why He cried for this cup to
pass! That is why he sweat drops of blood.
Because of His everlasting love!
The Passover Seder
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The Empty Seat for the prophet Elijah,
the forerunner of the Messiah, is noted.
– NOTE: JESUS DID NOT DO THIS AT THE
LAST SUPPER! WHY? BECAUSE IT HAD
ALREADY BEEN FULFILLED!!!!!
The Passover Seder

The Fourth Cup—The Cup of Praise—The
Cup that joins us to the Lord
– “I will take you as my people” (Ex 6)
– Matthew 26:27
 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave
it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
– This is the Cup of the Covenant between God
and us. It is a contract signed where we each
have a responsibility. This is the cup I offer
you today!
The Passover Seder
The Seder concludes as all sing in unison,
“Next year in Jerusalem!” More singing
until everyone either goes home or falls
asleep, or loses his voice!
 This represents our everlasting praise with
the Lord. Here we fail, but in eternity we
will not! Hallelujah!!!
