Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine!
The Cup of Sanctification
…”I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians…” - Exodus 6:6
We lift this cup and bless the name of the Lord for Sanctifying us as His people, setting us apart and making us Holy.
As Yeshua began His final Passover Seder (which many Christians know as “The Last Supper”), He shared a cup with His disciples and said to them, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the ‘fruit of the vine’ until the Kingdom of God comes.” - Luke 22:17-18
We see our world being put in chains of bondage through the deception and mandates taking place all over. It is us, as the Body, who are sanctified and set apart to pray for the Kingdom of God to come and continue being in the world but not of the world.
The Cup of Plagues
Moses was sent as a messenger from God to warn Pharaoh that if he did not turn from his evil ways and plan to destroy the Jewish People, God’s wrath and judgement would come upon the Egyptian people. The Lord warned Moses that Pharaoh would resist his warning.
“I know that the king of Egypt will not let you leave unless he is forced to do so. But I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do there. After that, he will let you go.” - Exodus 3:19-20
God sent plagues, one by one, yet with each plague Pharaoh hardened his heart. The Egyptians became afflicted with discomfort and disease, bane and blight. Still Pharaoh would not relent. With the tenth, and most awful plague, God pierced through the hardness of Pharaoh’s impenetrable heart.
“For that night, I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both men and animals; and I will execute judgement against all the gods of Egypt; I am Adonai.” - Exodus 12:12
We fill our cup a second time. A full cup is a symbol of joy and on this occasion, we are filled with joy at God’s mighty deliverance of what He has already done but also what He is going to do. But we also remember the great cost at which redemption was purchased. Lives were sacrifice to bring about the release of God’s people from the slavery of Egypt. But a far greater price purchased our redemption from slavery to sin -- the death of Messiah.
As we recount each plague, we dip our little finger into the cup allowing a drop of liquid to fall, reducing the fullness of our cup of joy on this night.
The Plagues God sent as judgement upon the Egyptian people:
Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Death of the Firstborn.
It is important to remember that God’s judgement is real and very serious. We have to remember to have a close relationship with Him and be in tune with what the Holy Spirit is telling us so that we can follow His guidance in everything we do.
The Cup of Redemption
Praise the Lord that we have been redeemed through the blood of Yeshua!
We fill our cups a third time symbolizing the blood of the Passover lamb (more to come on this later!). This was the cup after the Passover meal shared with His disciples in which Messiah identified himself. “ In the same way, He took the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” - Luke 22:20
In Judaism, we also remember that the Lord redeemed us from the life of slavery we were once captive to. “I will...redeem you with an outstretched arm…”-Exodus 6:6.
“Adonai’s arm is not too short to save…” - Isaiah 59:1
It is our own righteousness that falls short. Though the Lord searched, He could find no one to intercede. Just as the blood of the lamb brought salvation in Egypt, so Messiah’s atoning death can bring salvation to all who believe.
We are redeemed! No matter what happens or takes place on our earth, the blood of the Lamb has paid the price for us. He has torn the veil and we now have access to the Holy of Holies because He loves us!
The Cup of Praise
This is the final cup we drink at Passover, giving thanks and praising the Lord for all that He has done to deliver, redeem and give us the Light of the World! We see through this cup that His grace continues forever.
Despite our circumstances, Praise and Worship is crucial. It keeps our hearts positioned in a place of gratitude and reflects what we will one day experience together in Heaven, always exalting the name above all names!
Remembering the Tears
The first element on the Seder Plate that we partake of during Passover is Parsley, called Karpas in Hebrew. Because Passover is a holiday that comes in the springtime, when the earth is becoming green with life, this vegetable represents the life created and sustained by Almighty God. However, when the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt, life was one of pain, suffering and tears. There is also a bowl of salt water at the Passover Table representing these tears, in which we take the sprig of parsley and dip into the salt water, remembering that life is sometimes immersed in tears.
“...the people of Israel groaned under the yoke of slavery, and they cried out, and their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God…” Exodus 2:23
The Bread of Life
During this season of Passover, let us break our old habits of sin and selfishness and begin a fresh, new and holy life. The Matzah also symbolizes the bread of affliction, the poor bread which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need share in the hope of Passover.
We also can see the reflection of Yeshua in the Matzah. See how it is pierced and striped? He is the bread of life and went through suffering for our sins.
“But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
“I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Jerusalem; a spirit of grace and prayer; and they will look to me, whom they pierced.” Zechariah 12:10
We remember the oppression that our people have went through but also everything that the Messiah has done for us, so that we may have everlasting life if we believe in Him! Oftentimes, life can be challenging and there will be many tears as we go through it. But we must remember that God has given us everything that we need and we will one day rejoice remembering the pain that He brought us out on the other side of.
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