relationships (Matthew 26:26-30) Significant Memory Aids!

(Matthew 26:26-30)

26 Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.”

30 And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

The main point of these verses, in regards to the topic of relationships, is that Jesus sits at the table with His disciples, and gives them symbolic reminders of all that He has done, is doing, and will do.  I'm pretty sure that most of us have received gifts or experiences of some sort in order to fondly remember our loved ones.

The traditions above were part of the Passover, but here, Jesus amps up the significance, since He was about to go to the cross and usher in a new age (the Church Age), with a very clear invitation to all people, in that He invites everyone to the table.  Establishing the new covenant, does not mean that Jesus has forgotten about His covenants with Israel.  Jesus merely interrupted the Jewish Age, with seven years remaining.

Read on for details of the symbolisms.  A few of these I did not know, like about the cup/s, and the vow/s, which I found very interesting.

• the Abrahamic covenant promised: 
• land
• seed (descendants)
• blessings (fruitfulness)
• and through Israel's seed, all nations would be blessed
• the new covenant:  Jesus, being the seed of blessing, the descendant of king David, came to earth in flesh, to be fully man while being fully God.  He will physically fulfill the Abrahamic covenant completely in the Millennial kingdom, which takes place after the Tribulation (the last seven years of the Jewish Age).  But at this point, Jesus came to fulfill this covenant spiritually, giving the entire world the free gift of salvation, which promises to all believers:
• land (the promised land of heaven)
• seed (the good news of salvation to share with others in order to increase the family of the Lord) 
• blessings (all the blessings of the Lord's salvation, including obedience through the Holy Spirit, producing fruitfulness in service)

• a lamb (spotless, free of blemishes) was offered as a sacrifice throughout the year, and especially during Passover celebrations, just like the Jews had done in the first Passover in Egypt, to be accompanied with confession, which forgave sins temporarily.
• Jesus (the sinless, holy Lamb of God) offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice which paid for all sins eternally, for all those who repent and put their faith in Him.

• the bread (and wine) received thanks and special blessings during the Passover meal by the head of the household.  The bread was supposed to remind them of the manna from heaven which nourished and sustained them in the wilderness.  Their standard blessing became, “This is the bread of affliction our ancestors ate when they came from Egypt” wasn't taken literally.  Rather, Jewish people were in a sense reenacting Passover so as to participate in the experience.
• Jesus is the bread of life, who nourishes and sustains us spiritually.  And with Jesus saying, "This is My body...", the disciples would have known not to take that literally.  So it is for us right now, when we take communion, it is a symbol and a reminder of what Jesus did for us.

• sacrificed blood back then was used to ratify covenants (contracts).  And thus, for the Passover in Egypt, God directed the Jews to take the sacrificed sheep's blood and paint it on the door posts and lintel, so that their lives would be temporarily spared from death.  
• Jesus' righteous blood that was shed, ratified His new covenant with all people, promising that anyone who believes in Him, their sins are forgiven and His righteousness covers us and saves us from eternal death.
• the cup (the wine) was a tradition that the Jews had started around this time.  They had adapted Greek banquet customs involving five cups of red wine which was implemented into the annual Passover celebrations.
• using the cup symbolically, the Lord Jesus often used what people understood from their daily lives, just like how people made covenants (contracts) back then, the Lord used the same method for when He made the Abrahamic covenant

• The five cups of red wine were:

1. The Cup of Sanctification celebrates the promise, "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians".
2. The Cup of Plagues/Deliverance celebrates the promise, "I will deliver you out of their bondage".  A drop of wine is removed for each of the ten plagues, symbolizing that their liberation came at the cost of Egyptian suffering.
3. The Cup of Redemption drunk after the meal, celebrates the promise, "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm". 
4. The Cup of Praise/Acceptance celebrates the promise, "I will take you to be My people". It is consumed while reciting psalms of praise.
5. The Cup of Elijah is poured, but left untouched, in anticipation of the prophet Elijah who will return to announce the arrival of the Messiah.

• The cup that Jesus blessed was probably the third one.  By likening the cup to His blood, the disciples would probably have been shocked, since the idea of drinking any blood from a creature, let alone from a human, was revolting and not allowed according to Jewish law and custom, even though this was just symbolic.
• With the symbols of each cup, it is only because of Jesus' shed blood and work on the cross that we can be saved from our slavery to sin, and be delivered and redeemed, in order to become God's children. 
• With the fourth cup being the cup of praise, Jesus most likely did not drink this cup, since His work on the cross had not yet been accomplished.  Later that night, as He was praying, He said, "My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done."  In Luke 22:44, while Jesus was in agony and praying so fervently, His sweat became like drops of blood.  This cup was inevitable, and Jesus knew it!
• If the fifth cup had been poured, the significance of that promise had already happened!  John the Baptist had already been there and announced the arrival of the Messiah, that being Jesus Christ!

• Vows of abstinence were often offered, such as: “I will not eat any of that until this happens,” or “I vow that I will not use this until that happens.” 
• Jesus vows not to drink wine again until the kingdom comes, therefore abstaining from drinking the fourth cup.  The Millennial kingdom is also called the Wedding Feast, and therefore, it is a time of celebration here on earth for a thousand years.  Isaiah 25:6 says, "Now the Lord of armies will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine." You can also check out Amos 9:13-14.

• Singing hymns after the Passover meal was customary, which consisted of psalms of praise and thanksgiving (in particular Psalms 113–118).
• Jesus "wrote" the songs!  Since the Bible is God's infallible word, and the entire Bible is God-breathed, this is God's love letter to the world!  And it should be our most cherished "memory aid"!