It’s been quite a week of work. I’ve got two more blog posts ready to be edited and scheduled. I’m very happy with my progress there because I am deep into October with blog posts and can relax a little with my life group and preparation of my notes for that. And it’s only Thursday!
Things are going well as I am also ahead of my life group in my notes. We will be on Week 3 this Sunday and I have notes finished up to Week 5. I will be working on Week 6 today. Things are going well on staying ahead of the game with some of my major, deadline by date arrival projects.
But let’s face it. You didn’t want to hear about them. You want a sneak peek into one of the chapters of my new book on the Meditations on the Lord’s Supper. I won’t keep you waiting.
Here is an excerpt from my chapter on Jesus as our Passover Lamb:
Unlike the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, God’s firstborn Son gave His life to be the firstborn among the dead and rescue you from death (Col 1:18; Rev 1:5). He raised the bread toward heaven after the disciples passed it among themselves to partake with Him. Jesus gave thanks to the Father. Eat the bread, tasting and seeing that the Lord has been good to you (Psa 34:8).
Experience the salvation of the Lord in your life. Remember every time He has rescued you. Thank Him for His body given for you (Luke 22:19). The Lamb of God has taken away your sin and shame. He has clothed you with His righteousness (Phil 3:9; 2 Cor 5:21). He has made a way for you to be reconciled to Him (2 Cor 5:16). You don’t have to offer animals on an altar. Instead, you offer yourself as a living sacrifice every day to Him (Rom 12:1).
Jesus took the cup after supper. He began the new covenant with His blood (Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). This solemn act in the Seder meal Matthew and Mark pinpoint as the third of four cups drank throughout the meal. After this cup, the disciples sang a hymn and departed for the Mount of Olives (Matt 26:30; Mark 14:26). The significance of the four cups cannot be underappreciated.
The first cup is the cup of sanctification. It reminds us of God’s words when He said, “I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptian” (Exod 6:6). Egypt was the house of slavery for the Israelites, and it represents our slavery to sin. On the Cross, Jesus brought you out of slavery to sin into the freedom of His righteousness. He sanctified you, separated you from this sinful world to live a life devoted to Him in holiness.
The second cup is the cup of deliverance. It reminds us of God’s words, “I will deliver you from slavery to them” (Exod 6:6). You must never forget that Jesus has delivered you from your slavery to sin. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Gal 5:1). You live in Jesus’s freedom and you fight your flesh and temptation as a free person, not as someone subject to sin any longer. You must choose to put yourself under slavery to sin again.
The third cup is the cup of redemption. Remember God said to the Israelites, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm” (Exod 6:6). Through His sacrifice, Jesus has redeemed you, but you back from sin and its grip on you to freedom and restoration of your relationship to Him. Praise Him for His grace toward you. It is after this third cup Matthew and Mark tell us “they sang a hymn.” This song is sung between the third and fourth cups, so they did not finish the meal with the fourth cup.
“I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until I’m with you in the kingdom of God” (Matt 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). The fourth cup is the cup of praise or consummation. Jesus waits until He returns to take you home. Only then will you join with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the next Lord’s Supper, and praise Him that His plan of your salvation is finally complete. The consummation of all things will finally be reality. Every time you partake of the bread and the cup, you are waiting for that day. It will be a day of celebration and victory.
In the meantime, with John you proclaim, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)! Like the Israelites long ago in the first Passover, you proclaim Jesus’s salvation from death to eternal life found only in Him. Shout for joy at the salvation of the Lord! Proclaim His goodness to you over and over since you have begun to walk with Him. Thank Him for His sacrifice that brought you life.
On that pitch black afternoon, the Son of God was suspended between heaven and earth. Blood flowed from His body onto the Cross. His perfect, sinless sacrifice was complete. The only light was the Light of the world slain for the sins of the world. He gave you your exodus from the slavery of sin. You live to glorify Him and always be thankful for the Lamb of God who takes away your sins.
I have really enjoyed working on this book so far. Oh, and I have finished September in my devotional book. I’m into October by about four days. I don’t feel very productive or like I’m accomplishing a lot, but I think taking a restaurant there and accomplishing what I have is doing wonders for making me want to stay ahead. Sometimes motivation comes from realizing your productivity is not nearly as bad as you think it is. That’s how it’s better for me so far this week. It makes me excited to stay ahead of everything that I’ve got going on. I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Could you let me know if you did? Leave a like or a comment below, or on social media. Thanks! Until next week, I’m gonna try to keep this training rolling.
