Day 3 | The Cup of Redemption
Today we reflect on the third cup of Passover, commonly called the cup of redemption or others call it the cup of salvation. It is the remembrance of the third promise of God from Exodus 6: I will redeem you.
The first promise was that God would bring us out from the yoke of slavery—that he would remove us from the context of our bondage.
The second promise was that God would deliver us from slavery—he would break the power of our bondage.
The third promise is that he will redeem us—he will remove the effects of our bondage.
It’s a beautiful promise, and it’s the promise that would be the most costly to God.
Imagine you are in massive debt, a debt that you could never pay back. The first promise is that God would cut up your credit card. The second promise is that God would put healthy boundaries on your spending and make you a budget. The third promise is God saying he will pay off the debt in full.
This is a crude and incomplete analogy for what God is promising us. We all have been enslaved to sin, by nature and choice. We all cry out for deliverance from our bondage, and God’s promise is that he will remove your sin from you, he will break the power that sin held on your life, and that he will wash you clean of all of the scars and penalty of your sin. You will no longer bear the scars of your slavery because you will be born again into a whole new life with him.
And your redemption by God would be the most costly promise he would fulfill. On the night that Jesus was betrayed he shared the Passover meal with his closest friends. Throughout the evening they held up each glass of wine to remember each of the promises of God. They recited, “I will bring you out!” and drink. They declared over themselves, “I will set you free!” and drink. And then as they were about to hold up their third cup and say the promise together, Jesus paused and changed the liturgy.
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:27-28
The communion cup that we share is the third cup of Passover, the cup of redemption. God’s fulfillment of his third promise cost Jesus his life. Jesus is our Passover lamb, who’s blood covers us and saves us from death. He pays the debt that our sin owes.
This leads us to new life. We are no longer bound by our sin, but have been set free to live according to Christ’s righteousness by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s God’s grace that brings forgiveness and calls us to the kingdom life.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Titus 2:11-14
Today as we drink the third cup we remember and celebrate the fact that there is no sin in your past or future that is not satisfied in the death of Jesus. His blood covers all we’ve ever done or will do.
We no longer approach God from a distance, fearful of our sin before a Holy God. Instead, because of the blood of Jesus, we boldly approach God’s throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) with confidence that God is our Father (Rom. 8:14-17).
Let’s drink the third cup declaring, “I will redeem you!”