Today’s Reading: Matthew 26:26-35

 Matthew 26:29 “But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” CSB

Have you ever looked so forward to something so special and new that nothing else appealed to you until that anticipated event finally arrived? I dream of going to Italy. I dream of going to Italy so much that my friends and family are tired of hearing about it. When that day nears, I already know that for weeks beforehand, I will eat nothing that even resembles Italian food… no pasta, no pizza, no bread. Crazy, right? Except that I know that nothing I can eat on this side of the ocean will compare to that first bite of Spaghetti alla Carbonara at a little sidewalk café in Rome. With real, local Italian pasta, pancetta, and cheese. And that experience is going to be exquisite. A dream come true.

While having His final Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus tells them to take the cup and drink as a symbol of His blood of the covenant that will forgive sins for all of time. And when He does, He also tells them that He will not drink from that cup until He drinks it with His people in Heaven. The cup of wine has great significance in the Passover meal. Even though Matthew does not mention this here, traditionally, the Passover ritual would have included four cups of wine that were consumed during this ceremonial dinner, or Seder. Taken from the four “I will” statements God made in Exodus 6, the significance of the first four cups point to the rescue and redemption of the Israelites from Egypt.

The Cup of Sanctification – “I will bring you out” (Exodus 6:6)

The Cup of Deliverance – “I will rescue you from slavery” (Exodus 6:6)

The Cup of Redemption – “I will redeem you” and “take you as my people” (Exodus 6:6-7)

The Cup of Restoration – “I will bring you to the land… (and) give it to you as a possession” (Exodus 6:8)

Many scholars believe that it is at the fourth cup, the Cup of Restoration that Jesus declared His abstinence until He could enjoy it with them in the Father’s kingdom. This is when He will fully restore us, His bride, to Himself at the wedding feast. (See Revelation 19:9)

“For the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2b CSB

For the joy that lay before Him… you, my friend, are that joy.

There was also a fifth cup that would have been on the table that evening from which no one ever drank. Some say it was laid out for Elijah to drink when he would return and announce the Messiah. Others say it was a cup of wrath placed on the table as a cautionary reminder that no one wants to drink of God’s wrath. Except for Jesus. Jesus willingly drank that cup by going to the cross.

He is the Messiah that Elijah pointed to, and He chose to wrap Himself in skin, walk among us and then take on all of God’s wrath so that you and I would never have to drink from that cup. Not only was He willing to go to the cross for you, He is now sitting at the right hand of God eagerly awaiting the day that you will join Him there. “I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” He is so excited to celebrate the arrival of His bride. So much so that He waits in eager anticipation and refuses to celebrate without you.

Prayer: Precious Jesus, my Redeemer and Savior, thank you for despising the shame of the cross and counting me as the joy set before You. Help me to fix my eyes on You and share in Your excitement for the eternal kingdom that awaits. Give me a sense of what that day will be like so that I can have hope in every circumstance and that I can share the Good News with everyone I meet so that they, too, will know You, love You, and be redeemed by You. Through Your love for us, You have proven to be the One who is trustworthy, and for that we thank You and praise You. In Your mighty name, amen.

After their Passover Seder, Jesus and the eleven remaining disciples went out to the Mount of Olives. On that journey, Peter adamantly stated that he would never fall away from Jesus, even if the others did.

Jesus told Peter even before He said (and did) fall away from Him that he would be with Him in Heaven. Jesus knew that Peter and the others would fail Him, deny Him, and run away. Yet He had already invited them to the wedding feast. He had already chosen to bear the brunt of their betrayal and failure and seal their eternal salvation with His blood because of His perfect love.

My friend, if there is one that can be trusted, it is The One who gave up everything for you, who longs to set you apart, to rescue you from bondage, to take you as His own and bring you to His heavenly home for eternity. He is truly excited for the day He gets to bring you home to be with Him for all time. Have you ever considered that Jesus passionately dreams of the day that you will be with Him in Heaven? How does that change how you much you can trust Jesus, how you see yourself, and how you will live today?