More on Luke 22:14-20

During their bondage in Egypt, Israel experienced the despair of slavery. Because of the misery of His people God made them four promises. At Passover each promise and its fulfillment are remembered by drinking a cup of wine. The four promises are found in Exodus 6:6-7 where God says, “I will free you…, I will deliver you…, I will redeem you…, and I will take you…” Participants drink the first cup at the beginning of the evening after a blessing is said for the celebration. Then they drink the second after the story is told of the exodus before eating their meal. After the meal, a blessing for the meal is said and then they drink the third cup of wine. After singing songs they drink the final cup of wine and the ceremony concludes.

Luke 22:20 says that Jesus took the cup after they had eaten and blessed it. This cup of wine after the meal is the one that corresponds to God’s promise to redeem His people. Jesus says that that cup was the one of his blood. He tells his followers every time they drink that cup to remember him because it is in his blood that the promise is fulfilled. God promised to redeem or buy back his children from the darkness of slavery. God has purchased us. He paid a price to obtain our freedom. It only makes sense that we remember what he did for us and love him for it. That love should continually transform our lives. That transformation is worthy of celebration.

In the Passover, Jews were celebrating God’s power to redeem. Jesus asked his followers to keep the celebration going because God continues to exercise his power and that power is available to us all.