“Then He took the cup.” Oh! How the Father must have loved Him!! What had been prophesied in every covenant as a means of sacrifice that would appease the righteousness of God, He held in His hands. Rivers of sacrificial blood had flowed from the sacrificial altars of the Judaical and Patriarchal altars, yet no sin had ever been literally forgiven. “the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer could not take away sin,” but when the “blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, He purged (purified, pronounced clean in a levitical sense) our consciences from dead works (see Hebrews 6:1) to serve the living God.” Hebrews 9:14 And, of course, it is in baptism in water that this purification, purifying, answer of a good conscience is located. 1 Peter 3:21
Everything done in the “work of the Father” involved the Holy Spirit. It was by the Spirit Mary was “found with child” (not in a vulgar sense, in the sense that the Spirit Himself functioned in that capacity), it was by the Spirit (the finger of God, Luke 11:20), Jesus worked miracles, so it was “by the Spirit” Jesus, as the human sacrifice, was Deity offered by the Holy Spirit to God, and it was “by the Spirit” He was raised from the dead, 1 Peter 3:18. In every facet of the work of Christ, the Holy Spirit was, along with the Father, an integral part!!
The hands that “made all things” was now in the process of “making all things new!” Revelation 21:5. Not only would His blood ratify (establish) the covenant with the Father, it would also purify conscience, AND ransom our souls. Matthew 20:28 The first covenant was dedicated (inaugurated) with blood, it would be impossible to inaugurate His new covenant without the sacrifice of His blood!!
What He held in His hands was the “fruit of the vine,” (a new phraseology begun by our Lord). This announced a new covenant that was being brought into existence. The cup and the container were two different things. The cup was high quality grape juice, non-fermented, a product yielded from God’;s creation, not man’s invention, of a consistency, color, and texture that reminds anyone of the blood of the human body. As He stated of the bread, “Take, eat,” here with the cup, He commands, “drink you all of it.” It used to be and may still be that the Roman Catholics do not partake of the cup in their mess called the mass, but the very essence of this institution is the blood, the very reason for remembrance is the blood, the very obligation to remember is the blood. All men have flesh, but none have carried in their bodies the blood of the Son of God!! Life is in the blood, the sacred duty of each child of God to show honor and allegiance to Christ. The cup causes all of us to know that having been dead in sin, we are now, again, forever alive in Christ!! Isn’t it strange that the denomination that spends so much time showing off about the cross spend no time allowing their participants to partake of the very representative of His blood??!!
Pity the man or woman who comes to this Table with malice or malcontent. They who set around them is their family. As sin is dark, we must restrict sin and think on things that bring purity and subjugation instead of enmity and murder. 1 John 3:11-12 The clearest of hearts are those who esteem the light far superior to darkness and should never enter on holy ground. This contempt countermands the blessing received. If Moses could not come to the Lord with his shoes on his feet for fear of dirt or contamination, soiling or germination, or restriction brought about by communication with anything of the earth, imagine how we, who hold His sacrifice with the severest passion and the glorious liberty given us from sin as the richest invitation offer to enter the gates of light, that for which purchase has been made, contaminated with a heart of ill favor? Such a holy invitation should cause us to never invite sin or lack of respect to attend our partaking. THIS IS THE CUP OF THE LORD!!
No wonder Judas was asked to leave before this institution was inaugurated. No wonder the washing of the disciples preceded this overture of love. Imagine being invited around the table of Deity to partake with Him who was sacrificed, that had gained you joint heir ship and enter with the wrong heart. Nothing equals this invitation. No one comes unattended by mind or conscience of worldy things, but ALL obstructions of any kind must be removed for He who we come before “who can read the very thoughts and intents of the heart” is our host!! Enter with fear and joy!
