The Cup of Redemption

I Corinthians 11:25, In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

“A new relationship because of His death!”  The communion call is to drink from the Cup of Redemption which is available because He died (the death of the testator puts the Will into effect).  Hebrews 9:15-16, And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.  So, Jesus died that He might put before us a Cup of Redemption – a salvation.  The Communion Cup reminds us that we are saved by trust in His atoning death.

The Communion Cup should also remind us of the Cup of wrath that Jesus drank that we might be saved.  Matthew 26:39, [Jesus] fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.

So, what was the Cup that Jesus was facing?  It was a Cup of wrath from God due to the deeds of wicked men!  It was taking God’s eternal wrath for sinners that they might not take it from God!  Psalm 75:8, For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is fully mixed, and He pours it out; surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.

The cup He faced was God’s eternal wrath of Hell for sins as noted in Revelation 14:10, he himself [one who follows other than Jesus] shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

I, before saved, had a cup of my wickedness held by Almighty God.

Matthew 23:25, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.

Revelation 20:12, And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

Ecclesiastes 12:14, For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing…

Matthew 12:36, I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it 

I Peter 4:3, our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 

Genesis 15:16, …for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. (the cup is filling!)

My cup is full of crud, poison, filth, evil, dirt, slim, strychnine and death!

My cup is beyond disgusting, rancid, and poisonous – it is horribly, eternally deadly!

When I accept Jesus as my Savior, I am acknowledging that Jesus took God’s punishment for my sins, lawlessness and iniquity (Psalm 32:5) – He drank my cup!  I acknowledge that the ingredients of my cup are mine and putrid before a holy God.  I believe that Jesus placated God’s wrath toward me by drinking my cup – ALL of it!  Jesus drank my cup of “poison” that I might drink from His Cup of Redemption – the cup represented in Communion.  Thus the Communion Cup reminds or teaches that Jesus suffered the eternal wrath of God during those last three hours on the cross.  After consuming God’s wrath for my cup of sins down to the very last particle – the dregs, He declared, “It is finished!”

Then He offers me a cup for remembrance: He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”  Matthew 26:27

Accepting Him as my Savior means I acknowledge that He drank my rancid cup and in exchange He paid for a Cup of Redemption which I then receive from Him.

The idea is captured in this verse: For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, II Corinthians 5:21.

I Corinthians 10:16, The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?  For those saved – they take up a cup of sweet wine – a drink of joy – a Cup of Redemption!