Exodus 25 - Why do we worship?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what worship is EXACTLY?  So many times we attach the word "praise" to the front end of it and go on ("praise and worship"), but worship is a whole lot more than just praising.  My astute and knowledgeable Koinonia friends came up with a good list that included not only praise but thanksgiving, prayer, focus, sacrifice and offering, adoration, Word, humility, obedience...

I thought it would be interesting to pose this question on Facebook this morning (Sunday), "Why do we worship?" and my FB friends gave some great answers: we were created for it, HE is meant for it, it's our way of giving back to God, it starts our week right, He tells us to, He is worthy, it's wise to worship, and one of my favorites - if WE don't, the ROCKS will!

Today we look at the first instructions on worship.  It's not the first TIME He's been worshiped, but it's the first time He's TOLD anyone how to worship.  And it all began with... a TENT.

Did you ever wonder why our omnipresent God decided to come to earth and live in a tent?  If He's everywhere all the time, isn't it pretty strange that the Creator of the Universe decided to come to earth and live under a tarp?

And yet... He DID.  After He spoke the Ten Commandments to Moses, He gave him some specific instructions about constructing the place He would inhabit.  Exodus chapter 25 is the beginning of those instructions and as we study the elements of the Tabernacle, we see some interesting parallels.

Let's look at the the Tabernacle.  There was a courtyard that had a bronze altar and a basin.  The altar was for the burnt offerings and the basin (or laver or sea) was a place for washing before the priests entered the Holy Place.

The Holy Place was the actual tent and housed the golden lampstand, the table of showbread where the bread of the presence was offered, and the altar of incense.  There was also a veil that separated the Holy Place from the...

Holy of Holies.  This is where God's presence dwelt and in this room was the Ark of the Covenant.  The Ark was a wooden box approximately 4' long, 2' tall and 2' wide.  It was covered in gold with a solid gold lid called the mercy seat.  On that golden lid was fashioned two cherubim with outstretched wings.  The Ark would eventually hold three things:  the stone tablets that God would soon give Moses, the container of manna they gathered earlier, and Aaron's staff.  (If you want a GREAT read, click here and check out the account of Aaron's staff in Numbers 16-17)  Each of those articles were a reminder of God's provision and protection.  The tablets were His Law/Word, the manna was the bread from heaven that sustained them, Aaron's staff was a branch cut from a tree that showed that he was God's chosen priest.  (btw - it had buds and leaves and almonds!!)

The Lord God also gave Moses specific instructions about the incense to be used, the oil for the lamps, the bread, the priests' clothes, the sacrifices, the fabrics, etc. and this structure would serve as a visible reminder to the Israelites that He was in their midst and that He alone was to be worshiped.  But the Tabernacle was just a foreshadowing of what God's ultimate visible reminder would be... His SON Jesus Christ!

When Jesus came to earth, He completed and fulfilled God's plan to dwell AMONG US.  See how the Ark of the Covenant represents Him:

• Tablets:  He is the fulfillment of the Law (Matt 5:17), the Word made flesh (John 1:14)
• Manna:  He is the Bread of Life (John 6:48)
• Aaron's staff:  He is God's chosen one (Luke 9:35), our great high Priest (Heb 4:14), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)
• Mercy Seat: Jesus Himself - like the gold, He is pure and unblemished (Heb 9:14); like the lamb, His blood was shed to atone for our sins (Heb 10:10); and covering His body were two angels (John 20:12, Luke 24:4)

When Jesus ascended to heaven and sent His Holy Spirit to live inside His followers, He completed and fulfilled God's plan to dwell IN US.  1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us that we ourselves are temples of God and His spirit lives within us, so see how the tabernacle represents us: 

• Lampstand:  Our character and countenance (Matt 5:14 - light of the world) 
• Table:  The platform(s) where we serve - job, family, ministry, community, etc. (Col 3:23 - whatever we do is for God's glory)
• Bread:  Our good works (Eph 2:10 - we were created for them)
• Incense:  Our witness (2 Cor 5:15-16 - we are the aroma of Christ in the world)
• Holy of Holies:  Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16)

It's a fabulous set-up:  God is worthy of worship, we are designed to worship, and Jesus made the way for us to worship.  It would seem that our lives would be one big worship party that never ends, but... sadly it never even begins for many people.  And for some Christians, it doesn't get very far or go very deep.

Our worship can be hindered by a LOT of things: doubt, disbelief, unconfessed sin, cares of the world, busyness, suffering, jealousy, unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, anger, selfishness, critical spirit, judgmental attitudes, stubbornness, distractions...  Face it, we can ALL be spiritually ADHD at times!!  

But those hindrances can be overcome by confessing our spiritual ADHD and also confessing and renouncing our sin, disciplining ourselves, wanting to overcome the hindrances...  Many times I pray these phrases from Psalm 51:  Create in me a clean heart, renew a steadfast spirit within me, restore to me the joy of my salvation, and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.  Then I can look back over our original list and start DOING them - praising Him, focusing on Who He is (and who I'm NOT), being thankful, remembering His faithfulness, getting in His Word, singing...  

And Chris Tomlin can get you started with THIS...

So Long, Insecurity Recap

Just spent a fabulous day with my daughter!  Bless her heart, the poor child has been dragged to nearly every women's event within a 60 mile radius of here, and today was no exception.  My church (First Baptist Roanoke) was a host site for the Beth Moore simulcast that was based on her new book, "So Long, Insecurity - you've been a bad friend to us."  There were 860+ sites around the country and an estimated 300,000 women who heard a message that was life-changing.  The theme (for me) was living out Proverbs 31:25a, "She is clothed in strength and dignity..."

Beth used the word SECURE as an acronym as her teaching outline, and her message was so powerful that I wanted to get my notes down while they were fresh in my mind.  I've done my level best to instill God-confidence in my children and help them to understand that they are precious and special in the eyes of their Lord, but I'm so glad Sarah was there to hear that message because you just can't hear it too many times!!

The scriptural text was Ephesians 4:17-5:2 and centered around casting off the old self and putting on the new.  A secure woman is ...

S - Saved from herself.  I don't remember who this quote was attributed to, but it's great: "The human mind is twisted by idolatrous self-interest."  Left to our own natures our minds will always bend back toward OURSELVES and how things affect us individually, so we have to consciously remind ourselves of who we are in Christ.  When we esteem ourselves as God does then we won't have to worry about how we fit into any social group.

E - Entitled to the truth.  We need to remember who we are in Christ and walk in that truth!  Too many times we tell ourselves, "If I could have __ then I'd be secure... If I could tame __ then I would be happy... If I could achieve __ then..."  The list of lies is endless, so we have to be grounded in the Word and in the truth of who we really are.

C - Clothed with intention.  It's a conscious, daily decision to cast off the old way of thinking and talking and behaving.  We are clothed in strength and dignity, but we don't always remember that!  Since His mercies are new every morning, view each day as a fresh start to be a little better than the day before.

U - Upended by grace.  We only offer grace to the degree we have received it.  If we ourselves don't feel forgiven, we don't forgive others.  If we don't feel esteemed, we don't esteem others.  It's not about how we FEEL, it's about what we KNOW, and we have been lavished with grace and forgiveness!!  We have to walk in that regardless of how we feel.

R - Rebounded by love.  Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.  When we realize that we are DEARLY loved, we can show that love to others.

E - Exceptional in life.  We are unique and special and significant and are to live our lives in a way that makes others want what we have. So when we hear broad generalizations like "All women..." or "No woman..." we are to be the exception:
     All women are intimidated by other women... except HER...
     No woman could live through that... except HER...
     No woman could be happy in that situation... except HER...

One thing I always taught Sarah is that it didn't matter what everybody else thought about her, it only mattered what God thought and His thoughts toward her are always loving and are always to bless her and draw her closer to Him.  I think I began to hammer that message into her brain in middle school (guess why!?!?), and she has heard it hundreds of times since.  Now that she is about to leave for college, the message is more important than ever.

Girlfriends, we are dearly loved of God, created in His image, precious in His sight, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece with a life to live for Jesus.  The ultimate Designer has fashioned garments of dignity and strength for His princesses, so put them ON and walk in CONFIDENCE!!

Staying Safe

What are some of the ground rules for the way we live?  Think about some of the things your mom taught you as you were growing up:  play fair, be nice, don't talk back, eat your vegetables, always wear clean underwear, clean up after yourself, don't take things that don't belong to you, keep your promises, work hard, do your best, don't hit your sister or pull her hair... oh, I think that last one may have been just for ME...

Continuing our study of Exodus, and this week we covered chapter 20... the ten commandments.  God called his children into the wilderness so He could meet with them and give them some rules for living.  This is important for MANY reasons, but one of the main ones is that the Israelites had spent 400 years in Egypt.  They had become immersed in Egyptian culture, which included polytheism, and they had probably forgotten much of what had been passed down about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  God is again setting them apart, and now He is giving them guidelines for living:

1. Make Me your FIRST love & your FIRST priority,
2. Treat others with respect. 

#1 is part of the Shema, a Jewish prayer of blessing, and we see it several times in Old Testament scripture:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength...." (Deut 6:5) and then Jesus completed God's thought and added "... and love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 12:30)

The theme of the lesson today is how the commandments affect our relationships, first with God and then with others.  It's an easy concept to grasp:  as we love the Lord and let Him direct our lives (and thoughts, desires, motives, etc) it will spill over and affect the way we treat others.  We will be kind and gracious and patient and gentle... and we see them thru the eyes of Jesus.  While that may be easy enough to understand, it's not always so easy to implement.

We talked about God's law as being guidelines, boundaries, parameters, guardrails, etc and we think of them in terms of keeping us SAFE.  So I tend to picture a great big yard with a little fenced-in square in the middle.  But I've changed my thinking on that.  Instead, I see it as Masada...

Having just returned from Israel, the image of the fortress at Masada is fresh in my mind.  Sitting in the Judean wilderness 400 feet above ground, it's an impressive structure that was first Herod's citadel and then became a haven for the Jewish people when the Romans invaded in 70 AD.  From the top, you can see for MILES and the view is gorgeous:  The mountains are majestic and in the distance you can see a beautiful sea... but upon closer inspection you see there is a treacherous drop, those mountains are barren and rocky and that sea is salty and dead.  Things aren't always what they seem...

So that's how I choose to picture life outside God's guardrails.  It might look good, but He knows what it REALLY is like.

We ARE Virginia Tech

April 16, 2007

It was a day that began like hundreds of others, but ended in disbelief and sorrow.  Thirty two people filled with hope and passion died at the hand of one filled with despair and evil.

Virginia Tech is my alma mater, and I bleed Chicago maroon and orange.  I loved my years there, and there is just something that binds Hokies together.  Maybe it's the memories of that biting, bone-chilling Blacksburg wind that whips across the Drill Field in the dead of winter... maybe it's the mutual frustration of football wins-turned-losses in the final seconds of the game... maybe it's the gorgeous springs and glorious autumns in our beautiful Blue Ridge mountains...  Whatever the glue is that holds us, the world caught a glimpse of it three years ago today.

"We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.

We are the Hokies.

We will prevail.

We will prevail.

We will prevail.

We are Virginia Tech."

~Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor 

Thank you, Dr Giovanni, for your words of encouragement. They captured our heartbreak but helped us refocus.

Thank you, Dr Steger, for your leadership.  Your task was burdensome but you led with strength and grace.

Thank you, Jesus, for Your sacrifice and for Your victory. You give us hope in the face of an evil we can't fathom.  If it wasn't for You this world would surely crush us.

Hello Exodus!

This quarter we are studying Exodus, and this past Sunday we covered chapters 15-18.  The problem for me was that last week was Easter so we didn't have class, AND I haven't taught one single lesson yet this quarter and needed to do a quick review!!

(Now before you think that I'm a giant slacker and have been putting the load onto Bill, I did teach the entire month of February AND there was a ton of work to do before I left for Israel in mid-March!!  But I'm back in the saddle again so WATCH OUT!)

Ok, QUICK review:  The nation of Israel was in Egypt because of God's provision for them through Joseph.  To make a long and fabulous story short, what began as 12 tribes and 70 descendants grew to be a nation of an estimated two million!  Then over time the Egyptian rulers grew to distrust the Israelites and so they enslaved them and worked them ruthlessly and treated them cruelly, but God raised up Moses and called him to go before Pharaoh and ask for His people to be released.  Pharaoh repeatedly refused and that resulted in a series of plagues that ravaged the nation and eventually took the lives of every firstborn.  EXCEPT for the Israelites, who God protected and spared and blessed!  So Pharaoh finally relented and released the Israelites, who followed the pillars of cloud and fire to the edge of the Red Sea (not the Dead Sea, inside joke!).  God then parted the sea for them to pass through, killed all the Egyptians who followed them, and then led them into the desert.  WHEW!

This is where we pick up in our study and the events of chapters 15-18 continue the theme of "Hardship followed by the Hand of God."  So far we've seen:

• slavery - deliverance
• plagues - protection
• no direction - pillars of cloud and fire
• trapped beside the Red Sea - parted and delivered

Now we see:

• bitter water at Marah - wood that freshened it
• desert heat - an oasis at Elim with 12 springs and 70 palms
• hunger - manna and quail
• thirst at Horeb - rock that gushed water
• battle with Amalekites - victory
• Moses' stress and peoples' dissatisfaction - delegates to help

Something that we see repeatedly in the Israelites is (1) a lack of faith, and (2) complaining.  Before I go any further I'd just like to say that I am NOT passing judgment on them!!  Think about their conditions:  two million of them traveling through the desert with all their worldly belongings AND kids AND livestock AND all the possessions they had plundered from the Egyptians.  It is HOT and they are on FOOT and they are in the middle of the DESERT with NO FOOD and NO WATER.  Bless their hearts, I'm getting grumpy just thinking about all that!!

Something I WILL say is that we do the very same things sometimes, and we can graciously learn from their mistakes.  Each time they had a trying situation, God was there.  His glory was revealed in the pillars of cloud and fire that were constantly before them.  His provision was seen in His answers to all their complaints.  His grace was lavished in His patience with them.  Every trial they encountered was designed to test THEM so God could prove HIMSELF.  In every challenge He proved that He was faithful to them and could provide exactly what they needed WHEN they needed it.

A couple of specific things I liked in this lesson were the effects that grumbling and complaining have.  Individually, it takes out focus off Him and on to our circumstance, which grows bigger and scarier the more we focus in on it.  Collectively it's like a virus that spreads discontentment throughout the entire group, and we've all seen the troubles that can cause.

Another thought I had was about manna and how it's like grace and mercy:  it comes down from God, it's new every morning, we can't store it up for later, and everybody gets the exact amount they need!  And we need to gather it and feed on it early in the morning before the heat of the day's busyness comes along.

This lesson was titled "Tested Devotion" but we expanded on that to include dedication, faithfulness, fidelity, reverence, commitment, love, sincerity... As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, it would be a good idea for us to occasionally look back and trace the hand of God in our lives so we see all the places we've been and all the ways He's been there and provided for us.  It's also important to memorize His word and His promises to us so we won't get discouraged and lose heart.  Some of our favorites were:

Rom 8:28 - He works everything for our good
Jer 29:11 - His plans are to give us hope a future
2 Tim 1:7 - He has given us a spirit of power and love
1 Cor 10:13 - nothing happens that He doesn't provide an escape
Philippians 4 - the entire chapter!
James 1 - trials make us stronger, He gives us wisdom
John 16:33 - Jesus has overcome the world
Deut 31:6 - He will never leave us
and of course my favorite verse,
Rom 15:13 - He fills us with joy and peace as we trust Him

He proves Himself faithful EVERY SINGLE TIME, so when the trials come our way that test us, remember His promises and TRUST that He will provide for us!

Pouring water on a rock

I've been struck with a thought:  a lot of what I do feels like I'm pouring myself out on endeavors that are fruitless.  The visual picture I have is pouring water on a rock, and I think about that and wonder "Am I spinning my wheels with this??  Does anybody SEE what I'm doing?? Does any of this MATTER??"

In August we will move our daughter into a dorm at James Madison University, and my nest will be EMPTY.  What will that BE like?? I am reflecting on my years as a stay-at-home mom who has been involved in about everything you can possibly be involved in as it concerns my children.  I've purposely backed off in the past few years because I've seen the pitfalls of "helicopter parenting" so I've tried to teach my kids to navigate certain paths themselves, all the while doing my job as a parent.  It's a fine line to walk, and I know I haven't done it perfectly but I've done it with the best intentions and with a heart full of love.  So I hope that counts for something!!

And I know it DOES, but I'm still wondering what my life is going to look like in the fall.  For years we've had a cheerleader on the sidelines, and now we won't.  There are a lot of things that were once there, but now are not.  It makes me sad and also makes me reevaluate what I'm doing NOW.

I posted this thought on Facebook and within minutes I had numerous "thumbs up" and the statement was just something that had been rolling through my brain for the last couple of days:

"Ever feel like the things you do are taken for granted and unappreciated? Like you're pouring water on a ROCK? Well, you're NOT. It's being noticed by the One Who sees you and loves you like no other  'Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men...' Col 3:23 (ESV)"

I think it strikes a nerve because we ALL have "things" - jobs, relationships, tasks, etc - that we pour ourselves into and don't see any visible results.  We may do these things for YEARS but never see that our efforts have made a difference.  But does that mean we should give up?

Of course it depends on the "thing" because if it's something that isn't good or right, then of course we should stop!  But if it's something good and right, like parenting a challenging child, working on a difficult relationship, caring for a sick loved one, showing love to the unlovable, giving grace to the ungracious, working for peace in the midst of conflict, being patient with the irritable and kind to the rude...  keep this in mind, my favorite James Dobson quote EVER:

You are not responsible for the outcome, only the input.

The first lesson you'll ever learn in counseling is that you CAN'T change anyone but yourself, and I think that's an important thing to keep in mind every day.  Do you're called to do with a full & grateful heart, and then leave the results to God.  We never know when our efforts (and attitude) will be the proverbial "straw that breaks the camel's back" so keep parenting those children, keep working on that relationship, keep caring for those entrusted to you, keep bearing good fruit REGARDLESS of the situation because as we do all of those things we show the love of Christ.

And that's NOT spinning your wheels because HE sees you and He's the One who matters most.

Resurrection Thoughts

This is my favorite Sunday of the year.  I loved it when I was a little girl because it usually meant candy and a new dress, and when I was VERY little, a new hat.  Why did that fall by the wayside??  Hats are so much fun, and what's wrong with having ONE SUNDAY a year when you go all-out??  Maybe one of my fashionista friends (Sandi Nieto) can get that started again because I'm definitely not a fashion trend-setter.  Someone once told me that I dressed like I was heading for a Gap ad, which I took as a compliment :)  It took me a few blonde-moments to realize that she was dissing my khakis and cotton tees.  Whatever.  Now you know not to look to me for fashion advice.

But back to Resurrection Sunday thoughts.  I've decided to stop referring to this day as Easter because, in my mind, Easter has come to mean bunnies, candy and plastic eggs... a FAR CRY from what the day is really all about.  Referring to this day as Resurrection Sunday is IMPOSSIBLE to mistake, so maybe this is the way I can make my mark as a trend-setter.

Part of the reason this day has been so great is that I'm still on cloud nine from my trip to Israel.  It's been a couple of weeks since I returned, and this year was really special.  There were MANY hurdles, LARGE stressful ones that had to be overcome for this trip to happen; and the Lord was faithful and saw it to fruition.  We had a wonderful group of pilgrims this year, and we formed an amazing bond during our time together.  When we first began to plan for this trip, I made a list of things I prayed for regularly:  logistics, safe travel, good weather, easy-going attitudes, cooperative spirits, safety & good health while we were there, etc. and one of the biggest requests was that the Lord would allow relationships to form that would last far beyond our week together.  He answered all of those requests IN SPADES.

I'm always amazed at how the body of Christ forms this unexplainable "bond."  We did some things before the trip so that people could become acquainted beforehand, but it was precious to watch people chat and get to know each other the first night at dinner.  We then spent some time in the lobby relaxing and listening to our musical friends sing and play guitars, and the next morning as we boarded the bus and began to tour Galilee, it was as if we had become an easy, relaxed community.

This is such a whirlwind trip and there is SO MUCH to process that at times it feels like you're trying to drink from a fire hydrant!!  A few of us had been there before, and for my part it was much more enjoyable.  My first year I took notes like a court reporter and didn't really feel like I actually SAW everything.  This year I SAW it all.  It helped that I did a bunch of research before we left, but I took it all IN this year and really reflected on some of the things that His coming to earth accomplished.  One of the thoughts I had was how His presence among us changed the course of history for ALL mankind.

Someday I'd like to take a class or read a book about the influence of Christianity on western civilization because it HAS to be significant.  When our nation was formed, it was founded on Christian principles.  Then as the Lord blessed our nation and we rose to be a world superpower, the rest of the world watched our successes (and failures) and instituted cultural, economic and political policies based on the things that worked for us.  Many of the things we've done in America have been good and right and have brought abundant blessings around the world, but it's because we've had a moral compass that is founded on biblical principles and guidelines.

In my 40+ years of living I've watched those principles and guidelines begin to blur, and it scares me.  The old saying, "If you don't stand for SOMEthing, you'll fall for ANYthing" is true.  Once we lose sight of what is right and wrong, we lose the vision for our future.  Some will argue that you can't legislate morality, but since legislation = making laws, those laws have to be based on SOMETHING -- and guess what that is??  Morals!!  What is right and wrong!!

So as I think about what is right and wrong in our nation, and there is plenty of each, I am praying that the conscience and morality of our nation will be resurrected. We have decisions to make that can change the course of our nation, and they MUST be founded on something solid and lasting.  There is a spiritual hunger and thirst in our nation, one that can only be satisfied by faith in Jesus Christ.  Everything else brings about change for a time,  but HE brings about change for eternity.

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may know you have eternal life."  John 20:31 (NIV)

Happy Resurrection Sunday!!

Passover Thoughts

I just attended my 2nd Seder of the week!  The first was with some Jewish friends, the second was with Christian friends.  And I loved them both.

It was great providential timing that I would be teaching Mark's Gospel before I went to Israel.  It was another great piece of providence that the literature I was using spent the entire month of February on the Passion Week.  I had plenty of time to research fascinating passages like the Olivet Discourse, but in my spare time (of which there is SO MUCH) I decided to study the Jewish Feasts, and in particular the elements of the Passover Seder.

Many Christians breeze right past the reference to Jesus celebrating the Passover.  It's something that most Christians don't have a lot of knowledge about because our gaze is trained on the events to come -- namely the trials, crucifixion, and resurrection.  But it's interesting to study the Passover meal (the Seder) because we see how our Lord is represented in each element and how He ultimately FULFILLED that feast.

Ok, before I get started on this, I'll admit that I'm a Bible study NERD.  I love to study, and there are few things that excite me more than finding an interesting piece of the biblical puzzle and seeing how it fits together in God's Big Picture.  I'll try not to be too wonk-ish with this, so I'll try to be brief.  (Everybody who knows me well is now laughing hysterically.)  Someday I'll blog about ALL the individual elements, but for now I'll focus on the 4 cups.

There are 4 cups of wine associated with the Seder, and they come from the 4 "I will"s of Exodus 6:6-7 (NIV), "... I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, I will free you from being slaves to them, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.  I will take you as My own people and I will be your God."  (Ok, there are actually 5 "I will"s but those last two count as one.)

The first cup is the cup of sanctification ("I will bring you out...") and signifies God's intention of separating them from the world.  The second cup is the cup of deliverance ("I will deliver you...") and is self-explanatory.  The third cup is the cup of redemption ("I will redeem you...") with the outstretched arm referring to the parting the Red Sea and various victories in battles.  The fourth cup is the cup of acceptance ("I will take you as My people...") as God led them into Canaan to the land of their inheritance.

When God gave Moses the instructions for this feast, it was in anticipation of their deliverance from Egyptian enslavement.  But after the Exodus and the Israelites came into the Promised Land, it was a special feast of remembrance that reminded the Israelites of God's faithfulness to them.

And then Jesus came, and the message of the Passover changed because Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover!  He was the unblemished sacrificial Lamb of the Pesach, and all of those cups NOW represented something much broader, and something that wasn't for one group of people but for all of mankind:

• "I will bring you out from under the yoke of... THE WORLD (the powers of darkness)"
• "I will free you from being slaves... TO SIN"
• "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm (ON THE CROSS) and with mighty acts of judgment (AGAINST DEATH, HELL, and the GRAVE)"
• "I will take you as my people and I will be your God... FOR ETERNITY."

And scripture tells us that after the meal, when the 3rd cup would have been presented, Jesus broke with the traditional message and said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until I drink it anew with you in My Father's kingdom." (Matt 26:28-29)  This would have been a SERIOUS deviation from what the disciples were used to hearing at the Passover Seder, and I bet they were looking around at each other trying to figure out what was happening!!  Especially after Jesus had taken the bread and told them it was His body!!

After Jesus passed the 3rd cup, they sang a hymn (likely Ps 116-118, which will be another LONG blog post!!) and then walked across the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane.  You see, He didn't finish the Seder and drink the cup of acceptance... because it wasn't time.  He won't finish the Seder and drink that cup until WE are with Him!!

So while we observe what Christians refer to as the Lord's Supper, we DO remember Him and His sacrifice for us.  But after studying the elements, I will not only REMEMBER His sacrifice for us, but I'll ANTICIPATE the day when we sit at the table WITH HIM and with all those who have gone before us, and drink that 4th cup in His presence!!  How cool will THAT be???

MARANATHA!!