The Promise of the Passover

Matthew 26:26-29

Matthew 26:26–29 ESV

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Jesus’s last words in this moment are not just a statement. I’m not drinking wine again until the Kingdom comes to fruition.

This is a promise. In the midst of all that is about to happen, Jesus is promising His disciples that there will be another feast where they will celebrate the established Kingdom of God.

Background of the Passover

Most of you probably know the story of the original passover. The people of Israel were enslaved by Egypt and Pharoah would not let them God.

God sent Moses to command Pharoah and he refused to listen.

God sent 9 plagues on Egypt and still Pharoah refused to give in.

So the final plague was set to take place. An angel of death would come down and take the life of every first born in every house. But there was a way for the people to be spared from this plague.

They would take a lamb without spot or blemish and kill it and roast it and eat it. And then they would take the blood of the lamb and paint it over the top and on the side posts of the door.

When the angel came to a house and saw the blood over the door, he would pass over that house and the plague would not go in.

Over 1200-1300 years later, Israel would celebrate the Passover and remember God’s promise.

Exodus 6:6–7 ESV

6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Four Promises

I will bring you out from under the burdens…

I will deliver you from slavery…

I will redeem you with great acts of judgment…

I will take you to be my people…

The people of Israel would take this four-fold promise and make four toasts with wine.

The Promise of the Passover

Let’s go back to that Passover meal with the disciples.

Normally, the bread would represent the affliction that the people of Israel faced in Egypt as slaves. They would put bitter herbs on the bread and eat it. The herbs were so bitter and taken in such quantity that it would cause the eyes to water to cause them to remember the tears that their ancestors would cry in their slavery.

Think about what was going through the disciples mind when Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is my body…” They were expecting this is the affliction our people suffered. But instead this is something representative of what He would suffer for them.

Isaiah 53:7 “7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”

As we partake of the bread this evening I want to encourage us to remember the affliction of our sin that Jesus suffered for us.

Not only the bread was different in this meal.

Matthew 26:27–28 “27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Scholars agree that this was supposed to be the third cup or the third toast of the meal. Jesus should have been reminding them of the promise of God to redeem the people of Israel from Egypt with great acts of judgment.

Jesus told the disciples that this cup represented His blood which would be poured out for the forgiveness of their sins.

It wasn’t different. God was redeeming His people with great acts of judgment. The difference is that it wasn’t a nation facing the wrath of God, but God Himself. Jesus would take the great acts of judgment upon Himself and redeem His people from sin.

Jesus would take upon Himself the wrath of God that is due for all sin of all people.

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

Think about this for just a moment. The feast was technically supposed to have one final toast. I will take you to be my people…

Revelation 21:1–3 “1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

Jesus told His disciples and He is telling us that there is coming a day when we will all sit with Him and celebrate all that He has redeemed us from.

The Promise of the Passover: We are redeemed, and one day we will rejoice with our Redeemer.

So as we partake of the bread and the cup. Let us remember the price that was paid for our redemption.

Let us take a moment and prepare our hearts for this.