THANKSgiving? Receive God's Cup of Blessing in Christ

Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Fitting to consider our thankful response, our thanks-giving for all the good that God pours into our lives! We will do that tomorrow. We will consider how out of thankfulness we become thankful givers , thanks-serving. But that is not the place to start. It is possible to give - but be a grumpy giver, a graspy giver. That is is especially possible for us when we don’t grasp that all which we receive is pure gift both mercy and grace from our great and loving God! And so the first part of thanksgiving is the thanks part not the giving part.

Despite all the brokenness and sin, and suffering in our lives and in our world, we are to have eyes to see the good - and that changes your heart when you recognize not only the gifts in your life, but when you recognize the GIVER. But today is the Lord’s Day, day of entering into God’s rest, a day of celebrating and taking hold of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So today, before we go to our heavy laden thanksgiving turkey tables - cornucopia of ... we come to this Table which is an open house of God’s mercy in Christ. I come to you proclaiming and then holding out that greatest gift - that should work the deepest experience of thankfulness in our hearts and minds - that is the only true foundation for the giving and service we give. How thankful is your heart this morning for the gift of Jesus - his righteousness, his forgiveness, his justification, for the love and peace, strength you have in His Kingdom now, and the perfection of all things you will enjoy with Him in the Future!? This morning, as this gift is remembered and believed, and He and His benefits are embraced - it is my joy as a minister of the gospel -not just to give the how-to’s of living - but simple clear message of just receive, receive Christ’s gift with faith and thankfulness! And this morning all that gift - whether you can get your head around that or not, is crystalized and concentrated into this cup. The Cup. And the question I have for you is: How are you receiving this cup of the LORD!

And the answer we strive to give with understanding heart - we bless this cup, and we drink from it participating in all the blessing it symbolizes! That’s from our very specific text in

1 Corinthians 10:16 ESV

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

And the answer we strive to give with understanding heart - we bless this cup and drink from it participating in all the blessing it symbolizes!

A) Understanding the Cup

In every culture celebration and food is tied together - when marking an occasion with thankfulness, or hoping for wishing for better future of a person - Cup is lifted up -usually with strong drink that gives pleasure, and a rest, satisfaction - toast them - lift up a cup to friendship “cheers” , “nazrdavia” - to your health, prost, celebrate … Now what you need to do is symbolically picture everything about that wish, remembered friendship, celebration - all concentrated together inside that cup!

Actually NT word for a person - their body - is also vessel - like a cup

1 Thessalonians 4:4 ESV

that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

Actually NT word for a person -

But through the Bible cup used for what God has stored up for a person. We have looked at before Cup of Wrath for nations, and then also for Israel - what Jesus shuddered in his human nature -is there no other way - Let this Cup pass - what Cup - Psalm, Jeremiah - must drink to the dregs; Also A Cup of Suffering, can you drink the cup appointed for me? This cup proclaims His unique saving death. It speaks of his sacrficial death - ordeal bearing the wrath, but enduring death and comiong through on the other side as very God - alive - That’s my cup of suffering. Something so unique can’t drink that cup. Also Jesus speaks of a Cup of Service - talk about tomorrow - those follow him offer a cup of cold water in in his name to his little ones - reward when someone is living that life of thanks-giving.

But what did Jesus call this cup at the table - a cup of blessing - how can it be if Cup of God’s Wrath, Cup of His Suffering? Well let me tell you that just like that suffering completely unique and that wrath like no one else this side of eternal hell, ever experienced it - so too is the blessing in this cup - it’s not the life of common blessings that drop like rain from God on every single one of his creature. - not common grace - food , sunshine, beauty and order - Blessing Completely unique that only Jesus could earn and then give!

What do I mean ? Well for that we must also understand what blessing this cup is filled with and again from the Bilabial context. The Bible from beginning to end speak snot only of cups, but even more basic theme blessing and curses

B) Understand the Cup of the Curses of God

Genesis we have the cursing of the whole earth, touches every part of human life. Do you know the power of the curse of God on sin? We chose to find blessing in Satan’s lie, in life without Sovereign Covenant God who revealed Himself in Word and in History. When we twist God word and depend on ourselves and stuff of creation; God said drink a cup of curses cursed life - death, suffering, sickness, emoticons and passions, all distorted - Like we drink the serpents cup - but right away God said - going to send a Saviour seed, first-born of Eve and of Me - he is going to some how crush the head of the one who tripped us up in the cursed life - he is going to bring blessing! Like my dad as a child, cold - went to medicine cabinet - thought cough medicine,and it was strong but you know what it was - TURPENTINE … own kid did that once- charcoal - purge out - Satan in the fall we think is medicine bring curse and eternal death from his cup!

And God says, no, living like that not only brings death in sin, actively brings upon you and me Gods’ wrath on sin - Listen to an example of how the OT cup of curse was described, in everyd ay life example of a test for adultery. Adultery - jealous heart - sometimes suspicious, sometimes justified, - bring the suspected one to tabernacle - First, take holy water from laver and mix it with dust from the ground - Then write words of curse on parchment, pick up dirt scrape them off -

Numbers 5:23 ESV

“Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness.

Then she would drink the cup of curse - either life or death… If did commit adultery - words of that curse - worst than turpentine, - basically cervical cancer…

Small picture like the prophets speak of Cup of Curse, like even the last Book of the Bible. Listen in the Book of Revelation as the Bible ends describing an end-time -

Revelation 14:10 ESV

he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

But now imagine it Jesus stands up at the centre of human history and says, now let me drink that for you - 2Cor5 and God made he who was without sin to be sin for us. Can you picture it - and everyone is gasping and saying not not you - don’t drink it - he gulps it dwon - waiting for him to fall dead - and he does - why - God jsut judge - always acts within His character - other gods can lie, God can’t - but he is stronger than our sin and death. He does away with the wrath of God on our sin. Perfect substitute Lik he rises from the dead - and offer s the cup anew - we remember what it was like - a cup of curse, of death, shame, guilt - made to drink it to the dreggs!

But now it becomes what Jesus calls it here a cup of blessing! Got to see it is a symbolic gift from Jesus to not only remember but to participate in His cup! Yes it is full of what? Wine - squeezed out in a grape press - Treading out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored - Mount of Olives - olive PRESS - Jesus squeezed out - pressed and crushed for us - but why - His blood - like wine - not to make us stagger and then die - but LIFE, NEW LIFE , LIFE Of blessing!

C) Understand How the Cup becomes the Cup of Blessing

Who remembers what night that Jesus re-introduces this cup of blessing? Night of the Passover. Do you remember what that feast was about? Commemoration and celebration of the Exodus. But even looking forward into the future of God’s people. Commemorated the past event of the Exodus Passover. What happened there? Whole land under curse where first born of every household - picture of the heir the future - angel of death destroy. But just like God says stop, I’ve got another way - Lamb slain - blood on the door posts angel of death passover that whole household.

Well, Jesus death on the Cross was the fulfillment of that event of the Exodus Passover, he was the Lamb - these is no lamb in the Lord’s Supper. But now in the way God gave to remember that sacrifice for us, just like for Israel there is to be bread and wine. In the same way that a Jew over every meal, host of the family - lifts up a loaf of bread - prayer : Blessed are you Lord God Giver … so too Jesus as it were lifting up his ow body for us - body which be given for us - bless this perfect life lived for them, sacrificed for them - Bread from one life broken and piece given and taken to every guest around that table

And in the same way , passover meal - third of four cups - actually called the cup of thanksgiving/cup of blessing - Christ is saying I am that lamb slain - I drank the curse to the dregs and suffered the death you deserve, but now rising again - desire to drink the cup in the kingdom with you and me know of blessing, and all of us on last day of consummation wedding feast of the Lamb - now I have changed this cup. What time of year is the Passover? When the first harvest, wheat begins, and particularly barley, sheaf brought on 2nd day and with a burnt offering - give first fruits and sense that sins forgiven that now we begin a new year - totally dedicated to the Lord ready to live new life. Time of year crops just coming in - present handful of the - first fruits - ; like pledge that all of it is your thanksfullly received!

That’s what Christ is saying with his cup of blessing:

Romans 11:16 ESV

If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Do you get what jesus is saying with this new Commemoration Cup, real and full Passover is here as I go to the Cross - I am the first-born - but not just died, first born from among the dead -0 Christ the first fruits - that new life - like the beginning of the harvest. And now as you are united to him - you and i become the rest of the harvest . not of corn or barely - but like our big brother made through death lives in perfect communion with God - no shame no guilt no power of sin controlling - And Jesus holds up that new Cup of Salvation and Blessing and says - This is for you - Receive it - Participate in it!

OT Israel lifted up that passover cup, remembering that they were personally delivered by God from slavery, idolatry, sin, and now lived as His first-born, new birth devoted to the Lord - enjoying the inheritance he gave them! NT believers drink this cup from Jesus in a fuller way - remembering and believing and even really participating in Christ - my deliverance, and my new birth to be a people consecrated to the LORD!

Whole world thinks can come to God with self-atonement; idea that if they bring their good deeds, God will cancel out our bad ones - But utterly impossible with a holy God and Stan’s most potent lie. Only come with the atonement Christ worked, pictured here, and once you come there are richest blessings to hget participating in, onign gway receive as Live with Him!

Then it will be that though the curse still lingers in this world, that we’ll know we belong to to that kingdom in which there will be no more curse at all. That was soemthing different that the Messiah did in lifting up the bread, instead of looking down in prayer - he lifted up his eeys to heavven - proclaiming that He is making all things new - Proclaiing the kingdom in which there is no more curse - , He wipes away every tear from their eyes, death no more, nor mouorning, nor crying nor pain… for those former things will have passed awway, and nothing accursed will etner!

This is the blessing tat Jesus hods before us this morning!

D. And that brings us to the heart of this message - We don’t come with our record of good, we don’t come with our giving and service, - we come to receive - to thankfully receive! D. Come to Bless the Cup & to Thankfully Receive

Isn’t that our those words of institution go?

1 Corinthians 11:23 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,

This supper is not a regular meal, nor is it a bare memorial. It is one that Christ delivers to His church. Apostles received it form the LORD and so are we today! Paul didn’t make it up. He got this from the Lord. And like Isaac going up the mountain - here’s the fire, and the wood but were is the sacrifice - the LORD himself will provide it - You don’t have to bring it - your substitute- The only one who ends the cruse for you and turns it to a blessing and a life can’t find in this dying world ! God freely gives you Him. You just reach out and receive His gift, his sacrifice in faith

I ask you, if like Isaac and Abraham - believing God bring’s first-born, the good seed, even from death. So turning to Jesus at this table, we say: “I believe - not only my forgiveness, and take the curse, but that you Jesus won a victory I never could, required of a perfect life, an eternal life. I want that life confirmed in me, live sharing in your life Jesus!

The host of the Passover meal, at the end - lift up that cup and would bless that cup! Then give it out. That is what Christ did and commands us to do. Not a superstitious thing not a Roman Cahtolic thing. Biblical thing - set apart wine and bread - Christ really present spiritually and we take hold of the blessings of the gospel by faith even as we eat and drink -

Not a superstitious thing not a Roman Cahtolic thing. Biblical thing - set apart wine and bread - Christ really present spiritually and we take hold of the blessings of the gospel by faith even as we eat and drink -

wHAT’S YOUR CUP FULL OF TODAY - MAYBE SOME SERVICE, MAYBE SOME SUFFERING IN TAHT SERVICE … BUT THE CURSE - CAN YOU SAY CHRIST HAS DRAINED ALL OF THAT OUT FOR ME, AND THE BLESSING NOT THE COMMON ONES WE WILL CELEBRATE TOMOROROW BUT THE BLESSING OF REAL TRUE ETERNAL AND POWRFUL TODAY SALVATIN DELIVERANCE, NEW INHERITANCE AND DFUTURE. We pray God bless and use this cup for me now today, we come expecting much from Jesus - use this common bread and wine, now set apart for you to show forth what new life is all about! -Tomorrow LORD we will think of what we give in thanks, today what we receive from Christ. Set before us the savlation we have in Christ, the acdceptance we have from you - that tomorrow we can focus on how we offer ourselves as aliving sacrfice!

Jews said, for all meals, that one who takes bread and wine without thanksgiving, actually robs God. So they blessed and thanksed before taking it to their mouths: Blessed be Thou, Yahweh our God, King of the world: Bread - “who causes bread to come forth out of the eart.” Wine: Blessed be Thou, Yahweh who has created the fruit of the vine. “ At the begining of the meal with the bread Everyone says, Amen, and then the host breaks the bread and distributes to all who sit at his table. At the end of the meal, the host stand up with the wine. “Let us pronounce the blessing” Eeyes on the cup - says it… WHle meal a thaksgiving a blessing - received as agift from God! The bread and wine are signs for our senses, but Christ by faith is here for all who feast by fatih!

Now is the time to bless God for his greatest grace to us in Christ and beg that he continue it to us day by day. Now is the time to set a watch on our soul - careful not to live by the lie but by Christ, keep watch against relaspse from living out of ourselves, and not living in these vows, this NEw Covenant in Christ’s Blood. Now is the time to keep watch with a lively expectation of all the blessing prosies, here, and even more in Christ Final Comiong! I LIFT UP THAT CUP OF SALVATION !!

wHAT’S YOUR CUP FULL OF TODAY - MAYBE SOME SERVICE, MAYBE SOME SUFFERING IN TAHT SERVICE … BUT THE CURSE - CAN YOU SAY CHRIST HAS DRAINED ALL OF THAT OUT FOR ME, AND THE BLESSING NOT THE COMMON ONES WE WILL CELEBRATE TOMOROROW BUT THE BLESSING OF REAL TRUE ETERNAL AND POWRFUL TODAY SALVATIN DELIVERANCE, NEW INHERITANCE AND DFUTURE - I LIFT UP THAT CUP OF SALVATION !!