First I would like to tell you what a tremendous influence the site has in my life, and how much I enjoy it. Your website is like a fountain of truth that I eagerly frequently visit when I am in thirst for truth and righteousness.
I recently read your article on “The Passover: History and Prophecy” This article like many others, I opened to read in enjoyment of another dose of truth that all of your articles seem to offer. I stumbled upon the part where you wrote about Jesus having the last Supper, or Passover meal, and where you claim to say he stopped at the third cup, the cup of redemption. I examined all the gospels and I cannot find a trace where it mentions what cup Jesus is on when he offers his blood as a covenant symbolized by the wine. It actually seems to imply that he in fact never drinks the wine at all, for I cannot find a passage in any of the gospels saying that he drank wine. Can you help me understand this?
Matt. 11:18-19 reads, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ‘
Then there’s Luke 22:17-18. After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
In both passages its clear that the Lord did partake of wine on occasion.
As for which cup of the Passover Jesus used to institute the communion memorial, you won’t find it in the Bible because it comes from Messianic Jewish tradition. But here are some points in it’s favor. First, the 3rd cup is taken after the dinner is over. Luke 22:20 says, In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
But more importantly, the 3rd cup is called the cup of redemption because it recalls God’s 3rd promise to Moses from Exodus 6:6-7. “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.”
It’s hard to miss the symbolism. Every view of the cross brings to mind the Lord hanging there with outstretched arms in the ultimate act of redemption. And mighty acts of judgment were levied against the religious system, the people who rejected Him, and the powers of darkness as well. The Temple was destroyed and the people scattered, and Colossians 2:15 says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
All in all, there’s a good circumstantial case for the Communion cup being the 3rd Cup of the Passover.