Practical Proverbial, from Matthew, 28 August 2025. Today's topic: The Last Moments of the Last Supper
His Word, Our Journey
I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:29-30 (NIV).
Jesus is finishing up His last meal, His last Passover seder, and in doing so He makes a promise. Specifically, He promises not to drink the third (Cup of Redemption) and fourth (Cup of Hope) until He is with us in His Father’s eternal kingdom. Think about that: He, who is giving humanity redemption, vows to not drink the Cup of Redemption until He can drink it with those He’s redeeming with that same cup. And, He who is the living hope because He’s the living God, vows to not drink the Cup of Hope until He has kept that promise (that is hope) by returning to share it with His redeemed.
In the Passover meal, the fourth cup, that Cup of Hope, is drunk as part of “looking for Elijah,” where a member of the family will (literally) go to the door and look for Elijah. It is the hope – the promise – of the Jews that Elijah will return to herald the coming of Messiah. Jesus Himself was that Messiah, and did not need to drink it in hope of some future event. In a way, He was affirming that He had indeed already come, as Messiah, and would come again one day, also as Messiah and as final fulfillment of all God’s promises. The Messiah vows to not drink the wine again until He returns again, until He has claimed His redeemed people and brought them home to eternity.
I also love how Jesus finishes giving us Communion by reminding us that He was doing the Father’s bidding. Everything happening was happening according to the Father’s will, and everything that would soon happen would happen within the Father’s will. It’s easy for us to judge Jesus from our so-called modern vantage point. How many times have you heard (or said), “how could Jesus allow evil?” Or death, or war, or babies to be sick, or whatever? Instead of judging our creator, maybe we should, instead, remind ourselves that everything happens under the Father’s perfect will. He who gave His only Son to die for ungrateful, rebellious creations allows things to happen apart from His commands so that His grace and glory might be shown even more powerful to an unbelieving world. You and I aren’t Jesus, but His Father is our Father as well, and His will is always perfect, even when we don’t fully understand it.
Having said and done these things, Jesus’ group sings a hymn, the great Hallel, then walks to Gethsemene. From there will begin the most important day in history.
For more, read Mark 14:25, Luke 22:18, Acts 10:41, Matthew 26:31
Father, I thank You for giving Your Son and for the remembrance of Holy Communion.