by Tom Holladay ~ The Purpose Driven Life
Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory.” He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.” Luke 22:19-20 (Msg)
"The blood on the door posts in Egypt -- now it's fulfilled in Jesus who sacrificed his life for us, who poured out his blood to set us free from our sin and guilt."
The third cup in the Passover meal is the cup of redemption. Redemption means to buy somebody's freedom. Jesus bought your freedom with his life on the cross. At the Last Supper, which was a Passover meal, Jesus said, “This third cup, I want to give it new meaning. This is the promise of a new covenant between you and God, a new promise of freedom that comes through my blood.”
He was saying, “I'm going to go to a cross and my life blood is going to be poured out for you.” He was saying, “I want you to take this cup of redemption and see it from now on as a representation of the fact that I'm pouring out my blood for you. And I want you, together, to take this and drink this and to remember me.”
Jesus is the fulfillment of everything in the Passover meal. He’s the bread of life. He is God's promise in our lives. The blood on the door posts in Egypt -- now it's fulfilled in Jesus who sacrificed his life for us, who poured out his blood to set us free from our sin and guilt. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NLT)
Jesus sets us free from ourselves; he sets us free from our fears; and he sets us free from our sin and our guilt. This is why we celebrate Easter!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Jesus Sets You Free Forever
by Tom Holladay ~ Purpose Driven Life
You’ve no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. It’s the last one I’ll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God.” Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, “Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives.” Luke 22:15-18 (Msg)
"The picture that some people have of heaven, that it is a boring place, but there will be parties in hell, that's the exact opposite of the real picture."
There is a fourth cup in the Passover meal that I don't believe Jesus drank with his disciples during the Last Supper because he says, essentially, “I'm not going to drink this with you again until we drink together in the kingdom of God.”
This cup is full with promise because one day you and I are going to drink together with Jesus in the kingdom of God -- in eternity, in heaven. One day there will be what is called the great wedding supper of the Lamb. That's quite a picture, isn't it? It's really a picture of Jesus Christ having a party with us for all of eternity; that we get to be with him and celebrate with him for all eternity.
So even that night before his death, Jesus says, “There is still promise.” There is the promise of how he sets us free. He sets us free from ourselves, he sets us free from tears and fears, and he sets us free from our sin and our guilt.
And this fourth cup is a reminder that Jesus sets us free forever. This isn't a temporary freedom; it is forever. Jesus says, “One day we're going to celebrate together forever.” The picture that some people have of heaven, that it is a boring place, but there will be parties in hell, that's the exact opposite of the real picture. That's one of the greatest lies of Satan because Hell is the boring place.
Hell is a place of loneliness for all eternity. Heaven is a place of connection with God for all eternity and it is a celebration connection. We will be celebrating in ways that you and I cannot even imagine.
And on the night before he died, Jesus, along with his disciples, looked forward to this celebration. Jesus says even today, “I'm going to set you free forever.”
You’ve no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. It’s the last one I’ll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God.” Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, “Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives.” Luke 22:15-18 (Msg)
"The picture that some people have of heaven, that it is a boring place, but there will be parties in hell, that's the exact opposite of the real picture."
There is a fourth cup in the Passover meal that I don't believe Jesus drank with his disciples during the Last Supper because he says, essentially, “I'm not going to drink this with you again until we drink together in the kingdom of God.”
This cup is full with promise because one day you and I are going to drink together with Jesus in the kingdom of God -- in eternity, in heaven. One day there will be what is called the great wedding supper of the Lamb. That's quite a picture, isn't it? It's really a picture of Jesus Christ having a party with us for all of eternity; that we get to be with him and celebrate with him for all eternity.
So even that night before his death, Jesus says, “There is still promise.” There is the promise of how he sets us free. He sets us free from ourselves, he sets us free from tears and fears, and he sets us free from our sin and our guilt.
And this fourth cup is a reminder that Jesus sets us free forever. This isn't a temporary freedom; it is forever. Jesus says, “One day we're going to celebrate together forever.” The picture that some people have of heaven, that it is a boring place, but there will be parties in hell, that's the exact opposite of the real picture. That's one of the greatest lies of Satan because Hell is the boring place.
Hell is a place of loneliness for all eternity. Heaven is a place of connection with God for all eternity and it is a celebration connection. We will be celebrating in ways that you and I cannot even imagine.
And on the night before he died, Jesus, along with his disciples, looked forward to this celebration. Jesus says even today, “I'm going to set you free forever.”
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Jesus Sets You Free To See
by Tom Holladay
"This cup of sanctification is a picture of our sanctification, the way that Jesus sets us apart and frees us to be who we were meant to be."
“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and 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.”
Exodus 6:6-7a (NIV)
Passover is all about how God sets his people free and, in the Passover meal, we see the four promises that God makes to set his people free. Easter is a celebration of God’s promises, that through Jesus, God sets us free: “So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.” (John 8:36 Msg)
The Passover meal begins with the first cup called the cup of sanctification. You would recite a blessing: “Blessed be the God, the maker of the universe and the creator of the fruit of the vine.” And then you would drink from the cup.
This prayer, the Kadaysh, and this cup reminded people that they were sanctified, meaning they were set apart for God's purposes, set apart for God's love, set apart because of what he wants to do in our lives.
God set the people of Israel free, set them apart and freed them from slavery. Jesus wants to set you free; he wants to set you apart too: “I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23a Msg)
Holy means set apart -- God wants to make you holy and he wants to make you whole. If you look at your life this last week, this last month, this last year and you think there is nothing in me that could connect with God, God says, ‘No, I want to set you apart to be person I want you to be. I want to free you for the purposes I made you for.’
Now, I get it. I understand. You look at your life and you get frustrated. I do too. ‘Why can't I do what I want to do when I want to do it?’ ‘Why do I find myself doing what I don't want to do when I don't want to do it?’ That’s why Jesus wants to set you free – not only to begin in a new life, but also to set you free from the guilt from your faults and failures.
Jesus says if you'll come to me, you'll be free through and through. This cup of sanctification is a picture of our sanctification, the way that Jesus sets us apart and frees us to be who we were meant to be.
"This cup of sanctification is a picture of our sanctification, the way that Jesus sets us apart and frees us to be who we were meant to be."
“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and 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.”
Exodus 6:6-7a (NIV)
Passover is all about how God sets his people free and, in the Passover meal, we see the four promises that God makes to set his people free. Easter is a celebration of God’s promises, that through Jesus, God sets us free: “So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.” (John 8:36 Msg)
The Passover meal begins with the first cup called the cup of sanctification. You would recite a blessing: “Blessed be the God, the maker of the universe and the creator of the fruit of the vine.” And then you would drink from the cup.
This prayer, the Kadaysh, and this cup reminded people that they were sanctified, meaning they were set apart for God's purposes, set apart for God's love, set apart because of what he wants to do in our lives.
God set the people of Israel free, set them apart and freed them from slavery. Jesus wants to set you free; he wants to set you apart too: “I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23a Msg)
Holy means set apart -- God wants to make you holy and he wants to make you whole. If you look at your life this last week, this last month, this last year and you think there is nothing in me that could connect with God, God says, ‘No, I want to set you apart to be person I want you to be. I want to free you for the purposes I made you for.’
Now, I get it. I understand. You look at your life and you get frustrated. I do too. ‘Why can't I do what I want to do when I want to do it?’ ‘Why do I find myself doing what I don't want to do when I don't want to do it?’ That’s why Jesus wants to set you free – not only to begin in a new life, but also to set you free from the guilt from your faults and failures.
Jesus says if you'll come to me, you'll be free through and through. This cup of sanctification is a picture of our sanctification, the way that Jesus sets us apart and frees us to be who we were meant to be.
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