Scriptures: Exodus 6:6–7; Psalm 118:14–24; Luke
24:30–35
Introduction
Grace to you and peace on this glorious Easter morning.
There is a beautiful and ancient tradition within the Jewish
celebration of Passover known as The Four Cups of Wine. During the
Seder meal, as the family recounts the story of the Exodus from Egypt, they
drink from four cups of wine, each one corresponding to a specific promise God
made to His people in Exodus 6.
God said:
- “I
will bring you out” – The Cup of Sanctification.
- “I
will free you” – The Cup of Deliverance.
- “I
will redeem you” – The Cup of Redemption.
- “I
will take you as my people” – The Cup of Praise.
Tonight, or rather, this morning, we focus on that final
cup. The Cup of Praise. It was the cup that signified the completion of God’s
saving work. It was the cup of acceptance, of relationship, and of joyful
conclusion. And it is this cup that Jesus himself was looking forward to on the
night he was betrayed.
Today, as we stand in the light of the empty tomb, we
understand what that Fourth Cup truly means. Easter is the ultimate celebration
that God’s saving work is finished. The slavery to sin is broken. The power of
death is defeated. And the Risen Christ invites us to lift the Cup of Praise
and live in the freedom and joy that only He can restore.
Let us look at our three lessons today to see how this
unfolds.
1. The Promise of a Finished Work (Exodus 6:6–7)
In our reading from Exodus, God gives Moses a message for a
people in despair. They are slaves in Egypt, their backs raw from the lash,
their hope extinguished. But God speaks a future into their present darkness.
“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘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.’”
These are the promises that birthed the Four Cups. The first
three cups look backward and inward—they speak of liberation from something.
But the Fourth Cup looks forward and upward. It speaks of being taken into a
relationship. "I will take you as my own."
For forty years in the wilderness, and for a thousand years
in the land, the people of Israel celebrated these cups, but they always ended
the meal looking for a final, ultimate fulfillment. The Exodus was a mighty
act, but death still claimed every generation. The slavery to Egypt ended, but
the slavery to sin and mortality remained. The Fourth Cup was always a cup of
hope deferred.
But Easter morning changes everything. It announces that God
has finally done what he promised. He has not just brought us out of trouble;
he has brought us into his family.
2. The Song of the Restored (Psalm 118:14–24)
Centuries later, the Psalmist captures the song of someone
who has experienced this full salvation. This Psalm is a processional hymn of
victory. It is the song the pilgrim sang approaching the Temple. It is the song
Jesus himself sang with his disciples at the Last Supper.
Listen to the cry of the one who has tasted the Fourth Cup:
“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my
salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: The
Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” (v. 15–16)
But then we come to the heart of the matter. The Psalmist
admits he was going down.
“I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped
me.” (v. 13)
He speaks of death and discipline, but then comes the
declaration that turns the world upside down:
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (v. 22–23)
On Good Friday, Jesus was the rejected stone. Thrown aside
by the builders of this world—by the religious leaders, the Roman government,
and the mob. He was cast into the pit of death.
But on Easter Sunday, God the Master Builder picked up that
rejected stone and made it the keystone of the entire universe. The thing that
seemed like a defeat was actually the capstone of God’s plan.
And so the Psalmist declares a truth we feel in our bones
today: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad
in it.” (v. 24)
Why can we rejoice today? Because death is not the end.
Because the fall is not the final word. The stone was rejected, but it is now
exalted. This is the day of the finished work. This is the day we lift the
Fourth Cup.
3. The Meal at Emmaus (Luke 24:30–35)
Finally, we see this truth made tangible in the Gospel of
Luke. Two disciples are walking to Emmaus, their hearts heavy, their hopes
crushed. They had believed Jesus was the one to redeem Israel, but now he was
dead. The story, they thought, was over. They had maybe tasted the first three
cups of deliverance, but death had stolen the fourth.
They walk with a stranger—the Risen Jesus himself, though
they don’t recognize him. He opens the Scriptures to them, explaining all the
things about himself in the Law and the Prophets. He likely took them through
Exodus and Psalm 118. Their hearts burned within them, but their eyes were
still blind.
Then, they reach the village. They sit at the table. And the
stranger takes bread.
“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave
thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and
they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” (v. 30–31)
Why were their eyes opened at that moment? Because they had
been at a Passover meal with him before. Just days earlier, in the Upper Room,
Jesus had taken the bread, given thanks, broken it, and given it to them. He
had taken the cup—the Third Cup, the Cup of Redemption—and said, “This is my
blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”
But at the Last Supper, after that Third Cup, Jesus said
something striking: “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.” (Matthew 26:29)
He did not drink the Fourth Cup that night. He stopped at
the Cup of Redemption. He was waiting.
He was waiting for this moment. He was waiting for Easter.
When Jesus took the bread at Emmaus, it wasn't just a snack;
it was a Eucharist. It was a declaration. He was saying to them, “The
redemption I purchased on the cross is now complete. The new covenant is
sealed. The slavery to sin is over. Death is dead. I am risen, and I am here
with you. Now, we can finally drink the Cup of Praise together.”
In that moment, their freedom was fulfilled, and their joy
was restored. They went from despair to mission, running back to Jerusalem to
tell the others, “It’s true! The Lord is risen indeed!”
Conclusion
My friends, the message of Easter is that the Fourth Cup is
full, and it is passed to you.
For too long, you may have been living with only the first
three cups. You know what it is like to be brought out of trouble. You have
experienced deliverance from bad habits. You have tasted redemption in
forgiveness. But perhaps you have not yet entered into the joy of the finished
work. Perhaps you are still walking to Emmaus, heavy-hearted, not realizing the
stone has been rolled away.
Easter is the Feast of the Fourth Cup.
- It
is the Cup of Praise because the work is done. There is
nothing left to pay for sin; Jesus paid it all.
- It
is the Cup of Relationship because the veil is torn. You
are no longer a slave, but a child of God. “I will take you as my people.”
- It
is the Cup of Joy because death has lost its sting. The
grave is empty. The future is bright with the promise of resurrection.
The Risen Christ stands at the table this morning. He
invites you to stop walking in the shadow of Friday and to step into the
sunshine of Sunday. He invites you to lift your heart, to lift your voice, and
to drink deeply from the Cup of Praise.
This is the day the Lord has made. The stone is rejected no
more. The Savior is alive. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us rise and
live in the freedom and joy he came to give.
He is risen. He is risen indeed. Amen.
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