Plainly, a simple translation of Hallelujah is “Praise the Lord.”
Easter is a time of celebration! Rather than a traditional Easter message, let this be a time of celebration in combination with observing “The Lord’s Supper.”
The following video link is part of the celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection and preparation for observing “The Lord’s Supper.”
Let us take a moment as we prepare for The Lord’s Supper by focusing on the cup and the bread.
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39) The cup that Jesus is referring to is the wrath of God that will be poured out upon Him in His crucifixion. This is the same cup that Jeremiah referred to. The cup is God’s wrath, and Jesus was sent by the Father to drink it.
Moments later, Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested. As we know, Peter rose up to defend Jesus, cutting off the ear of one of the guards. John’s gospel tells us that Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) He told Peter that this is the way it must happen so that the scripture can be fulfilled.
Jesus was then arrested, tried, stripped naked, beaten, spat upon, scourged, crucified, and killed. He drank the cup, completing the mission that God had sent Him to do.
So what does this mean? As we saw in Jeremiah 25, God has appointed that each of us must drink the cup of his wrath. His justice demands this. But God loves us, and the story doesn’t end there. Not being willing that any of us should perish, he sent His Son into the world to live a sinless life, and then, taking the cup out of our hands and placing it in His, told Jesus to drink it. Submitting to His Father (Philippians 2), Jesus then drank the cup of wrath so we wouldn’t have to.
Whoever believe in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. –John 3:36
God has appointed for each of us to drink a cup of wrath. Jesus took that cup as his own and drank it so we wouldn’t have to.
And then the bread – We find in Genesis 3:4-5the following: 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Matthew 26:26 “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Here we see that what satan intended as ruin for mankind, Jesus intends it to be salvation for mankind. Thereby flipping the whole narrative!
So……let’s reflect on the significance of the cup, the bread, and the Resurrection. And not only for this day, but the days to come.
