Luke 22:14-23

¹⁴ And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. ²¹ But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. ²² For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” ²³ And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

¹⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. So, what was the blessing? “Blessed are You, God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.” This is the first of two cups mentioned in this passage, the second being the blood of the new covenant, so what is the significance of this first cup?

The Jewish wedding begins with the betrothal or engagement, The bride is chosen by the father of the groom or is approved of by the father. We are God’s chosen bride of Christ. The Jewish groom goes to the bride’s home to seek her consent to the proposed marriage. The groom offers her a cup of wine, if she drinks from it, she accepts, if she refuses to drink the proposal is rejected.

Jesus offers the cup to His disciples and says divide it among yourselves or drink of it all of you. This is His invitation to be His bride. In the Jewish tradition the groom them departs from the bride and returns to His Father’s house to prepare a place for his bride. They would typically add a room onto their father’s house, which would become their home. At this time the bride prepared herself for the wedding. She would receive training from her mother in her new role as a wife, she would receive beauty treatments, she prepared the garments for the wedding, and at some point, just prior to the wedding she would immerse herself in a cleansing bath in a “Mikvah”. This symbolized her plunging herself into a new life as wife, a married woman.

Jesus told His disciples in John 14 “In my Father’s house are many rooms…  I go and prepare a place for you.” As Christians we are preparing ourselves in training through Bible study and preparing ourselves for our new role as the Bride of Christ by way of the process of sanctification. Believer’s baptism is immersing in water as a symbol of dying with Christ and rising to a new life with Him.

¹⁸ For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 

We can see this culminating in Revelation 19 “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb”. “Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready;”

¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Then, He submitted to the Cross died for our sins, was in the tomb for three days, rose again and went to be with the Father and prepare a place for us. Awaiting that marriage supper when He will drink that cup with all who follow Him.

Lord, cleanse us and prepare us for that day when we may drink that cup with you at the great feast “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb” in the name of Jesus, amen.