4 Passover Cups 4 Christians
An explanation of the 4 Cups of Passover especially for Christians – and with sample prayers. The Feasts of the Lord are powerful prophetic statements, demonstrating Gods plan of salvation: from Genesis to Revelation.
Three times a year the Lord calls His people, Jew and Gentile, to meet with Him. Passover is the first feast in the yearly cycle of feasts. It is a one-day feast followed by seven days of unleavened bread.Many people mistakenly call them “Israel’s feasts” but the Lord calls them “MY” feasts. Though given to Israel to observe, they are God’s feasts, and provision is made for non-Jews, who want to worship God, to celebrate them.
The depth of the Passover is rich in meaning and is fulfilled in Yeshua—the Passover Lamb!
We have personally been celebrating Passover since 1994. I found it so enriched my understanding of communion, the work of Jesus on the cross, and my walk with Him. And now some 27 years later, I am still discovering truths in the Passover journey. And we have witnessed significant events that have occurred at Passover as we have prayed for our city.
Passover is so rich in meaning I am restricting this article to the four cups that are taken during Passover: sanctification, deliverance, redemption and praise.
In Christian tradition, we have just one cup for communion. This is actually based on the 3rd cup of the Passover, which is the ‘cup after supper’, (Luke 22:22) where Jesus identified that cup to represent the new covenant of His blood.
Passover has two cups before the meal and two after. In Christian circles this puzzles some. IN Luke 22:17-22 Jesus actually offers two cups. It is not just repeating the one-cup we use in communion. He is offering cup three and cup four—very significant because they are the cups of deliverance and redemption.
To simplify it, think of a dinner party. Prior to the main meal, the host picks up a glass of wine (or whatever) and proposes a toast to a person or situation. And likewise again after everyone has eaten. The host of the Passover calls the guests to ‘toast’ or remember what God has done. This is done twice before eating, and twice after eating.
As believers in Yeshua, Passover it is a wonderful time to:
- Commemorate and remember the fullness of the death AND resurrection of Jesus the Passover Lamb. He fulfills every jot and tittle of the Passover requirements.
- To remember His miracles—both for the nation of Israel but also for individual salvation experience. Remember and give thanks—for we have been bought with a price!
- To reflect on His process of salvation from ‘out of’ and then ‘into’—or the journey from being a slave to sin to becoming a child of God. This is told powerfully, not just in the story of coming out of Egypt but also in the four cups taken during the Passover Seder.
Psalm 81:5 reminds us that “He has given these feasts to remind us of his triumph over Egypt, when he went out to wage war against them.”
For New Testament believers—Egypt is a powerful picture or symbol over slavery to sin, the devil’s kingdom of darkness and the triumph of Jesus over sin and death. The following outline with the Scripture and sample prayers of the four cups can be used as they are, or as the basis for your own personalised prayers.
First Cup: Sanctification—(Genesis 2:3 Exodus 12:14 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 Hebrews 10:10, 14 John 17:19)
- Thank Him for the day: ‘this is the day the Lord has made”
- Thank Him for His appointed times and seasons—especially this appointed feast that is fulfilled by Yeshua, the Passover Lamb.
- Consecrate & separate this day and week to remember Him, honour Him & spend time with Him
- Offer yourself afresh to Him–sanctified, set apart, to be holy for Him alone.
"“Father, this is the day You have made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it. I thank You for this appointed day, this appointed time and for this this appointed feast You have given to reveal Your prophetic truth and Your plan of salvation.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sanctifies us by the blood of Yeshua in the blessing of His commandments.
I surrender myself to You to be Your sacred living sacrifice, to live in holiness and as an expression of worship.”
Second Cup: Deliverance—(Colossians 1:13 Isaiah 53:5-10)
- Thank You for Your promise: Exodus 6:6 ‘I amthe Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage (deliverance)
- Luke 22:17 this is the cup Jesus offered: “17 Then he raised a cup and gave thanks to God and said to them, “Take this and pass it on to one another and drink. 18 I promise you that the next time we drink this wine, we will be together in the feast of God’s kingdom.”
- Hallelujah for the great redemption that God has wrought on our behalf, redemption at a terrible price: in Egypt, the death of the first born; for us, redemption from sin, the death of God’s Son. John 3:16
- Thank Him for delivering you from the kingdom of darkness and out of the hand of the devil
- Thank Him for deliverance from the works of the devil in our DNA, and our human personal propensity to sins that distracts and ensnare us.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, You have delivered us from the power of darkness, from this present evil world system. By the blood of Yeshua You continue to deliver us from every form of evil, and give us life in Your heavenly kingdom. Thank You for deliverance from being a slave to sin, fear, torment, trauma of slavery, being a victim, being an orphan, being abused and not loved or cared about. Thank you for the blood of Yeshua, setting us free and bringing us into the kingdom of the Son of love. All the glory to You alone for all the ages of eternity!
Third cup: Redemption—Luke 1:68 Colossians 1:13,14, 20-22 Ephesians 1:4, 7 Titus 2:14 Galatians 3;13, 4:4-5 1 Peter 1:18 Rev 5:9 Romans 8:14-17
- Thank You for Your promise “I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” Exodus 6:6
- Luke 22:20 – cup after meal! Jesus said: “This cup isthe new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”
- Give thanks for the blood of Jesus that has purchased our soul
- Give thanks the legal requirements of sin and rebellion against us were nailed to the cross. His blood has cancelled the death penalty and turned you from an orphan and into a precious child of God with an inheritance!
Yeshua You took upon Yourself, the great and terrible judgment I deserved. I was not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold… 19 but with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Thank You for this costly treasure of redemption.—the total cancellation of my sins, and so I am now seen as holy in Your eyes! I am now Your beloved child. Worthy Lamb of God
Fourth Cup: Praise— a cup of rejoicing, joy, and consummation, a taste of freedom beyond redemption.
Colossians 3:1, 3, 15,17 Romans 8:14-17 Hebrews 13:15
Traditional Passovers read from Psalm 113-118
Thank you I am no longer a slave to fear, torment, rejection, and abandonment: I am a child of God. I will give to You my sacrifice of praise, the fruit of my lips—and drenched with thanksgiving! I will keep my promise to you, God, in the presence of your gathered people... I will worship you here in your living presence… For the Lord our God has brought us his glory-light. I offer him my life in joyous sacrifice. Tied tightly to your altar, I will bring you praise. For you are the God of my life and I lift you high, exalting you to the highest place. I will keep on giving my thanks to God, for He is so good! His constant, tender love lasts forever. [Psalm 116, 17-19 Psalm 118:27-28 Hebrews 13:15]