The Fifth Cup

Matthew 26:36–46

“Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes My betrayer!”

“Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.” “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and (1) I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. (2) I will free you from being slaves to them, and (3) I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. (4) I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’ (Exo 6:5–8” This is the history that the passover meal was shared over, especially the cups of wine. It is said there were four cups recorded and would be as traditionally at the last supper according to Dutch-American minister Dr. Ray Vander Laan. The cups roughly outline the the promises of God in Exodus 6: (1) Sanctification (Exo 6:6), (2) Deliverance (Luke 22:17, Exo 6:6), (3) Redemption (Luke 22:20, Exo 6:6), and (4) Protection (Exo 6:7), which the LORD refused to take,  I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom (Matt 26:29)”, in preparation for His death on the cross outside of the Father’s protection. However there was a fifth cup, and this is Jewish tradition that no one drinks it, it is reserved for someone special. This is said to be based on the prophet Jeremiah, it is the cup of God’s wrath and judgment to be poured out upon evil: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them.” So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom He sent me drink it (Jer 25:15–17).” This is said to be the cup of Elijah, where Jewish families, after drinking the four, pour wine into a fifth cup and wait for the coming of Elijah, herald of the Messiah to take it and pour it out upon evil: “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes (Mal 4:5).” Vander Laan noted that “at this part of the Passover ceremony, the door is opened, and the head of household says, “Pour out your wrath on the world!” But Mashiach drank that cup, instead, bowing to the Father’s will, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners (v. 45), the Christ who knew no sin became sin for us (II Cor 5:21), the innocent Lamb, in whom there was no evil took on the weight of sin and evil which would’ve been on us and drank of the cup of judgment which was meant for us, because it is ourselves, humanity collectively, that is evil of this world, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) and that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), the fifth cup was ours to drink. Thank You LORD for Your obedience that we are unable to perform, thank You for drinking of the cup we couldn’t drink, thank You for Your amazing love that saved us from God’s judgment that overcame the agony at the garden, Thank You for the divine exchange You offered.