Do Not Forget The Cup Of Salvation The Jews of old had many strange customs, and if you check some of those customs you would be mistified as to the symbolism and meaning underlying the customs. Because they were a spiritual people many of the customs had to do with worship, and their relationship to God. It might seem to be rather quaint now, but things like wearing of small leather phylacteries on arms or heads, the fixing of Mezuzahs, small parchment scrolls, on doorposts in the house, the burning of incense, especially on altars, the ceremonial ashing of hands and feet, and such like, were common practice. The truth is that Christianity did not endorse these practices, mostly because they belonged to the Old Covenent that was superseded, …show more content…
But some symbols are timeless. The cup of the wicked are at times full of God’s retribution and judgement as here the Psalmist speaks, “Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalm 11:6) The cup of the righteous can sometimes be truly bitter, even if not to the extent of the early disciples, whose afflictions and martyrdom for the sake of Christ were enormous. All suffering is bitter, but when it is unmerrited it serves a higher purpose. But all cups are not the same. David said these words, “...thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” (Psalm 23:5) This was not about suffering and desolation, but the very opposite. Here is what the Psalmist (and it could have been David but we are not certain) said, “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.” (Psalm …show more content…
The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed." (Psalm 103:2-6) Notice that in Psalm 116 he said, “I will take the cup of salvation.” This was a habit, nay a ritual, performed by the head of the Jewish household at the end of a feast or meal as he took a cup in his hands and give thanks. Notice that Jesus honored the tradition and gave it a new meaning, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it.” (Matthew 26:27) At the end of the meal Jesus did this, but unlike the Jewish tradition he endowed it with a deeper significance. To take the cup of salvation was a deeply moving heartfelt response to benefits that God had bestowed on him. When someone do you something splendid it is natural to want to show thanks and gratitude, and the highest the Psalmist said he could do was take the cup of salvation. In these distressing times when all around is fear, unthankfulness and misery, it is easy to underestimate the splendid benefits God has blessed us with, and sumptiously enriched our
Judaism is one of the oldest religious practices all over the world. It literally gave a start to two the most popular religions nowadays: Islam and Christianity. It seems that everybody must be familiar with the basics of this religion, though it is not true. The majority of people know only a few attributes or ceremonies that Judaism is using until modern times, such as Menorah (the candelabrum with seven branches), Star of David (traditionally known as the symbol of Judaism) and, let’s say, the Bar Mitzvah ceremony. What people are missing (apart from the associations) is how truly symbolic all of them are in the practice of Judaism. Bar or Bat Mitzvah, for example, present practically the basis of Jewish culture and religion. The idea of how and why it became so important is what we will try to look through.
Jesus, The Lamb of God, is pure and sinless in all ways, making the color white a clear emblem of his perfection. Red is also associated with Jesus. At the Last Supper, he shares the cup with his disciples, saying, “Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new
Psalm 89 of the Book of Psalms, advocates the message of consequentialism, foreground by man’s relationship with God, with direct lin...
Jesus took what they had, gave thanks for it, and fed four thousand men with leftovers. Of course, this may not have been solely on the fact that He gave thanks, but would it have been possible if He had not? Christians believe that God is the provider of everything. When something is given to somebody, one naturally shows his/her appreciation to the person who gave it to them. Saying grace is a gesture of appreciation towards the Christians’ provider.
Imagine that Christ meant these words literally. Imagine that accepting Christ as your personal savior required lunching with him. Of course, if Christ were coming over today for lunch, you would probably dust, vacuum, adjust the pictures on the walls, pick your best outfit, comb your hair, jot down a few questions about heaven. But what would the two of you eat? Would you serve Christ fried chicken? How would you feel about setting a plate of steaming, sizzling pork chops in front of your savior? A few hard-boiled eggs wouldn't hurt, right? Maybe a glass of milk to wash it all down?
Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.
As the hammer made its decent on the glass, a pan covered the glass and took the blow of the hammer to save the glass. This pan represents Jesus because Jesus sacrificed himself to God so that God would forgive us for our sins. Atonement is the action of putting things right between us and God. This story illustrates a very simplified version of the Atonement theory. Jesus, the "Pan," accomplished Atonement by sacrificing himself for mercy and forgiveness.
Lord Jesus beseeches us to make the ultimate sacrifice in the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is an admirable example of love. During Christ’s times, the Samaritans and the Jews were in opposition in that the Samaritans had pagan ancestry. There was an increased tension towards Jew traveling through Samaria. Also, the Jews felt that they would be contaminated or polluted traveling though Samaria. In the face of their mutual dislike for one another, the parable of the Good Samaritan relates the greatest sacrifice. The Samaritan dismissed or diminished his feelings, and responded to an act of will, by putting the welfare of the man found on the Jericho road above his own. He picked him up, cared for him and provided for future care for
“How can there be a God in a world full of suffering?” This question, left unanswered, is enough to turn a potential believer or one of weak faith away from Christianity. The suffering of the world cannot be denied, especially living in a time preceded by the bloodiest century in human history. Furthermore, there is no simple, neat answer to account for the presence of pain, misery, and death within the world, while also accounting for the limitless power of a God. Malcolm Guite provides a reassuring poem in response to this issue, entitled “Jesus falls the third time,” central to his collection of poetry, Sounding the Seasons, in he describes the suffering of mankind and Christ.
... is to remember Christ, once again we are just confirming what has already bee said here. “The bread and the cup are not holy elements in and of themselves. But they do represent something that is very holy… recognizing it is a symbol of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross” (Laurie 2008:nn). Laurie above sums it up well, the wine and the bread are only symbols of what really happened on the cross 2000 years ago, we must not revere the symbols or the elements but Christ and His work on the cross
A literal reading of this passage tells us that Jesus “began to be grieved and agitated” while in the garden as he prepared for the impending challenges that were ahead of him. But ancient and medieval theologians pushed against the ideas that Jesus was truly grieved or even that Jesus was asking for God to “let this cup pass from me” because he was not fully aware of what was to come or what his sacrifice would mean for humanity. According to Kevin Madigan, “Augustine appears to agree, denying that Christ felt true sadness and alleging that when Jesus prays ‘Take this cup from me,’ he pleads not fo...
Christianity borrows many aspects from Judaism. The Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures were used in the early teachings, however the Christian believers interpreted the scriptures in a different manner. This interpretation leads to a fundamental shift in ideology between Jews and Christians. In addition to scripture, Christianity adopted many worship rituals practiced within the Jewish synagogue; such as prayers, baptisms, and communion. Christianity of today still practices these sacred ritu...
(History) During the meal, Christ took the cup, said the blessing, and gave it to his disciples saying: Take this, all of you, and drink from it. For this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.(Covington)
“And while they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to His disciples and said, "Take you and eat, this is my Body." And taking the chalice He gave thanks and gave it to them saying, "Drink you all of this. For this is my Blood of the New Testament which shall be shed for many unto remission of
Sacrifice and suffering are part of the pattern of Christian life, of God's plan, taking up our crosses. help us become better Christians and help us grow in faith. We should not despair in times of suffering but turn and pray to God as Jesus. did in Gethsemane, when he cried out, "Abba, Father take this cup away.