Good morning, Fellow Travelers!  I am excited for a couple of reasons today; my brother and sister-in-law are visiting on their way home from 7 weeks in Iowa and this will be the final blog on the Passover!  I love being with my family and I love this study!  WOW!  Thank you, LORD, for each blessing! If you have not been able to read the previous two blogs about the Passover Seder meal, I hope you will take the time now to read them.

We have finished the Seder meal and the children have found the Afikomen.  Each of the Four Cups of Passover stands for one of the four “I wills” of Exodus 6: 6-7. Sanctification: “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”  Judgment: “I will rescue you from their bondage.”  Redemption:  “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.”  Praise:  “I will take you as My People.”  We will continue the meal with the Third Cup:

• THIRD CUP:  The third cup is taken after the meal.  It is the cup of redemption which is a reminder of the shed blood of the innocent Lamb which brought our redemption from Egypt.  In Luke 22:20, Jesus  took the third cup; and 1 Corinthians 11:25: “In the same way, after supper He took cup , saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood;  do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  This is the Christians’ communion cup.
• FOURTH CUP:  The fourth cup is the Cup of “Hallel”.  Hallel in Hebrew means “praise”. and we see in the beautiful High Priestly Prayer of John 17, that Jesus took time to praise and thank the LORD at the end of the Passover Seder, His last supper.  The Spotless Passover Lamb had praise on His lips as he went to His death.
• ELIJAH’S PLACE: Throughout the evening one place at the table has been left unoccupied.  This is Elijah the prophet, the honored guest at every Passover table. The Jewish people expect Elijah to come at Passover and announce the coming of the Messiah.  (Read Malachi 4:5)  So a place is set, a cup is filled, and hearts are expectant for Elijah to come and announce the good news.

At the end of the Seder meal, a child is sent to the door to open it and see if Elijah is there.  Every year, the child returns disappointed, and the cup is poured out without being touched.  The Jewish people wait and hope for Messiah–they do not realize that Messiah has already come.  But those of us who believe in “Yeshua”  know that Jesus is the one the prophets spoke of.  He is the spotless, unblemished Passover Lamb, whose body was slain for us, whose blood was shed, and who now lives to distribute His life to all of us who apply His blood to the doorpost of our hearts and have passed from death into His eternal life.

When the Passover is brought to conclusion, the blessing is said and the Fourth Cup is taken, while everyone says in union,

             “Next Year in Jerusalem!”

Parts of today was taken from  “PASSOVER A Time for Redemption”.