Sharing Christ’s Life From One Cup

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

April 15, 2022

in Spritual Growth

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Holy Thursday
Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines
April 14, 2022

Readings: Exodus 12:1-12
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Luke 22:14-30

“When the hour had come…” Although Christ knew and understood the purpose of His mission, a part of Him was struggling for He was also in the flesh. The heart of Christ showed us that He wanted to spend His last hours with His disciples. He had compassion for His disciples and He knew it would cause confusion amongst them. But He had to allot this time to be able to explain to them what was going to take place. Sitting with them at the table, He conveyed His message with earnestness, took the cup and shared it with them. “This is My blood shed for you.” Christ in essence was also telling His church, the value of sharing the cup. However, we do not do this anymore today due to “health protocols.” There is value in sharing from the same cup, but we have avoided this today. Do you know that we are losing something here? Then Jesus took some of the bread saying, “This is My body, broken for you.” Christ was going to suffer in our behalf.

The original Passover in Egypt mentioned in the Old Testament was meant to set the Children of Israel free. Today, the Passover gives us more. Our sins have been wiped away. Christ did this not only to the disciples, not only to us, but to all mankind. He even wiped away the guilt and condemnation from us and given us new life. In the Passover there was a table. The host would be in the center. To his right would be the most important person. To his left, the 2nd most important person. On the other side was the third most person. The disciples were struggling and arguing among themselves and wondering what their positions would be. But Christ told them, “The greatest and the most important in the kingdom is the servant of all.”

On this Holy Thursday, He is telling us the message that He is the Servant of all, giving of Himself to all. 1 Corinthians 5:7 “Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” In the Old Testament, when the death angel came, the children of Israel were spared because of the blood on their doorposts. It was to be celebrated for all time that God had done to save their lives. Today, we should be reminded by what Christ did on the cross when he died for us. He wants us to have completeness of His gifts.