If you’re new to the Christian faith, liturgical worship or looking for an ancient connection to authenticity, you may wonder why the Holy Communion is our focus on worship. One way to understand it is through its Jewish roots.  Jesus celebrated the Last Supper at the traditional passover meal. In that time, Passover followed a structured pattern (a liturgy) around four cups of wine, each marked a stage in the story of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. This pattern still exists because Jesus reordered the old passover at the Last Supper and on the Cross to usher in the New Exodus, not from Egypt, but from what Egypt pointed to -sin and death.

Jesus fulfilled what the Jewish liturgy pointed to, transforming it into something far greater — a new Passover that brings deliverance from sin and death. The American Missal and 1928 Book of Common Prayer (used in many traditional Anglican parishes) beautifully preserves the shape of this ancient pattern, following Christ’s very words. Here’s a side-by-side introduction to help you see the preserved connections retained through God's blessings:  His eternal revelation and promise to mankind -forgiveness and life.

1. The First Cup: Cup of Sanctification (Kiddush) was a type of the Introductory Rites

The order of the Old Passover: The father of the household blessed the first cup of wine with the words, “Blessed are you, O Lord, who creates the fruit of the vine.” This cup sanctified the whole evening, setting the meal apart as holy and recalling God’s promise to deliver His people.

The fulfillment in the Eucharist: This corresponds to the Introductory Rites — the Collect for Purity, the Summary of the Law or Ten Commandments, the Kyrie and Gloria, the Collect of the Day, and the Offertory (where the bread and wine are presented with ancient blessings).

What it means: Just as the first cup prepared the Jewish family for their journey of freedom, the opening of the Holy Communion prepares our hearts to meet Christ and begin our own journey of grace.

2. The Second Cup: Cup of Proclamation (Haggadah) was a type of the Liturgy of the Word 

The order of the Old Passover:  The second cup was drunk while the family retold the Exodus story — the plagues, the lamb, the hasty departure from Egypt. Children asked questions (“Why is this night different?”), and Psalms 113–114 were sung. This cup proclaimed God’s saving acts.

The fulfillment in the Eucharist: This matches the Liturgy of the Word — the Old Testament reading, Epistle, Psalm, Gospel, the Nicene Creed, and the sermon/homily. We retell our delivery from death- Once for all!

What it means: Here we hear the story of God’s salvation, now centered on Jesus Christ — the New Moses and true Deliverer. The readings and preaching invite you personally into the greatest story ever told.

3. The Third Cup: Cup of Blessing (Berakah) was a type of Consecration of the Elements

The order of the Old Passover: This central cup was blessed over the main meal of roasted lamb and unleavened bread. The bread was broken with a blessing, and the family ate the sacrificed lamb. It was called the “cup of blessing” and brought communion with the sacrifice.

The fulfillement in the Eucharist: This is the heart of the service — the Eucharistic Prayer, the Sanctus (“Holy, Holy, Holy”), the words of institution (“This is my Body… This is my Blood of the new Covenant”), the breaking of the bread (Fraction), and the distribution of Holy Communion- the New Manna until He returns!

What it means:  Jesus is both the Host and the Meal. In the Eucharist we receive His true Body and Blood — the new, living Lamb who gives Himself to us completely for our forgiveness and strength.

4. The Fourth Cup: Cup of Praise (Hallel) was a type of the Holy and Divine Communion

The order of the Old Passover: The final cup was drunk with the Great Hallel (Psalms 115–118) and songs of thanksgiving. It celebrated full deliverance and looked forward to future redemption. Jesus did not drink this cup at the Last Supper — He completed it on the Cross (see John 19:28–30, “It is finished”). We are fed with heavenly bread, “not as your fathers ate the manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live for ever.” John 6:58

The fulfillment in the Eucharist: This corresponds to Communion, the Agnus Dei (“O Lamb of God”), the Post-Communion Prayer, the final blessing, and the dismissal (“Go in peace to love and serve the Lord”). “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”

What it means: We now drink the completed cup in union with Christ’s finished work on Calvary. The Mass ends with joy and mission — we are sent out as God’s delivered people, freed from sin to love and serve.

The Holy Communion (Eucharist / Mass) is not a modern invention. It stands in living continuity with the worship Jesus ordered and fulfilled. What was a yearly memorial of deliverance from Egypt and sacrifice for atonement has become, in Christ, an ongoing encounter with the living God who delivers us from sin and feeds us with His own life- "I am the living bread which came down from heaven, if anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" St. John 6:51

Jesus intentionally used the liturgical four-cup structure of the Passover so that His  first Jewish disciples —and all of us — would recognize exactly what He was doing: giving us the new and eternal Covenant in and through  His Body and Blood.  It’s all been preserved for you, by the work of the Holy Spirit, through the Bride of Christ, His Church, to ensure the promises of God are kept, and delivered to each successive generation. Come, taste and see.

If you are visiting or seeking, you are most welcome at SaintAthanasiusAnglican.ORG . The same Lord who delivered Israel and instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper now invites you to this altar of remembrance and grace.

Information gathered from various sources including Brandt Pitre’s book mentioned in the previous posts. Compilation and representation is from the Christian Ed class at St. Athanasius.