"Shall I not Drink the Cup

“Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’” (John 18:11 ESV)

What was in the cup? In this verse, Jesus refers to drinking the cup that the Father had given Him. Matthew (26:39), recorded this in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’” Yet again Luke records this: saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”(Luke 22:42) Mark also recorded this,  ^“And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’”(14:36) All four gospels record Jesus speaking to the Father and asking Him to take the cup away. So, again, what was in the cup?

My friends, the cup contained the mighty wrath of God against all human sin. Jesus, in His divine understanding, willingly accepted this cup. It is a reminder of the immense sacrifice He made for us. Sometimes, I think we forget, or do not understand the magnitude and weight of the cross. Let us take a moment to reflect on the enormity of His sacrifice and feel humbled and grateful.

In Numbers 16:31-33, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram challenged Moses and God. God instructed Moses, who gathered the Israelites with the elders, to witness God’s response of wrath against these men. Scripture says: And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

God’s wrath against sin was also witnessed at Sodom and Gomorrah. The destruction of the cities with fire and brimstone. Lastly, one of the greatest examples of God’s wrath against sin was witnessed in the Book of Acts, involving Ananias and Sapphirah. Ananias and his wife sold land and lied to the apostles about the amount they had received, holding back a portion for themselves. Luke wrote: “But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately, she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.” It was not about the money, but the lie before God.

These are only three examples of God’s wrath against sin. Now imagine God focusing the wrath against all the sins for all people, past, present, and future, on one man all at once. When you were a child, did you ever learn about solar energy by focusing the sun's rays through a magnifying glass? You could set paper on fire with the focused beam of the sun. Now that is the concentrated wrath of God against sin that Jesus suffered for you. His sacrifice was personal. It was for each one of us individually. Let us feel the depth of His love and sacrifice.

The weight of the cross should crush every one of us today, knowing that it was our sin that led Christ to this cross. That the Father chose His Son as a propitiation, a sacrifice that would satisfy His wrath against Sin. This means that Jesus, through His sacrifice, appeased the wrath of God that was rightfully directed towards us. That Jesus willingly went to the cross out of obedience and love for the Father, and for the people the Father had given Him as a gift of love. And my friends, it pleased God, for if it had not, there would be no salvation available to those who believe in Christ as their Savior and the risen Son of God. That terrible cry on the cross, “Eloi Eloi, lamma sabacthani, my God my God, why have you forsaken me? Alone on that cross at that moment Jesus was separated from what could not be separated the Father. Creation revolted. The earth and sky protested and cried.

In many churches today, you will not hear this truth. It has been omitted because today, many find it offensive. It is these people we must pray for because they do not understand the magnitude of a simple lie before God, defying God’s word, or questioning the authority of God. They do not understand that holy means separate, above us, complete sinless righteousness. They do not know these things because some pastors are only worried about money, attendance numbers, and being politically correct.

Jesus died so that we could die with Him. And as He rose defeating death, so that we can rise with Him in our salvation. The weight of the cross is terrifying. The weight of our sin is also terrifying. Christ’s sacrifice infinitely outweighs our sin. How could one man pay for the sins of the world in a few hours? Because that man was the Son of God, worth more than the entirety of creation. That is how. The only way to go to hell is to trample over the cross of Christ. Is that you? Are you stepping over the body of Christ on that cross in defiance of God?

Open your eyes. Christ stands before you, saying, “You do not have to do it.” Please do not make that choice when I have already kept you from eternal punishment. Believe in Him. Ask Christ to save you from your sins. You have to make a choice. Choose life eternal, a life of peace, joy, and communion with God that extends beyond this earthly existence.

Grace and Peace.