Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - THE CUP

 THE CUP

Scripture tells us that when Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane He was in so much distress that, while praying, “…His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). The Bible relates that Jesus knew what was waiting Him and it is often understood that the cause of His distress was the soon-to-take-place crucifixion. After all, in His humanity, He had the same feelings and fears that we all would have and crucifixion was known to be one of, if not the, most excruciating forms of capital punishment ever known.

But was it the cross that He really feared? After all, He said in John 10:18 that: “No one takes it [life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” Even though this was the case, there must have been some distress in His being about what was forthcoming.

Still, the Bible does not indicate that it was the cross itself that was causing Him so much discomfort that He sweating “great drops of blood”. He, Himself, does not pray for the ordeal of the cross to be taken from Him. What He says is: “…Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me…” (Luke 22:42); it was the cup He wished to be relieved of, not the cross.

So what does He refer to as “the cup”? It apparently refers back to the Book of Jeremiah, where in chapter 25, the prophet tells the people of Judah that: “…the Lord has sent to you all the servants the prophets…but you have not…inclined your ear to hear” (Jeremiah 25:4). Because of this disobedience, and the fact that the people had been praising and serving other gods, Jeremiah warned that the Lord would take joy and happiness away from them and send the conquerer, Nebuchadnezzar, against them and overcome them. (Jeremiah 25)

Furthermore, Jeremiah said that the Lord God of Israel said to him:

…‘Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath

 and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 

When they drink it, they will stagger 

and go mad because of the sword 

I will send among them.’

(Jeremiah 25:15-16NIV). 

And so Jeremiah goes on to relate all the nations that this referred to and what would befall them for: 

‘The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, 

for the Lord all bring charges against the nations; 

He will bring judgement on all mankind and 

put the wicked to the sword… 

…Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; 

a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.’

(Jeremiah 25:31-32NIV)

The people had to drink from the cup of their own sin and therefore would suffer from all that the Lord said world befall them in the passage referred to in Jeremiah. They would lose their joy and become enslaved and their land would become a desolate wasteland. This is the cup of God’s wrath referred to in Jeremiah and also in Matthew when Jesus confronted the Pharisees regarding their legalisms but lack of faith, justice and mercy. 

 

‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, 

but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 

Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, 

that the outside of them may be clean also.’

(Matthew 23:25-26)

Jesus was not as worried about the crucifixion as He was about receiving all of the sin of mankind in the cup of God’s wrath. The man who was without sin was preparing to drink the cup filled to the brim with all the sins of mankind so that we ourselves would not have to suffer the consequences of our lifetimes of indiscretions and sin. It was knowing that this burden would soon be put upon Him that caused His agony and His request that the cup be removed from Him. But He said: “Father, if it is your will take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done.”

Jesus obeyed His Father’s request and drank the cup containing our sins and disobedience and thus saved us from the penalties awaiting. If we would only be half as willing to obey the Father’s direction, what a better world we might all be living in.

It should give you something to think about.