The Cup that I Drink

Graeme, thank you very much and thank you everyone for the invitation to be with you.

And the idea for this came as we remembered the Lord Jesus last Sunday evening in Teesside Christian Fellowship.

And I thought it would be appropriate to share with you.

I did seek some guidance from Graeme during the week.

And I understand that you've been spending not just quite a bit of time in Luke's Gospel,

but in latter weeks, particularly around the cross and, of course, around the open grave at Easter time.

I was a widower. I have remarried.

And my wife, Laura, has come with me today.

And she gave me an idea about something.

And just to begin with, you'll see that there are three cups up there.

The cup that I drink, I drink from all three of them.

And they have, of course, associations.

It's not that we're OCD, but when you're moving from one house to another,

you end up doing things like counting the number of mugs you have.

And Laura has 135 mugs that she brought with her.

And she likes to rotate the mugs.

That's not get around to get a clean bit in the lip.

But she uses some mugs at particular times.

And, of course, it made me think, as I've never thought before,

yes, I do like particular cups or mugs.

And there's an association with them.

The one at the top left is my favourite mug,

a Highland Stoneware mug, a nice plug.

I'm on commission.

And it's a lovely mug to drink, either coffee or tea.

The one on the right-hand side at the top, the mackerel one,

was the first mug that Laura bought for me.

It won't be the last, I'm sure.

So there's a nice association with that,

particularly good for tea because it's porcelain.

The Stoneware one is better for coffee.

But porcelain, you've really got to have tea in a porcelain cup, don't you?

You see, I'm a bit OCD myself.

But the one at the bottom is one that's got an association for me

going away back to the forests of northern Sweden.

And I was given that as a gift with a group of people

that became very, very dear friends.

And actually, I don't drink from it so often.

It's an outdoor cup.

But there are lots of stories associated with that cup,

including me being passed through webbing by very small people.

I wasn't quite as large then, but it was a huge effort by them.

And I was just glad to get through this webbing

on this course that we were on in northern Sweden.

And the cup that I drink appears in the Lord Jesus' life.

And we're going to be thinking about the cup that he drank.

First passage is in Mark and chapter 10.

If you want to follow it in your own copy of the Word of God,

please turn to that.

And if you can read the screen, then good and well.

It's up there for us.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, said to him,

Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.

Jesus said to them,

You do not know what you're asking.

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink,

or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?

And they said to him,

We are able.

And Jesus said to them,

The cup that I drink, you will drink.

And with the baptism with which I am baptized,

you will be baptized.

But to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant,

but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.

Then go over to Mark and chapter 14.

You will get the association as we read that passage together,

verses 22 through 25.

And as they were eating, he took bread,

and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to them,

and said,

Take, this is my body.

And he took a cup.

And when he had given thanks,

he gave it to them,

and they all drank of it.

And he said to them,

This is my blood of the covenant,

which is poured out for many.

Truly I say to you,

I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine

until that day when I drink it new

in the kingdom of God.

And staying in Mark chapter 14,

Mark 14 · chapter mention

just down to verse 32.

And they went to a place called Gethsemane.

And he said to his disciples,

Sit here while I pray.

And he took with him Peter and James and John,

and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.

And he said to them,

My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.

Remain here and watch.

And going a little further,

he fell on the ground and prayed that,

if it were possible,

the hour might pass from him.

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.

And he came and found them sleeping,

and he said to Peter,

Simon, are you asleep?

Could you not watch one hour?

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.

The spirit indeed is willing,

but the flesh is weak.

And again he went away and prayed,

saying the same words.

Matthew's account includes those words,

in chapter 26 and 42.

My father,

if this cannot pass unless I drink it,

your will be done.

And again he came and found them sleeping,

for their eyes were very heavy,

and they did not know what to answer him.

And he came the third time and said to them,

Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?

It's enough.

The hour has come.

The Son of Man is betrayed

into the hands of sinners.

Rise, let us be going.

See, my betrayer is at hand.

God will bless his word to us.

The word cup is used 86 times in the Bible.

It's used literally, of course,

to describe a cup.

For instance,

he took a cup.

We read that in Martin chapter 14.

But it's also used figuratively

Remove this cup from me,

said Jesus in the garden.

But yet,

then he was not holding

a physical,

literal cup.

And so we're going to be thinking

about the transition between

a literal cup

and a figurative cup

and what that meant

for the Lord Jesus.

Figuratively,

in the Bible,

the term cup is used

quite often.

David uses it

really quite often.

And in Psalm 116,

he says,

I will lift up

the cup

of salvation.

Now, of course,

that isn't literal.

But he's thinking about

the fullness

of the deliverance

God has given to him.

And as the

great king of Israel,

he has

a large cause

to thank God

for deliverance

in personal salvation,

but also in rescue

from his enemies.

The great psalm

that we sometimes

repeat

and even sing,

Psalm 23,

you prepare a table

before me

in the presence

of my enemies.

You anoint

my head

with oil.

My cup

overflows.

And we get used

to repeating

the words,

but without

thinking of it

as being literal.

And these things

really do mean

something

to David

and they mean

something

to us.

As we think

about the rod

and the staff,

they comfort me.

He makes us

to lie down

in green pastures,

the quiet waters.

And of course,

it's not a literal

experience,

but figuratively,

as we find

spiritual solace

in the one

who cares for us,

who looks over us

as the shepherd.

The Lord

is literal.

The shepherd

is a figure.

We read of

the cup of consolation,

the cup of staggering.

Some might know that,

perhaps filled

with buckfast,

I don't know.

The cup of staggering,

but there is also

the cup of horror

and desolation.

And so we're going

to be thinking

primarily

about a figurative

use of the term

cup.

But first of all,

in Mark

and chapter 10,

when James

and John

come and ask,

or their mother

asks,

about where

her sons,

where these disciples

will sit

in the kingdom,

and they want

to get

a reserved

space

right beside

Jesus,

and the Lord

Jesus

asks them,

are you able

to drink

the cup

that I drink?

Are you able

to be baptized

with the baptism

I'm baptized with?

And they say,

we are

able.

We are able.

Not quite sure

what they

understood

by that,

but they are

affirming

that they would

want to

experience

everything

that the Lord

Jesus

experiences.

Now,

the reason

I read

the passage

from Mark

14,

and the

communion,

the Lord's

Supper,

or the

Passover meal

where the

Lord's Supper

was instituted,

was that

literally,

they did

take the

cup that

he drank

from.

There are

a number

of cups

that are

drunk

over the

passage of

a Passover

meal,

and I

emphasized,

at least in

the reading,

that they

all drank

from it.

The Lord

Jesus drank

of the cup

and they

all drank

of the

cup.

And so,

in one sense,

it is literally

fulfilled that

the disciples,

James and

John,

drank of

the cup.

Concerning

the baptism

with which

the Lord

Jesus was

baptized,

that might

be a

throwback

to the

beginning

of his

public

ministry

when he

enters into

the Jordan

and asks

his second

cousin,

John the

Baptist,

to baptize

him.

And the

Lord Jesus

goes under

the water

of the

Jordan,

and when

he comes

up,

you may

remember

that the

spirit came

down in

bodily form

like a

dove and

rested upon

him,

thereby signifying

to everyone

who was

spectating

that day

that the

Lord Jesus

was being

called into

a particular

mission and

ministry,

and he was

empowered by

the Holy

Spirit.

And of

course,

that is

exactly what

happened to

both James

and John,

when after

the resurrection

and in

Jerusalem and

in an upper

room,

they encounter

the giving

of the Holy

Spirit as

was promised

to them.

And the

Holy Spirit

descends,

not this

time like

a dove,

but like

fiery tongues,

and rests

upon them.

And so

literally,

they were

baptized by

the Holy

Spirit,

just as

Jesus was

on that

day.

But then,

when we

think of

the figurative

application of

this,

the Lord

Jesus may

have been

meaning not

just a

literal drinking

of the cup

and a

literal baptism

by the

Holy Spirit,

but rather

that he

understood

the figurative

use of

the term.

And the

Lord Jesus

is going to

suffer

tremendously

just after

this Lord's

Supper,

institution

of this

first

communion.

And he

is going

to go

to Calvary.

He's already

warned his

disciples that

they too are

going to

participate in

his sufferings.

As the

world has

hated me,

so they

will hate

you.

So if we

take James,

who was

one of the

sons of

Zebedee and

whose mother

asked the

question,

James was

the first

apostle to

be martyred.

And we

read of that

very early

on in

Luke's

account of

the early

church.

John was

exiled on

the Isle

of Patmos,

and there

were various

things which

he suffered

in his

life, but

exile was

one that we

definitely know

of from the

scriptures,

from tradition

and history.

There were

all kinds of

suffering that

he too

faced, but

he was

exiled on

the Isle

of Patmos.

Jesus has

said to his

disciples,

if they

persecuted

me, they

will also

persecute

you.

And the

warning was

given, and

even to the

early church,

those who

would count

the cost

before committing

to following

Jesus,

Peter says

to them,

do not be

surprised,

at the

fiery trial

when it

comes upon

you to

test you.

Paul, the

great apostle

of the early

church, said

all who

desire to

live a

godly life

in Christ

Jesus will

be persecuted.

We do

forget that

we are

inured from

so much

suffering here

in Scotland,

and as we

think of the

church in so

many parts

of our

world.

If we

think of

what has

happened in

Syria, where

prior to

this awful

war, there

were numbered

well over

one million

Christians,

and now it's

estimated only

around 300,000

or so are

left.

We ask the

Christian families

who have had to

flee about

great tribulation.

They would

give accounts

of terrible

suffering.

I'm not

sure if you

have Syrian

refugees here

coming to

the church

we have in

TCF, and

the stories

that are told

are just

absolutely

horrendous.

Mothers who

don't know

whether the

father of

their children

still lives

or not, or

whether in

the refugee

camp or

whatever it

might be, but

across our

world, there

is tremendous

suffering for

those who own

the name of

Christ.

And of course,

we should be

particularly

sensitive to

the suffering

of others.

We haven't

faced what

Jesus, what

Peter, what

Paul talked

about, and

what James

and John

and the

others faced

personally.

But of course,

we are warned

that we will

face suffering.

One of the

issues that we

do face in

TCF is about

sharing our

faith personally.

And in the

fairly innocuous

environment of

Costa,

that's a

wonderful place

to be able

to do that.

Perhaps

forming a

habit so that

it's not a

Sunday night

we do that,

but it's also

the Monday at

lunchtime and

the Thursday

in the evening

when we're

just with our

friends.

Just to be

brave enough

to own the

name of

Christ and

to tell of

his love,

of his

suffering,

of the

difference he's

made in our

lives.

Oh, we

have nothing

to fear,

but fear

itself.

How often

will the

devil keep

us from

just sharing

simply and

most

straightforwardly?

The church

that I was in

before going to

TCF was

Hillbank in

Dundee,

Hillbank

Evangelical

Church.

We had a

special weekend

there with

an evangelist

who just

oozed the

gospel,

who found

opportunities

everywhere.

I picked

him up from

Edinburgh

Airport,

took him

up to

Arbroath

and said

we're going

to have a

chipped tea

before we

start our

church weekend.

He said

well that's

great,

what will we

get?

I said

I don't

know,

but here in

Arbroath

they have a

speciality

in making

fritters.

Fritters?

What are

fritters?

He didn't

say it with a

West-of-Scotland

accent of

course,

but we

stood in

the queue

and he

ordered a

bag of

fritters and

he said

that's

absolutely

amazing.

Do you

think Jesus

ever had

fritters with

fish?

And it's

just a

simple

question,

he just

spoke as

he thought.

And before

long,

not only

was the

guy frying

the fish

engaged in

a conversation

about Jesus

and his

eating habits,

but the

whole shop

were involved

and he

said,

you know,

it's just

easy,

just do

it.

And people

were saying,

but I

find it so

difficult to

speak.

And he

said,

well,

what do

you do

when you

meet your

fellow

parents at

the school

on a

Monday

morning with

their

children?

Do you

speak to

them?

Oh,

yeah,

that's

easy.

Well,

just do

it.

We are

warned

about

persecution,

but of

course we

don't really

face that

here.

But

nonetheless

we have

the fear,

or let

me be

honest,

is it

the shame?

Is it

the shame

of being

a Christian

and of

believing

this wonderful

message?

I wonder

what it

really is

at our

hearts.

However,

the Lord

Jesus then

went on to

ask that

the cup

would be

removed

from him.

and now

we're

beginning

to get

meat

and the

bone

about

the

figurative

use

of the

language.

What

was it

a cup

of?

Isaiah

51

says,

you who

have

drunk

from the

hand of

the Lord

the cup

of his

wrath.

Jeremiah

25,

take

from my

hand

this

cup

of the

wine

of

wrath

and make

all the

nations

to whom

I send

you

drink

it.

And in

the book

of Revelation

in the

New Testament

we're

given this

warning.

He,

that is

the idolater,

the one

who would

replace

God

with anything

other than

God,

who will

deliberately

shun

God

and the

gospel

and his

Christ,

he also

will drink

the wine

of God's

wrath,

poured

full

strength

into the

cup

of his

anger.

And when

the Lord

Jesus

is going

to take

from the

very hand

of God

a cup,

it is

a cup

of wrath,

a cup

of wrath.

And as

the Lord

Jesus

anticipates

this,

the hand

of a

holy

God,

he says,

let this

cup

pass

from me.

Now I've

become convinced

and I hope

to show you

that this

was not

a request

by the

Lord

Jesus

to not

die.

That

wasn't

his request,

but rather

that as

he faced

the wrath

of God

against

sin,

of a

holy God

who for

centuries

had been

offended

by all

of humanity

and who

was going

to hold

to account

those sins

done by

others

against

other human

beings,

as he

is the

judge

of all

and as

he is to

exert

justice,

he is

poised

ready

on that

night

in

Gethsemane

to pour

all of

his wrath,

all of

his offenses

on his

own

son.

And

Jesus'

agony

as he

anticipates

this

is that

only he

can

understand

what this

is about.

Because

as God

in the

flesh,

he too

has that

holy

revulsion

of sin

and

sinfulness.

And the

beauty

of his

perfect

and

sinless

life,

of the

one

substance

with God

the Father

and God

the Holy

Spirit,

he sees

what it

will cost.

He's about

to feel

the full

weight

and fury

of his

father's

anger

against

sin.

Only

he in

his

holiness

can

fully

anticipate

and

know

what

is

to

come.

He

knows

the

enormity

of the

judgment

that

must be.

He

is the

one who

is

sinless.

He

didn't

deserve

to drink

the cup

of God's

wrath,

but he

was willing

and obedient.

He

says

previously,

shall I

not drink

the cup

my

father

has

given

me?

And so

we see

on the

one hand

his

holy

soul

and the

revulsion

for sin,

dreading the

judgment

of God

and all

that that

must mean.

And yet

on the

other

hand,

his

obedience

to the

father

and his

love

for you

and for

me.

To take

that which

we need

not face

if we

come in

faith

and repentance

and accepting

the sacrifice

of Christ,

accepting

the fullness

of the life

that he

has lived

and all

his sinlessness,

all his

purity,

all his

righteousness.

and

prophetically

he

understands

what is

going to

happen

because

Isaiah

had

anticipated

this

night

and he

uses

the words

he was

crushed

for

our

iniquities,

crushed

for our

iniquities

and the

weight

of all

the sin

of the

world

throughout

all of

human

history

is placed

upon him

and the

judgment

of God

against that

and only

he can

fully

appreciate

all that

that means.

Matthew

and Mark

relate

that Jesus

prayed

three times

and Luke

gives a

single

summary

description

and

includes

a detail

that wasn't

included

by Matthew

and Mark

that after

praying the

first time

there appeared

to him

an angel

from heaven

strengthening

him

and being

in agony

he prayed

more earnestly

and after

that first

prayer

as he

anticipates

the wrath

the judgment

of God

he's praying

don't save

me from

the death

that I

must die

but save

me from

the wrath

and all

that that

means

I'll

willingly

die

for all

of humanity

I'll pay

the price

in my

death

but that

wasn't

enough

God

says

it's not

enough

for you

to die

you've

got to

be judged

as if

you

yourself

had

committed

all of

those sins

and I'm

going to

pour out

all my

wrath

that's

the death

that he

must

die

and so

Matthew's

account

of the

second

prayer

and included

that in

the reading

for the

second

time

he went

away

and prayed

my

father

if

this

cannot

pass

unless I

drink it

your will

be done

if

this

if

this

wrath

if

this

judgment

if

this

dreadful

torture

for sin

and so

many

theologians

reject the

idea that

someone could

be personally

made to

pay the

price for

my sin

that's so

unfair of

God

well it

isn't because

God's son

says

I want

it

I want

you to

judge me

father

for their

sin

I'll bear

it

I'll face

it

and after

that first

prayer

he has

given that

divine

heavenly

sustenance

and God's

answer is

given

in the

strengthening

by the

angel

and so

as John

Piper says

Jesus did

not go on

praying for

the cup

to pass

he went

on praying

for success

in drinking

it

if this

may not

pass away

from me

except I

drink it

your will

be done

your will

be done

the greatest

prayer

and the

prayer life

of the

Lord Jesus

is rich

and I'm so

glad you're

going to be

thinking about

the Lord's

prayer

of course

there is

another

prayer in

John 17

where his

heart of

love and

his concern

for his

disciples

is just so

evident as

on the

surface

to see

how much

he loved

but even

this prayer

brief though

it is

perhaps the

greatest

prayer

that the

Lord Jesus

prayed

your will

be done

it wasn't

about us

it's about

him

and his

relationship

with God

and about

this great

work

that God

has given

him

to do

Hebrews 5

in the

days of

his flesh

Jesus

offered up

prayers and

supplications

with loud

cries and

tears

to him

who was

able to

save him

from death

and he

was heard

because of

his reverence

then it

goes on

although

he was

a son

he learned

obedience

through what

he suffered

being made

perfect

he became

the source

of eternal

salvation

to all

who obey

him

and the

Lord Jesus

the son of

God

in the

flesh

fully human

had to

learn

what

obedience

to God

the father

was

and he

went to

the utmost

extremity

the extremity

to which

others

may have

gone or

approximated

to give

their life

for the

Lord Jesus

give their

lives

for their

faith

whether it's

Syrian

believers

Pakistani

believers

presently

or whether

it's the

martyrs of

the early

church

they gave

their lives

because

Jesus

obedience

is the

model

for our

obedience

for our

obedience

and we

who would

come to

know

Christ

and God

as our

father

to know

the freedom

of sins

being forgiven

it's on the

basis of

our own

obedience

to the

word of

God

to come

in faith

believing

and in

repenting

of the

sin that

caused

us

and to

acknowledge

that in

Christ

he has

paid the

debt

fully and

completely

what a

prayer

and he

did it

for me

and he

did it

for you

and so

we read

these

great words

being

found in

human

form

he humbled

himself

by becoming

obedient

to the

point of

death

even death

on a

cross

therefore

God

has highly

exalted

him

the one who

could appreciate

all that it

cost

his son

that great

burden

that awful

dread

that

unswerving

obedience

that great

love for

his father

that abundant

love for you

and for me

only God

could appreciate

it

therefore

God

has highly

exalted

him

and bestowed

on him

the name

that is above

every name

so that

at the name

of Jesus

every knee

should bow

in heaven

and on earth

and under

the earth

and every

tongue

confess

that Jesus

Christ

is Lord

to the glory

of God

the father

is that

the kind

of obedience

we're willing

to give

God

to find

forgiveness

for our

sins

to find

a relationship

that is

beyond

every

relationship

that can

be offered

upon earth

and to be

linked

eternally

with the

very God

of heaven

and all

of the work

has been

done

except

for us

to bow

the knee

and to

come

to him

some

think it's

an awful

cost

but I

came across

this

quotation

and it

seemed to

sum it

up

as we

close

when we

are crushed

like grapes

we cannot

think of the

wine

we will

become

and in the

life of the

Lord Jesus

and his

eternal glory

and that we

shall all

see his

glory

my

my how

wonderful

that will

be

and for

you and

I

today

to come

to an

end of

ourselves

and our

struggling

and to

come

willingly

and to

thank Jesus

for what

he has

done

in bearing

our sins

on the

cross

and in

coming to

know him

and in

a life

of absolute

surrender

and

obedience

to be

crushed

all our

pride

all our

thinking

we can

do it

our way

just to

be crushed

so that

God can

pour us

out

like a

beautiful

wine

let's

pray

father we

thank you

for this

glimpse again

into

Gethsemane's

garden

we think

of the

cup

that the

Lord Jesus

took

at that

communion

service

and we

think of

all that it

meant and

only he

could fully

understand

and yet

he gave us

this to

remember him

by and we

thank you

that we

regularly

remember his

body given

for us

and his

blood poured

out

father we

pray that

we might

be touched

with the

enormity

of our

sin

but

especially

of the

wonder

of the

obedience

of your

son

and that

we might

come and

give you

thanks and

praise

for all

that he

has done

and in

going to

Calvary's

cross

and bearing

the judgment

for my

sin

that I

can now

come to

him

confessing

as Lord

trust in

his sacrifice

and trust in

his redeeming

grace

and to

know a

life of

fullness

father we

pray that

each and

every one

of us

might do

that

we pray

our father

we will

hold the

name of

Jesus

in such

awe and

reverence

it will

overcome

our reluctance

our fear

our shame

perhaps

just to

say to

those who

would abuse

it

please don't

use it

that way

he's such

a lovely

man

he's done

a wonderful

thing for

me

and I

want to

protect

his name

father help

us to

live for

Jesus

to bow

the knee

now in

obedience

coming to

him in

faith

or in

a renewed

commitment

to lift