Lesson #298
In the last lesson two points were listed that we needed to
cover from John 18:10 – 11, but we managed to cover only the first, leaving the
second point for this lesson. That second point relates to the second part of
verse 11 in which Jesus said, “shall I not drink the cup that the Father has
given me?” To gain a better understanding of what this cup is, we will look at two
Old Testament verses. We will begin with Jeremiah 25:15 (ESV): “Thus the Lord,
the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of
wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.”” Looking at the
context of this verse we find nations, including Israel, who have done evil and
not obeyed God. As a result, God is very angry with them and makes a promise to
them that they will become a desolation and a waste. This anger against them is
seen as the wrath of God and is symbolized by a cup, which they will be forced
to drink.
Another verse is in Isaiah 51:17 (ESV): “Wake yourself, wake
yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the
cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.”
Jerusalem continued to reject God’s warnings of destruction and did not repent
and return to him in obedience, but continued in their sin. As a result,
judgment over took them and they were destroyed. This judgment is here
described as the cup of his wrath.
Because of our disobedience, our sin, we also stand condemned,
guilty before God with our sentence being death. This judgment against us, like
the judgment described in Jeremiah and Isaiah, will be experienced as the wrath
of God; a cup the unsaved will drink from for an eternity in hell. To provide
our salvation, Jesus who lived a sinless life sacrificed himself on the cross,
drinking our cup of wrath.
If Jesus did not drink this cup then like those described in
Revelation 14, we would have to drink it ourselves. “If anyone worships the
beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also
will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his
anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the
holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment
goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers
of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
(Revelation 14:9 – 11 ESV). This is one cup you want to avoid having to drink
from. Jesus provided the way to avoid it. Don’t miss your opportunity to avoid
this cup of God’s wrath! There in the Garden Peter didn’t yet understand this
drinking from the cup in his place.
Prayer
Father, how thankful I am that Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath in our place so that you could extend to us the cup of God’s fellowship. As with those who live under persecution, that cup of fellowship might include suffering, but not the wrath of God. That fellowship of suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18) and for those who are called according to his purpose, who love God, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). Father, thank you for that living hope of what lies, on the other side of this life of suffering, in heaven with you.
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