What is the Cup of God’s Wrath?

Cup of Wrath

And as horrible as that was, that’s not all Christ endured.

Christ did not just die physically for our sin.

He suffered the full wrath of God on our behalf.

His outward pain and anguish was nothing compared to the inward turmoil He faced under the wrath and anger of God.

The Psalm says I am poured out like water, my heart is like wax, my strength is dried up like a potsherd...

This Scripture probably gives us the greatest insight into the hearth and mind of Christ as He hung on the cross.

What was He thinking? What was He feeling?

What was He suffering on our behalf?

His heart melted within Him.

Job 23:16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.

Nahum 2:10 Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!

This describes absolute terror and dread

Water poured out. When you pour out water in a desert place its helpless, wasted, good for nothing.

In other words, Jesus was utterly undone and laid to waste. Ruined. Every woe was laid on Him.

Jesus bore the full weight of God’s wrath for all our sin. Everyone who believes in Him.

Every one of yours and every one of mine.

And He paid all of them. Every. Single. one.

Remember what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Luke 22:42 Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.

And He was in such great anguish that he prayed more earnestly and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44).

What was this cup?

Psalm 75:8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

The cup was the cup of God’s wrath that every sinner deserves for their sin.

Revelation tells us this cup is mixed unmixed (Revelation 14:9-10).

The wine of God’s wrath is mixed with spices to give it the full kick, the full flavor, and then its poured out undiluted, unmixed in full strength.

Psalm 11:6 says this cup is full of fire, sulfur and scorching wind to show how God’s wrath burns against sin.

And Jesus accepted the cup of God’s wrath on our behalf.

At the end of His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus said Father if you are willing, remove this cup from me, He finished it by saying, Nevertheless, not my will but yours, be done.

He drained it down to the dregs so that everyone who believes in Him would never have to.

And He drank every last bit to fully satisfy God’s wrath against our sin.

This is why He wore a crown of thorns to bear our curse.

God cursed Adam for His sin saying Cursed is the ground because of you. Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you (Gen. 3:17-18).

At the crucifixion, those thorns and thistles were twisted into a crown for Christ’s head for as it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree (Gal 3:13).