THE CUP THAT JESUS DRANK

Scriptural Text: Luke 22:39-48

Introduction: A rapid chain of events happened this Thursday night before the crucifixion.  He celebrates the Passover with his disciples; washes their feet; institutes the Lord’s Supper; predicts His betrayal; disciples argue over who is greatest among them; and He predicts Peter’s denial.

He then leaves the Upper Room and goes to the Mount of Olives and at the foot of the mountain on the west side there was a garden called Gethsemane.  This was His customary place of rest when He visited Jerusalem.  The word Gethsemane means, “oil press”, for there were many olive trees in the vicinity and presses were used to extract the oil from the olives. 

The cup in the OT symbolized judgment, wrath and suffering.

Jer. 25:15 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

Isa. 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

Thesis: Explore three things included in the “Cup of Suffering,” which Jesus drank – the Curse, the Cross and the Cure.

I.                   THE CURSE

This is the curse due to sin.

The perfect, sinless Son of God is now being made a curse.

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

v.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Deut. 11:26-28 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

 27.  A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28.  And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God.

II.        THE CROSS

            The Cross and all its agony and sufferings were in that cup.

            I call the Cross The Greatest Paradox in Human History.  Why?

            It is the place where God judges sin and forgives sin.

            It is the place where the Guiltless is condemned and guilty goes free.

            It is the place where darkness descends and light breaks forth.

            It is the place where God is both Judge and Justifier; wrathful and forgiving.

Our Gethsemane is the place where we decide to accept the suffering God has ordained for us.

What characterizes Gethsemane?

Agony - v. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Gr. Agonia, used only once in the NT, It means 1 a struggle for victory. 1a gymnastic exercise, wrestling. 2 of severe mental struggles and emotions, agony, anguish.[1]

This word “agonia” is in the dative form.  The dative refers to the person or thing to which something is given.  In other words, Jesus is given this agony!

“Drops” is the word thrombos in the Greek.  It means a clot or clot of blood.  The word thrombosis is derived from this word.  The blood that flowed from His pours coagulated.  The text says, “great drops of blood.”

The medical term for this rare condition is known as hematohydrosis.  It is when small blood vessels burst and blood flows out through the pores of the skin.

         You see, Jesus’ entire life was characterized by suffering.  Isaiah said that He          is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

         It is why Jonathan Edwards said “Christ’s principal errand in the world was          suffering.”

Aloneness – v. 45-46 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46.  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

            I AM was alone in the Garden.

Jn 18: 4-5 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5.  They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. (“He” is not in the Greek.  Jesus was saying “I am”

Acceptance – v.42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Jn 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

III.       THE CURE

Drinking the cup that the Father gave Him provided a cure for the disease of all diseases, the malady of all maladies.

         Rom. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also   by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.

         2 Cor. 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might          become the righteousness of God in Him.

         1 Cor. 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us         wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

There is a difference between a healing and a cure.  According to George Crabb in his book, English Synonyms, healing is for that which is broken and a cure is employed for that which is out of order.  Wounds are healed but diseases are cured. Healing is simple, but a cure is complex.   A cure addressed what is wrong in the system, it is systemic. It is both external and internal.  Healing only requires external application.

He drank the entire cup so that we would be free and be cured from sin.

Illus. – The Roman soldiers are forced to take turns drinking hemlock if they were not disciplined in battle.  If a soldier would drink the entire cup when it was his turn, none of the other soldiers would suffer and die.

When the Father handed Jesus the cup.  He drank it all, sparing all of us!

He entered the Garden as Lord, He left as a Lamb.

He entered the Garden in Honor, He left in humiliation.

He entered the Garden with His friends, He left friendless.

He entered the Garden sinless; He left as a sin-offering.

He entered the Garden free, He left bound.

He entered the Garden in authority, He left in agony.

If He had not said, “Thy will be done in the Garden”, He would have been unable to say, “It is finished” at Calvary.

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[1]Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible: Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G74). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.